Volunteer in Vietnam: Support communities in Ho Chi Minh

I decided to do this as part of my sabbatical from work. I had neither travelled solo nor done volunteering overseas before but this experience taught me that it is something that I am capable of doing. The experience that I had working with the locals was invaluable and gave me great insight into their lives. The children that I worked with were also very enjoyable and brought me much laughter. Administratively, the IVHQ staff that I dealt with were a great support; they were very detailed and responsive to my queries during the enquiry and preparation stages. Instructions were clear and they had a good system going. This is certainly something that I would consider doing again (if I can get time away from work).

The volunteering trip was super rewarding as I was able to meet some amazing people from around the world and share the experience with working with the local team who were all so helpful and kind. Everything from the process of booking the trip as well as the actual organisation when arriving in Vietnam was so easy and quick, as well as the accommodation being super clean and tidy. Everything was well planned plus allowed us to have time to explore the city for ourselves with the help of the team giving us advice on places to visit and the best ways to travel to places. The placement options were diverse, and having done the food outreach it was well established for volunteers to work and interact with the locals. I would definitely recommend IVHQ as it truly gave a very rewarding and memorable experience.

Volunteering in Vietnam has been an incredible experience. Vietnamese people are joyful, kind and welcoming and Vietnam is a wonderful country. The food and the accommodation were very good. I met such amazing people and even if I was there only for a few weeks I felt I've known them for years. The medical program gave me the chance to see for myself how different the Vietnamese health system is from my country's, and I think this knowledge and experience will help me in my future career.