On the morning of September 5, Ca Mau welcomed the new academic year with the resounding beat of the school drum and the bright smiles of students in Vietnam’s southernmost province.

Quach Minh Man, Deputy General Director of Business at GrowMax Group, awarded 15 scholarships to students at Phung Ngoc Liem Primary School (Bac Lieu Ward).
Photo: Trong Linh

 

From Dong Hai and Hiep Tung to Vam Dinh and Nam Can, familiar roads to school became more joyful as children received scholarships from the GrowMax Scholarship Fund in cooperation with the Vietnam Agriculture & Environment Newspaper — a program that has quietly endured for many years.

At Dong Hai Primary School on September 5, students clutched their scholarship envelopes tightly, as though holding on to newfound hope. One student said: “I will buy a new set of school supplies.”

Not far away, at Dong Hai Secondary School, teachers whispered with sparkling eyes: “To receive a scholarship on opening day — what could be better?”

Nguyen Thi Nguyet, Principal of Phung Liem Primary School (Bac Lieu Ward), shared: “In the 2025–2026 school year, our school has more than 1,045 students, including 40 facing difficult circumstances. Thanks to the support of the education sector, society at large, and especially the GrowMax Scholarship Fund in collaboration with the Vietnam Agriculture & Environment Newspaper, our students have the best possible conditions to start the new school year.”

In Nam Can, Hiep Tung, Cai Keo, Vam Dinh, Vinh Thinh B, Quang Trung, and Nguyen Van Troi, the sound of the school drum also rang out to mark the start of the new year. Some children walked to school early, while parents quietly watched from the edge of the schoolyard as their children received scholarships — knowing that strangers from afar were sharing in their children’s journey of education.

Nguyen Minh Thuc, Principal of Nam Can 1 Primary School (Nam Can Commune), noted: “This year, we welcomed 1,200 students, including 62 with disadvantaged backgrounds.”

It can be said that the 2025–2026 academic year began with complete joy. School facilities have been improved, and the GrowMax Scholarship Fund together with the Vietnam Agriculture & Environment Newspaper provided timely support. This joint effort has motivated both teachers and students to strive harder and achieve greater success in the new year.

The GrowMax Scholarship Program, carried out in cooperation with the Vietnam Agriculture & Environment Newspaper, has never sought publicity. For years, its scholarships have quietly sown seeds of confidence for children growing up in the riverine lands of the Mekong Delta.

In Ca Mau, each envelope handed over carried a message: “Keep studying well, the community is here to support the rest.” With 143 scholarships delivered on the very first day of school, they are like small bricks building a gentle bridge, connecting students’ dreams to the shores of knowledge.

At the southernmost tip of the country, Ca Mau felt closer than ever — thanks to the generosity that had traveled far to stand beside its children at the moment they needed it most.

Below are photos from the September 5 scholarship ceremonies in Ca Mau, where 143 students each received a scholarship worth 1,000,000 VND:

Tran Phuong Dai, Regional Director of GrowMax Group, awarded 10 scholarships to students at Hiep Tung Primary School (Tam Giang Commune). Photo: Trong Linh

Tran Dinh Duong, Regional Director of GrowMax Group, awarded 15 scholarships to students at Viet Thang 2 Primary School (Nguyen Viet Khai Commune). Photo: Trong Linh

Lam Hoang Quan, Deputy Regional Director of GrowMax Group, awarded 16 scholarships to students at Nguyen Du Primary School (Vinh Trach Ward). Photo: Trong Linh

Phung Hoang Huy, Regional Director of GrowMax Group, awarded 10 scholarships to students at Nam Can 1 Primary School (Nam Can Commune). Photo: Trong Linh

Tran Cong Dam, Regional Director of GrowMax Group, awarded 10 scholarships to students at Dien Hai High School (Long Dien Commune). Photo: Trong Linh

Tran Trung Thuan, Regional Director of GrowMax Group, awarded 8 scholarships to students at Nguyen Truong To Primary School (Vinh Loc Commune). Photo: Trong Linh

Truong Chi Dai, Representative of GrowMax Group, awarded 10 scholarships to students at Cai Keo Primary School (Quach Pham Commune). Photo: Trong Linh