General Impression
Overall Rating: / 10
Last summer, I travelled for the first time to Vietnam. I had never been to Asia before, so going to a totally foreign country by myself seemed a bit daunting. I knew very little about Vietnam's culture and its people so I didn't really know what to expect. However, the day my flight landed in Hanoi, I knew my two week experience was going to be one to remember. Not only was I welcomed warmly by all of the other volunteers, as well as by the program placement staff, but I the house where I would live was in the center of a such a unique and bustling city.I began my program placement at a day care center for disabled children the following monday. At first, I found my work to be much more challenging than I had anticipated. Most of the teachers and children didn't speak any English so it was difficult finding effective ways to communicate and interact with the children. In addition, many of the children were severely disabled which made it even harder to engage with them. However, as the placement went on and I got to know the children better, I found myself growing attached to them, despite the barriers that existed between us. I found activities and games to play with the children that didn't require us knowing the same language and were enjoyable to them.
The kids I worked with had a major impact on my outlook on life. Despite the fact that they were living in poor conditions with disabilities that prevented them in many ways, most of them had such positive attitudes. It took so little for them to smile or become easily excited. Although I only worked with the children for two weeks, they made me realize just how insignificant material things are. Happiness is in no way dependent on money, but rather on the little things in life that we take for granted far too often. I really miss the kids and can't thank them enough for teaching me all that they did. I only hope that the kids continue to be happy and optimistic as they go through life.
Not only was I impacted by the kids at the day care center, but also by the people of Vietnam as a whole. All of the people I met were so friendly and open. Every time I walked down the street, I received more "hellos" than I could count by strangers I had never met. The people tended to be very intrigued by Westerners and thus were very open to me and the other volunteers. There was never a time, during the day and at night, that I didn't feel safe in Hanoi because I knew I was surrounded by such good people.
Overall, I'm really glad that I decided to go to Vietnam with Love Volunteers. Hanoi was such a cool city with great people, food, and culture. I'll always remember my trip as one that was not only extremely insightful, but also just really fun and exciting! I would definitely recommend this trip to anyone looking to go to South East Asia, I know I'll definitely be returning there one day :)