On my first morning I was certainly apprehensive as this was my first time volunteering. Different scenarios passed through my mind about the briefing and what I might be asked to do. Will I suddenly be switched from young adults to young children? What sort of “games” may I be expected to play/lead”? Would I be the oldest at 60 (I wasn't)?

The orientation lasted most of the day. Firstly, a run through of the rules, regulations and expectations. A moment of rebellion from me when I was going to be expected to join a social activity consisting of Karaoke. When I refused that I was offered to dance or tell a story, so I had to politely explain that I would be doing precisely none of those things nor anything else that might be deemed a social activity! This seemed to be accepted in good grace, and I explained my stance more in private later. I then was personally briefed on my program for the week and told a bit more about the school, the teaching philosophy and the class composition.

In the afternoon there was an introduction to the Vietnamese language, which of course I have forgotten. We also discussed a lot of cultural aspects. Altogether the briefing was rather well done.

I had asked during my orientation to get a copy of the teaching materials so that I could spend the morning preparing. This seemed to have been an odd request as I was assured I would be briefed for 15 minutes immediately prior to the lesson. Call me old fashioned, or just old, but my ageing brain likes to have a bit of a run up these days. So I was presented with a copy of the course book “Life” published by National Geographic Learning - it’s not too bad! My schedule had the time, room and also the lesson topic, so I was able to read through the relevant chapters and think through how I would approach different exercises with the students. As it turned out, my time was not wasted time as it forced me also to revisit my previously assessed teaching assignments, but the review of the materials wasn’t directly related to the lessons core subjects. The teacher had her own ideas of what we should do, and had prepared 3 good exercises based on different chapters of the book. All was fine, and the lesson went reasonably smoothly. The students were between 16 and 18 years old, were in the hospitality management stream, and their command of English was varied. A couple were very good, a couple of were very confident but not quite as good, a couple were struggling. But all in all the hour went quite quickly.

The teaching sessions can be very enjoyable but exhausting. Adapting to different learning needs of the different groups requires quick thinking when you first encounter them. Also the teachers have different styles that you have to react to.

Two of the groups were majoring as Chefs, and it was interesting to see them get more animated when talking about food. I ended up in both sessions this afternoon describing how to make a Wiener Schnitzel!

In one class I was able to have 2 mini-groups work on their own through an exercise while I monitored what they were doing, and then we went through the answers together. The silence when they were working on their own was blissful! It wasn’t just that it was quiet in the room for once, but you could see that the students were concentrating. What’s also apparent is that in any group there is often one bully that thinks they know it all and try to dominate the others by telling them answers or trying to coach them in Vietnamese. It’s always a little amusing when you have to correct the bully! All that being said, there is a wide spectrum of ability/knowledge and the Vietnames teachers have been honest in saying they dont have the resources to be able to differentiate the groups by ability. So this morning was tiring but enjoyable.

So, my advice to future volunteers is simply follow the lead of the teachers who will have a clear idea about what they want you to do. Be humble about your own abilities and the impact you can have, but be thirsty for knowledge and experience YOU can gain from the volunteer work.

The local team organized it very well. Everything went smoothly. It was great to meet other volunteers involved in other projects/programs. We became aware that we were the first to experience the road trip part of the project.

Highlights - It was a bonus to explore more of Vietnam with someone from the area. She also had an opportunity to visit her family. The sleeper buses must be experienced!

Volunteering—We wish we could have participated for two weeks; five days was far too short. The dedicated team at the kitchen was wonderful to work with, and the local team support ensured we were okay! Giving back in the kitchen.

Local team members had key roles; executed with a high level of professionalism and care. Everyone was very approachable. A great level of English. We were kept informed. A social event was held on Monday nights so new volunteers could meet others.

The food and accommodation were very satisfactory. We were spoilt as the staff created a private room for us with a double bed; thank you.

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

My highlight of volunteering on the kindergarten program in Vietnam was seeing the kids smile. Playing games with them, singing and dancing with them. Really brings out our inner child and our silliness. The kids are bright and excited to learn.

On the lcoal team and accommodation. Local team was amazing & accomodating. Organising family nights on Monday with games , dinner & karaoke to helping you with anything and everything. Accomodation offered breakfast, lunch & dinner with local food and offers tours.

We had a great time volunteering at the Nutrition Support program in Ho Chi Minh City!

It was such a fulfilling experience to come help out every day and work alongside the other volunteers from all over the world and the local staff to serve really good food to the people of this community.

Kenny was wonderful about escorting us everywhere and explaining our tasks and translating everything from Vietnamese to English.

We got up early in the morning to head to the kitchen and help the staff that’s already been cooking for hours to prepare healthy, filling, and delicious meals for people who otherwise would have a hard time getting something to eat. It’s clear that the members of this community appreciate and benefit from this program and the people who run it, some of whom are volunteers themselves and have been helping out every day for years.

Giving of our time and energy to work together and get to know everyone at the kitchen felt refreshing and satisfying, as well as gave us a unique opportunity to be exposed to real local culture. Everyone was super welcoming and made us feel at home, even through the language barrier that existed on both sides.

We also got to taste the locally sourced dishes that were made in the kitchen, and everything was delicious! Some of the meals were certainly not foods that we would have found on our own and that was extra special. We love experiencing local food and culture wherever we travel, so this was an absolute treat.

We highly recommend Nutrition Support program to anyone visiting Vietnam and staying in Ho Chi Minh City. It’s truly a fantastic experience that you will never forget.