In Vietnam's flood-prone rural regions, many schoolchildren cross rivers and unsafe roads every day just to get to class. Bridgestone Asia Pacific saw the risk and responded through its global CSR platform, Our Way to Serve, which focuses on mobility, people and the environment.
Our Way to Serve in Asia Pacific
In Asia Pacific, Our Way to Serve centres on sustainable mobility and community safety. Both play to Bridgestone's strengths as a tyre and mobility solutions company.
In Vietnam, that took shape as Bridgestone Squad: Complete Safety for Children. The project set out to raise road safety awareness and improve local infrastructure for students in remote areas.
Two clear objectives
Improve child safety through road safety education and awareness
Improve rural connectivity by building safe bridges and walkways in flood-affected areas
Combining education with infrastructure meant the benefits would last beyond a single campaign.
Learning through play
Working with local authorities and NGOs, Bridgestone Vietnam ran road safety workshops in schools across several provinces. The sessions used games, role-play and visual materials to teach the basics: wearing helmets, using pedestrian crossings and reading traffic signals.
Building 20 new bridges
Alongside the workshops, Bridgestone built 20 new bridges in flood-prone rural areas. They connected villages to schools and made it safer and faster to reach healthcare and markets. Employees also volunteered on site and at community events, strengthening ties with residents.
Measurable results
More than 5,000 students took part in the road safety workshops
The 20 bridges directly benefited more than 10,000 residents across multiple provinces
Local authorities reported a significant drop in school absenteeism during the rainy season
Engaging parents and teachers created a multiplier effect, carrying safety messages from the classroom into homes. Volunteers also gained a deeper understanding of the communities they serve.
What comes next
Bridgestone continues to grow Our Way to Serve across Asia Pacific around mobility, people and the environment. In Vietnam, plans include adding digital learning tools to school programmes and extending infrastructure work to more rural provinces.
Why it works
The programme succeeds because it matches community needs with what Bridgestone knows best. It's built more than bridges. It's built trust and long-term partnerships, and shown that CSR can be both practical and purposeful.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bridgestone's Our Way to Serve?
It's Bridgestone's global CSR platform, focused on three priorities: mobility, people and the environment.
What did Bridgestone Squad achieve in Vietnam?
More than 5,000 students joined road safety workshops, and 20 new bridges benefited over 10,000 residents in flood-prone rural areas.
Why were bridges part of a road safety programme?
Many children had to cross rivers to reach school. Safe bridges reduced that risk and helped cut school absenteeism during the rainy season.