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| Blood donors from BASF pose for a group photo at the Saigon Times Group’s 2019 Blood Donation Day – PHOTO: COURTESY OF BASF |
This year, more than 20 people from the company will be joining the blood drive, with many of them having taken part in the annual event for two or three times now. They consider the blood drive as an excellent opportunity to support those in need as well as to make friends with a lot more people in the company and from other organizations who have the same commitment.
Many of BASF employees have been blood donors for years. Some of them are doing so from their internal urge as they have gone through critical health conditions earlier in their lives, requiring blood donation from others, and they want to take this opportunity to give back to the community. They themselves have become ambassadors who inspire and encourage others to overcome the fear of needles.
To encourage more employees to become blood donors, BASF has shared relevant information on the multiple benefits of donating blood to the community and the donors alike.
According to Erick Contreras, Managing Director of BASF Vietnam, blood donation benefits everyone in many ways. It just takes ten minutes to help the needy and save people’s lives. Blood donation also offers health benefits to the donors as they can burn calories and boost their health when the body renews the lost red blood cells.
In a wider context, a giving and sharing society means a healthier society, therefore easing the pressure on the medical care system while engaging community members better.
Sharing about BASF’s previous participation in the Blood Donation Day, Contreras said: “For most of our colleagues, their experience with the Saigon Times Group’s blood donation was very positive and it turned out that blood donation was made so easy for them. From registration, free check-up through to health advice and blood donation, our volunteers all experienced a very smooth process, professionalism and warm hospitality by the medical staff and the Saigon Times Group team.
“One of my colleagues said the moment she got injected, she felt so moved thinking her blood donation can save someone’s life. We felt a very strong sense of caring and sharing and will definitely come back!”
For blood donation drives to attract more donors, Contreras suggested that the organizers share real-life stories of how the blood donated by the participating members could save someone, therefore demonstrating how the blood donors can really change one’s life.
“It would also be good to further raise awareness by communicating well in advance and on a regular basis on the status of blood scarcity in the hospitals and medical centers and what’s in it for each and everyone of us, as an individual, company and community, when sharing our precious drops of blood,” he suggested.
Besides blood donation, BASF Vietnam has been active in many other community initiatives such as renovating schools in remote areas and offering scholarships to university students to give them better access to education.
The company has also built playgrounds from recyclable materials and offered chemistry experiments in the BASF Kids’ Lab program to let primary students explore the amazing world of chemistry.
Very recently, BASF Vietnam has broken ground on a school renovation project in Hau Giang Province together with key customers and other co-sponsors. This is the fifth school in the country that the company has jointly built, reflecting its long-term commitment to sustainable development in Vietnam.
Earlier this year, the company conducted a matching funds campaign between the company and employees to support the frontline workers at the quarantine centers through the Red Cross Society and around 150 elderly people at Lam Quang Pagoda, a nursing home for needy senior citizens.
“We are very proud to see even the smallest contributions can help flatten the curve and build community resilience amid the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Erick Contreras.
