Vietnam

Ms Xuan is the host of Home Stay # 1 in the village of Ban Luc 2, where I stayed for two weeks. You could not ask for a more generous and hospitable host.

With Ms Xuan guidance, I participated in the daily routine of “Thai Community Life” gaining a first hand and intimate experience of the Thai Culture.

Mai Chau is a truly tranquil and peaceful setting guaranteed to help you relax, slow down and connect with nature. The Thai people are very happy, peaceful and contented, welcoming you into their homes with offers of green tea or rice wine depending on the time of day.

Highlights for me were:

Working in the fields: cutting grass for buffalo – weeding corn – harvesting rice

Collecting snails – fishing

Learning and cooking Thai food

Tending buffalo

Exploring the community by bike

Learning more about Thai Culture at the local museum

Checking out the local and surrounding markets

Exploring the Limestone Cave

Practicing English/Vietnamese with girls from Hoa Ban (neighbors 2 doors down, weaving and embroidery of traditional Thai patterns and clothing)

David from Vina Volunteer Service did a fantastic job organising my entire trip, introducing me to the community, organising all transportation and was topped off with 2 day trip to Halong Bay at the end.

I can not recommend an organic farming project in Mai Chau enough, this is one of the unique places in the world where you can come to recharge your soul.

Alexander Taulelei

Samoa – New Zealand

Terrific trip with wonderful opportunities for seeing the most beautiful locations in the world. The staff was very friendly and accommodating for the entirety of out trip!

I volunteered in Vietnam for two weeks in December organizing Christmas and New Year celebrations for disadvantaged Vietnamese kids and it was the best thing I've done. The opportunity to brighten the Christmas of these children meant the world to me. The group were fantastic people. I’ve enjoyed spending time with positive and supportive people from different countries.
Prior to my journey, CADIP were informative and efficient in answering any questions I had. The project coordinator was amazing – friendly and very helpful.
Anyone looking to make a difference volunteering should seriously consider their program.

Choosing Projects Abroad was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. They provided 110% on everything. I was able to live in a Country in which I did not speak any of the language, yet somehow felt at home because of Projects Abroad phenomenal support.

During my adventure, I was able to volunteer at the National Hospital of Traditional Medicine where I assisted on over 20 hemorrhoid surgeries. Projects Abroad provided English speaking Doctors who I began to look at as mentors. I learned an incredible amount in my four weeks there.

If you are even thinking about trying this, go for it. It's definitely worth it! The most exciting part of the trip is getting to meet the fellow volunteers from around the world. Through Projects Abroad I have made memories that will last a lifetime!

Xin Ciao!

I was passionate to work in a developing country to help students learn English, the language that connects us all. The staff at API were equally passionate about helping me get to Vietnam and embark on the adventure that would change my life. I immediately fell in love with my students and the people in Vinh. The country has become my second home, and API made the connection between me and this wonderful place.

As an undergraduate student in the United States who plans to go to graduate school I am always looking for ways to make my graduate school applications look more competitive. The idea of volunteering abroad hadn't really come into mind until a guest speaker came to speak in one of my classes. I want to become an occupational therapist, and in one of my occupational therapy classes, a woman came to speak about her experience volunteering professionally abroad. I immediately knew that I wanted to do something like that. She recommended Projects Abroad and when I got home I immediately started researching.

Things happened really fast, I was filling out the application then I was submitting it, shortly after I was accepted into an occupational therapy program in Vietnam!

At first I was worried about being able to pay the fees (which are very reasonable considering the benefits of the program) but their website has a really cool fundraising page that makes it really easy for friends and family to donate money online. It didn't take very long for me to raise enough money to cover almost all of my program fees.

Projects Abroad staff does an amazing job of preparing you for your trip. When you are accepted you are given access to your own web page that explains everything you can expect about your trip. Months before I even left I felt like I was prepared fully for what I was going to be doing, what the culture was like, what I needed to bring with me, etc. I felt totally confident about the trip before I even left, and that's saying something as I had never left the United States prior.

As the staff does a fantastic job at preparing you for your trip, they do a great job of supporting you while you are there as well. My flight came in to Vietnam at about 11pm and they had set everything up for me ahead of time so a driver was waiting for me at the airport the very next day a staff member personally showed me around the city, took me out for lunch and gave me very detailed explanation of my project.

The next day, I started at the project. I was working at a rehabilitation center for children in a more rural part of Hanoi. Monday through Friday I would stay at the rehabilitation center in a volunteer room with other volunteers and our translators. We all got really close and formed really great relationships because of that. During the weekends we would go back to the main city of Hanoi and stay with other volunteers who were working on other projects. It was amazing because during the week we were able to work with the children, but during the weekends we were free to travel and experience the city. During my 4 weeks in Vietnam I was able to travel to Sapa and Ha Long Bay and visit many museums and sites within the city of Hanoi. I would not trade any of those experiences for anything.

Working with the children was the most meaningful though. Not only did I gain valuable experience with occupational therapy, but I was able to get to know each of the children that I worked with. It was sincerely an amazing experience, and I wouldn't have had such a great experience if it weren't for the staff constantly offering support and making sure that my time in Vietnam was good for me. If you want to have a valuable and transformative experience, but also feel safe and comfortable I highly recommend Projects Abroad.

Volunteering at Mai Chau was an amazing experience for me. I joined the Vina Volunteer Services which led by a group of young people who are full of energy and passion. The registration process was informal. I was a bit concerned about the safety before my arrival. I realized my worry is unnecessary. Mr. Nam Nguyen greeted me at the airport who is friendly, thorough and very well managed. The plus is that he speaks English very well. He explained the projects and provided valuable information. We had a pleasant and friendly conversation.
The next day I was transposed to Mai Chau. I was stunned by the view as I stepped out from the bus. I was surrounded by the green (rice fields) the blue (sky) and the smoky mountains (fog). The view was breathtaking and colorful. It is the true beauty of nature.

Ms. Xuan, the host of this stilt house where I stayed during the volunteer was waiting for me. Her husband helped me to carry the luggage to my room. Ms. Xuan is such a friendly woman. She speaks very little English but she tried everything to make sure I was comfortable and had what I need. A lunch was already prepared for me. After a long ride, I had no appetite to eat but the welcoming from Ms. Xuan and her husband, plus the fragrant from rice, I just couldn’t resist.

My assignment was to teach English in Mai Chau Elementary school. I was a bit nervous on the first day. I have no background of teaching so didn’t know what to teach or how to start. The kids speak minimum English but they were energetic and adorable. I bought some art supplies from home and so decided to let them do some art works. The works came out impressive. Their ideas were about friendships and loves. Some wanted to express their loves to teachers, some wished their parents didn’t have to work too hard, and some prayed the friendship could be forever. I touch them English words during the exercise. I biked to the school every Morning. I enjoyed spending time with these kids and I hope they had a happy moment with me too.

During the stays, Ms. Xuan was kind enough to show me around the neighborhood and explain the daily works of the farmers. I find it is interesting of learning the culture and tradition from others. I witnessed an arranged marriage when I was there. The boy’s family wanted him to settle down with a marriage. The girl that they wanted for arrangement lives on the other side of the valley. The distance is about 2 hours ride motorcycle. So, that early Morning, the boy’s family, (myself) went to the girl’s family for offering a deal. Two older woman did the talking. One told, they were negotiating. After a long conversation, the family members walked out with smile. Both families had reached a happy deal. The girl who was just turned 18, prepared a big meal to all members. I congratulated her. She looked shy and said “Thank you” with her pretty smile. I wished the happy deal brought the happiness to the couple forever.

Throughout these activities, I definitely earned many memorable experiences and they have changed me in the positive way. I believe, big contribution is great but small contribution makes the difference. Although this organization is small, the experiences I gained are great and the tasks were more than volunteering. I wanted to thank Vina Volunteer Service for giving me this opportunity. I truly hope the beauty of Mai Chau, both nature and the people will soon be recognized by the world.

This summer, I spent 8 weeks in Hanoi, Vietnam volunteering at the Vietnam Friendship Village through Projects Abroad, and it was absolutely amazing! As a pre-med student, I wanted to do something meaningful during my summer, and Projects Abroad was able to offer me an opportunity to do so. One of the reasons why I chose Projects Abroad over various other organizations was because of the safety, security, and peace of mind that it offered first-time international travelers like myself. In addition, I found the national office and volunteer adviser to be super helpful in accommodating my placement requests and in helping me to prepare for my trip. The local staff in Vietnam was also super friendly; they were eager to help me make the most out of my experience and were a phone call or text away if I needed them. When I fell ill during my stay, a Projects Abroad staff member was quick to take me to the hospital and make sure that I was okay. Whether it was giving advice on a work-related issue or recommending restaurants and sights to see, the local Projects Abroad staff was happy to help! In addition, the volunteer house was large, clean, and comfortable, and the cook was really great! She made both Vietnamese and Western dishes, and was happy to take any requests.

My people I met at my placement were just as great as the staff at Projects Abroad. They were super friendly and were genuinely happy to have me work with them. The Vietnam Friendship Village is a live-in rehabilitation center for Vietnam war veterans and victims of Agent Orange. While I spent my mornings in the classroom teaching English and implementing activities, I spent my afternoons in the medical building as a physiotherapy assistant. While most of the other care volunteers worked in the classroom, Projects Abroad was happy to help me include a medical component in my project because of my studies. Overall, my experience with Projects Abroad was phenomenal! I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to meet so many new people and to gain so many new and unique experiences! I would definitely recommend Projects Abroad to anyone who is interested in volunteering abroad!

I have been in Mai Chau for 3 weeks teaching English. It was an amazing experience! I taught 1 to 3 hours per day in one of the local schools and 2h to adults in the evening. I slept in a homestay with the lovely Xuan, who took care of me as if I was her daughter and took me on bike and hiking tours to see the surroundings. Mai Chau is a quiet place, where you can really take your mind off the stress of a city life. There you really get in touch with the traditions and life style of the white Thai people, one of Vietnam’s ethnic minorities. People are very friendly and although you can rarely find someone who speaks English it is amazing how one can communicate without a language, if there is good will and a smile.

Teaching in the school was sometimes challenging as not even the teachers could speak English and the organization in the school was not very good, but I saw that as part of the experience, it would have been boring without one adventure or two. Although the students were doing 5th to 9th grade, their English level was very basic. Until they got used to me they had problems understanding even the most basic sentences. So I invested in vocabulary, using drawings and mimics, we played game and sang songs. In the end I was proud of how much they had learned in only 3 weeks.

About Vina Volunteer Service I have only good things to say. It is a very small organization orchestrated by Vietnamese people. I was a bit nervous about it, normally people look for very big and controlled organizations acting worldwide, but it worked really well. I got the feeling that Vietnamese people are very honest and caring. Everything went on as planned, I was picked up at the airport and taken to Mai Chau, David stayed with me overnight to explain me everything, introduce me in the school and translate. Every time I needed I could reach him on his phone and get his support. When I returned alone to Ha Noi, I went blind, without understanding anything of what people were saying to me and I got to my destiny without any kind of problem. David also helped me afterward organizing my trip in Vietnam, buying tickets etc.

Thank you for the wonderful experience.

Helen Buzz

(Portugal)

I paid $3000 for a month at a Vietnamese rescue. They were notified two days before my arrival, despite me informing Kaya I was in the country already on a tourist visa and would be there in 2 weeks. In addition, I was not told that I needed a work Visa, which takes weeks to attain, so I couldn't actually even volunteer. I was promised a language class, orientation, transport, accommodation, 2 excursions to other rescues and guidance on other ventures around the area. I received absolutely none of this, except accommodation, which is normally about $100 a month.

Do not volunteer with any of these programs. Go straight through the rescues. There is a woman setting a website up so you can be directly linked -- just wait.