Involvement Volunteers International I can only say one thing: if you are wondering whether you should really do a volunteer project in Vietnam – do it! Of course I was quite scared and respectful of my four-week trip, but in the end it was absolutely unfounded. The coordinators are absolutely great, the people there are super nice and immediately welcome you and this stay is simply the perfect mix of fun / leisure and work in a completely different country, which of course also comes with various challenges (especially 40 a day Especially if you get it as well as I do). The culture in Vietnam is simply breathtaking! The people there are incredibly nice (really really nice compared to Europe), the food is amazing and there is always something new to discover.
Above all, working with the children in kindergarten has taught me so much! Dealing with small children, the disciplinary consequences, the way to raise children here. It was simply an experience of a lifetime. Even the three-year-olds were greeted with a huge smile every day and were so excited to learn new English words – of course that immediately fills you with extreme happiness and you really have the feeling that you can make a difference and help. Personally, I spent a month, or four weeks, in Vietnam and around day 5 I realized that I would definitely come back! My tips for your stay: don’t be shy, just talk to people. Most people feel just as insecure as you do and are happy to meet new people who share the same experience.
Take weekend trips if you have the opportunity to get to know the country even better. Go to the War Remnants Museum and find out about the history of Vietnam – it’s really quite heavy, but you just have to see it while you’re there. Have fun in life and try to do everything and take every opportunity to experience new things. And most importantly: book your trip to Vietnam, I promise you won’t be sorry. Once again a thousand thanks to all the great people in Vietnam and at home who made this unique trip possible for me. I will never forget this experience and will probably tell my grandchildren about it. Thank you, thank you, thank you and lots of kisses from Vienna <3
-Emilia
