About the community

Tam Anh Nam is a commune of Núi Thành district, located 10 km north of the district capital. The commune is made up of eight hamlets with slightly under 10,000 people. A full 85% of its residents earn their living by farming and 15% work in the trade, service and handicraft sectors. Tam Anh Nam commune is regarded as an extremely poor commune by the central government. Residents earn an average monthly per capita income of $18 USD, mainly through small-scale agriculture. Therefore, investment in school facilities from the local community is very limited.

Helping the children succeed

The previous school was built in 1966 and was in danger of collapse. The school location was also unsafe as it was right beside (ie. within 15 metres) what is now the main North-South highway in Vietnam. The road was so noisy that the teachers said they routinely lost their voices trying to speak above the din. The new school is in a safer and quieter location.

At the opening ceremony, the Nguyễn Hiền primary school principal thanked VES and promised “to maintain and keep the facilities in good condition and maximize the use of these new classrooms for the education of the community’s students, while improving the quality of teaching and learning.”

The school opened with 120 students; as of 2025, 160 students study in its five classrooms.

Funding & construction

Nguyễn Hiền Primary School – Tien Xuan Satellite Branch primary school has five classrooms and a two stall bathroom. It was completed in August 2012.