Vietnam Volunteer Programs from $18/day | Most Affordable & Trusted

A reflection on my service learning program experience in Vietnam can be summarized in a sentence: It has brought me closer to my dreams. This program has facilitated my engagement with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds, enabled me to work in an international environment, deepened my understanding of the complexities of humanity and society, and ultimately, contributed to my development as a more mature and globally engaged citizen.

Through the summer program offered by the City University of Hong Kong College of Business, I enrolled in the service learning program in Vietnam. After submitting an application for the program through IVHQ, we got in touch with a local group named Green Lion, who put us up in a Ho Chi Minh City hospitality college. Every Monday was filled with love and excitement as coordinators in Green Lion made an effort to unite the entire volunteer team into a huge family by hosting events like karaoke night, family supper, and team games. When I first arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, I was astounded by how alive, dynamic, and advanced the city was—there was always something new to discover.

In Vietnam, Cultural Week began in the first week. We visited the Cu Chi Tunnels, Ben Thanh Market, a few well-known pagodas and temples, and more. Due to French colonial control, the opera theater, post office, and museums are just a few examples of the numerous French-inspired buildings in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City. But the thing that shocked me the most when I first got to Vietnam was how much Vietnamese customs—which are remarkably similar to Chinese customs—had been affected by Chinese culture. For example, we give older family members titles that reflect their seniority in the family in order to honor both our elders and our forefathers. Furthermore, the Chinese term "Fu" is pasted in many institutions, and Chinese characters may be seen almost anywhere, especially in temples. They also follow many of our Chinese customs, such as celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Spring Festival, and the Dragon Boat Festival. The aforementioned can be explained by historical circumstances, particularly the Confucian Sphere, which is a term used to describe a group of East Asian and Southeast Asian nations that have traditionally been greatly impacted by Chinese customs, culture, and standards.

I spent three weeks participating in the English Teaching program while I was volunteering in Vietnam. I also had the priceless chance to speak with and gain knowledge from overseas volunteers thanks to this experience. My understanding of volunteering has changed from one of pure altruism to one of mutual growth and learning. I came to understand that volunteering is about more than just helping people; it's also about building relationships and developing empathy via my encounters with the locals and other volunteers. I had discussions with Vietnamese students in my English corner class about a variety of subjects, including national laws, hometowns, and favorite foods. We both gained insight into each other's social and economic cultures as a result of these conversations. One student, for example, clarified that homes in Vietnam are tall and narrow, showing the impact of filial piety in Vietnamese culture, a notion also rooted in Chinese history, to accommodate the elderly on the upper levels. In addition to being instructors, we are also students, as my Australian colleague pointed out.

I now consider myself a more globally engaged citizen, committed to creating a more interconnected world for future generations. I learned from my experience in Vietnam that prejudices fueled by ignorance and the manipulation of news sources and social media with hidden agendas are often the root of cross-cultural conflicts and miscommunications. Because of the Russia-Ukraine War, it was nearly impossible to encounter a Russian in the United States. Therefore, my American colleague in my English teaching team was delighted to converse with my Russian colleague. On the one hand, my American colleague gained additional knowledge on the state of the economy and the difficulties caused by the Russian War, including the growing number of individuals who are in debt. Conversely, though, my Russian colleague additionally became aware of the pressing issue of guns and crimes in the United States. Through unbiased and objective conversations, we did our best to comprehend each other's perspectives on each other's cultures and current situations. I believe that by encouraging intercultural understanding, we can lessen prejudice and hatred, advance equality and inclusiveness, and have an impact on the world.

In addition, my experience volunteering abroad has increased my social consciousness and sensitivity to the problems that communities face not just in Vietnam but all around the world. The biggest one is the growing educational divide between the rich and the poor, which is a direct effect of the wealth and poverty gaps. As part of my English teaching program, I conducted debate lessons in a local middle-class neighborhood. Despite their young age, the students there spoke English with astonishing fluency. Conversely, even though they were in higher grades, the English proficiency of the students I taught at the hospitality college—who were typically from different provinces—was basic. The above was also the main difficulty I met during the program: to get used to the different English levels of different classes. However, I am more motivated to assist students who do not have access to high-quality educational materials because I believe that education may alter their fate. For instance, my coordinator informed me that in Vietnam, those who speak English make three times as much as those who do not. Observing their difficulties has made me feel obligated to promote constructive change and help create a society that is more just and caring.
In summary, the service learning program has been a significant and life-altering experience that has improved my teamwork abilities, raised my social consciousness, and transformed my perspective on volunteering. It has also made me a more internationally involved citizen. I am appreciative that I had the chance to take part in this life-changing event and I am excited to carry on serving others in the future.

I have volunteered for years around the world with different groups. You cannot do better than IVHQ. Their organization skills are 5 star. Their attention to every detail from registration to travel arrangements to daily activities to the transition homeward is perfect. I chose the construction team in Luang Prabang, Laos. Working with the locals building, painting, repairing schools was rewarding. I loved seeing the physical results of my labors. I would join the team at Luang Prabang again and again. We worked hard and played hard. Our hosts escorted us to numerous breathtaking locations. They invited me into their home for dinner and a fun game called pétanque. The first thing I did when I got home was purchase my own pétanque game set. These good people changed my life in so many good ways.

I can not thank you enough for my time shared in Ho Chi Minh City on the food outreach project.
The whole experience was fantastic from start to finish, I have already registered for my next program, that shows just how wonderful things were.
I ate things that were different from the normal things I eat. The strangest thing was a big snail & I liked it!
I experienced a lot of different Vietnamese culture & I especially loved the coffee. (I took two coffee making classes)
I arrived back in the U.K. last night & I am already missing my daily coffees.

Great support for my 2 weeks of volunteering in Ho-Chi-Minh-City (in a soup kitchen, preparing food for those in need). You receive a lot of valuable information before, during and after the programme. Great local team! We also had a lot of fun besides working.
Great personal experience - can recommend to everyone.
It is a great feeling to give something back to the society. People really enjoyed to see how enthusiastic we worked during our volunteering programme.
Every detail of the programm (accomodation, food, working hours, working location) is described in detail in advance.

This was my first ever volunteering experience abroad and I loved it! The local team were very helpful in making our volunteering experience smooth and memorable. They even went an extra mile to recommend places for us to visit around the city and even taking their free time to go with us. They were always there for our questions and helped us understand the culture and the language of the country and most importantly how to stay safe which made the experience great. I loved cooking new recipes and learn how to accommodate myself in new areas and talking with elderly.

My journey as a volunteer English teacher in Vietnam for a week has bestowed upon me a wealth of invaluable lessons. It has illuminated the significance of empathy, cultural exchange, support, responsibility, and humility in fostering personal growth and learning.

Also, the host were super welcoming and helpful in every aspect from airport pick-up, hostels, food/drinks recommendation and drop-off. I enjoyed our first class about introduction to language and culture. Thank you so much to all staffs, fellow volunteers and the IVHQ organisation.

This experience surpassed my expectations in all aspects. The company was extremely helpful whenever I had any doubts and responded to them very quickly which tranquilized me and assured me that I was being well taken cared of. The information presented in the website was very accurate compared to the actual experience and made my preparation go very easliy. Overall I'm extremely happy to have chosen IVHQ to embark on my first adventure in volunteering abroad and I cannot wait for my next one!

I never thought I would be so lucky with the people I met there, they truly changed my experience for the best.

One thing that surprised me and that I think is worth mentioning is that the local team was always with us in the hospital and assured that we were being well taken care of. I met other volunteers that came with other agencies that seemed lost in the hospital and didn't know where to go because they didn't have the support of a local team like we did. They introduced us to the healthcare professionals and taught us about the differences we would find in the system.

I am really happy with this experience and I would recommend it to everyone.

The collaboration of IVHQ with the green lion team in vietnam has been a very fruitful experience for me.

There was constant support from the IVHQ team and by the Green Lion Team.

The team in Vietnam was very friendly and the care given was super comfortable.

I was in Vietnam for a week, and every little things were taken care of.

We had a cultural vietnam class where we were taught about the use of currency, the best places to travel, the right flights to take incase you are looking for a domestic travel around the country(mostly useful for people staying for about 3-4 months).

There were basic language lessons given which helped us volunteers to do a basic conversation.

Mon to Fri the day is usually full packed depending on the kind of program, the duration of your stay and the experience you have had previously.

The volunteers come from around the world, so you get a window to the kind of people around the world.

The volunteers are super friendly,while literally becoming a part of a global group you develop friendships for life!

This is a great platform if you have never travelled solo. The weekends are generally free and you could move around the city, do hiking or just go partying. They help you with the best travel agents as well.

We had a karoake night and played games hence helping us volunteers to bond with each other and understand each other’s talents.

It was a very cherishable night !!

There was a curfew time in Vietnam which was 12:00am hence giving you enough time to move around the city and come back to the accomodation.

After you are done with the volunterring , you are generally free to do whatever you wish to do, allowing you to either enjoy your evenings or the mornings as per the timings of your volunteer program.

The volunteering is also not very stressfull and you have people who help you in getting the attention of the concerned people (in my case students! as I was in the English Teaching program) or help you with the technical stuff (usually for medical placement program).

I came back home with cherished memories and lots of Vietnamese soveneirs!! ;)

Hope you guys have a great experience !!

Happy Volunteering !!