PRUVols 2025: Building Schools, Illuminating Futures in Van Chan, Vietnam
From 1 to 7 November 2025, Prudence Foundation and Prudential Vietnam Assurance Private Ltd. (“Prudential Vietnam”) brought together 62 volunteers from 14 markets across Prudential’s business units for a shared mission: strengthening community and education resilience in Van Chan, Vietnam.
The first group-wide volunteering began in 2009 in response to the 2009 Padang earthquake in West Sumatra, Indonesia. With the establishment of Prudence Foundation in 2011, PRU Volunteers or PRUVols has been championed through the community investment arm of Prudential plc, engaging in regional volunteering initiatives across Asia.
“Volunteerism has been at the core of Prudence Foundation. We believe that resilience starts on the ground, and it starts with people. When we volunteer, we’re not just giving, we’re also growing as human beings.”
– Diana Guzman, Chair of Prudence Foundation
From our 2011 efforts after the Ishinomaki-Japan earthquake, to 2024 efforts in Sukhothai, Thailand, where we rebuilt homes and sanitation facilities for the elderly and vulnerable families, PRUVols 2025 presented a marked evolution of the PRUVols programme. Evolving beyond our earlier goals of rebuilding infrastructure after disaster events, this year’s PRUVols pursued the dual goals of proactively strengthening community resilience at kindergartens and schools, while bringing basic financial literacy education to young students in the mountainous regions of Van Chan, Lao Cai province, Vietnam. Partnering with the schools, local community and authorities, and Centre for Research and Communication Training (CRC), PRUVols 2025 delivered impactful projects that benefitted more than 1.8k community members including 862 families and 1,000 children.
Educational Infrastructure Development
PRUVols built the first ever IT library for the children of Suoi Giang Primary and Secondary School, providing a gateway to accessing digital education to empower students in a digital age. The IT library does more than create safe, inclusive spaces for learning – they empower children with the tools to not fall behind in the world’s digital transformation.
Bringing Cha-Ching to Van Chan commune
This year marks the first year the PRUVols has expanded our mandate to combine community infrastructure rebuilding efforts together with basic financial literacy, bringing the Cha-Ching curriculum to 1,000 children in Van Chan, Vietnam. Since 2019, Cha-Ching in Vietnam has reached over 170,000 students with 5,000 teachers trained in the Cha-Ching curriculum.
Sustainable Solutions
The installation of solar-powered lamps between schools and the community centre in Van Chan ensured enhanced safety, connectivity, and climate resilience for shared public spaces, illuminating the daily walk students make to and from school. These innovative solutions addressed immediate needs, bringing light and safety to shared spaces.
Community Engagement
Volunteers worked hand-in-hand with local residents to complete construction projects, creating a partnership built on trust and shared objectives. By including community members in every step of the process, this initiative ensured that the projects addressed the real needs and priorities of the communities we were serving.
When asked how community investment is important to the business, Kevin Kwon, CEO of Prudential Vietnam said, “Corporate social responsibility is a natural extension of what we do as a life insurance company. For us, operating in Vietnam for the last 26 years, being very active in providing social cooperatives, and CSR activities have been the anchoring point to build the trust and the reliability from the community.”
The programme is very special for employees at Prudential. “Through PRUVols, colleagues from across different businesses come together to make a difference in the community, while establishing new friendships and experiences that enrich both our work and our lives," said Nicole Ngeow, Executive Director of Prudence Foundation.
Looking Ahead
For Prudence Foundation, PRUVols is not just about rebuilding structures, but about building bonds, restoring hope, and fostering resilience that endures long after we leave.
As Prudence Foundation continues its legacy of volunteerism, PRUVols remains a testament to our belief that resilience starts with people. With each effort, the programme inspires both volunteers and communities to champion sustainable solutions, collective responsibility, and shared growth.
About Prudence Foundation
Resilient Communities, Today and Tomorrow
Established in 2011 in Hong Kong, Prudence Foundation is the community investment and philanthropic arm of Prudential plc.
The Foundation builds financial wellbeing, and climate and health resilience for underserved Asian and African communities. We are committed to sustainable, long-term solutions that empower individuals and communities to make informed financial decisions, access affordable financial products, as well as be more prepared and protected against climate-related health risks. We actively engage in public-private partnerships, collaborate with governments, NGOs, communities and other private sector entities to build collective efforts for lasting change. To date, our programmes are implemented across 16 markets in Asia and Africa, reaching millions of people.
For more information: www.prudencefoundation.com
Prudential is not affiliated in any manner with Prudential Financial, Inc. a company whose principal place of business is in the United States of America, nor with The Prudential Assurance Company Limited, a subsidiary of M&G plc, a company incorporated in the United Kingdom.
About Prudential Vietnam
Prudential Vietnam Assurance Private Limited (“Prudential Vietnam) is a member of Prudential plc, providing life and health insurance and asset management in 24 markets across Asia and Africa. Prudential’s mission is to be the most trusted partner and protector for this generation and generations to come, by providing simple and accessible financial and health solutions.
As of December 2024, Prudential has charter capital of 7,698 billion VND and operates in all life insurance businesses with a nationwide business network. With the mission “We provide peace of mind to every Vietnamese family”, Prudential reaffirms its commitment to always putting customers first, delivering innovative and comprehensive solutions to protect people’s wealth, helping them grow their assets, and empowering them to save for their goals.
About CRC
The Centre for Research & Communication Training (CRC) is a Vietnam-based nonprofit dedicated to improving community wellbeing through practical, people-centered initiatives in education, health, and climate resilience. CRC partners with provincial and district authorities, schools, and private-sector organizations to design, implement, and sustain projects that strengthen local capacity and deliver measurable outcomes.
For PRUVols 2025 in Van Chan Commune, Lao Cai Province, CRC serves as Prudence Foundation’s local partner—securing permissions, coordinating with schools and community leaders, preparing worksites, implementing safety protocols, managing volunteer logistics, and arranging maintenance and handover so that facilities remain useful long after the programme. CRC’s approach emphasizes collaboration, cultural sensitivity, transparency, and long-term ownership by the community.
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