Mimi Vu, Director of Development for VCF (1, L) and Mr. Barry Weisblatt, CEO of Golden Light signs agreement at the VinaCapital Foundation office in Ho Chi Minh City on June 3

The VinaCapital Foundation (VCF) and the Golden Light Investment Trading Company, Ltd. (Golden Light) announced June 3 an innovative partnership to help educate ethnic minority girls.

Golden Light is the exclusive distributor in Vietnam for LOLITA S.A., one of South America’s top fashion retailers. The program, “A Brighter Path: Scholarships for Ethnic Minority Girls,” will provide seven-year scholarships for girls from various ethnic minority communities throughout Vietnam who are exemplary students.  Golden Light will contribute one percent of the sales from their Lolita Stores over the next two years with a minimum donation of $15,000.  

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing took place at the VinaCapital Foundation office in Ho Chi Minh City between Mimi Vu, Director of Development for VCF, and Mr. Barry Weisblatt, CEO of Golden Light.  

”Social responsibility, especially in support of the development of women, is an important part of Lolita’s culture worldwide,” said Mr. Weisblatt. “We are very excited to be working with such an outstanding program as A Brighter Path to support women in Vietnam as well.”

A Brighter Path, designed to provide hope for a brighter future and break the cycle among of poverty among ethnic minority girls in Vietnam, will provide 100 girls from poor families with scholarships to attend high school and university. 

To be eligible for the program, all students must be members of one of Vietnam’s ethnic minority groups, demonstrate high academic excellence, and come from families living at or below the national poverty rate of $13 per capita per month.

Once accepted into the program, each student will receive a seven-year scholarship (three years of high school and four years of university) that includes support for books, food, housing, and uniforms or clothing. 

In addition, VCF will convene the girls once a year for the “Dream Meeting,” a workshop/retreat that will give them a chance to reflect on their progress and brainstorm about and plan their future goals. 

The program’s pilot year, 2010-2011, will support 50 15-year-old girls from various communities all over Vietnam, after which the number of students will be increased to 100 girls.

LOLITA will open its first store in Vietnam in June 6 at 1 Nguyen Trai Street, with another outlet slated to open at the new Vincom Center on Le Thanh Ton Street.

Source: SGGP