Courtney’s volunteer trip to help orphans in Vietnam

Next year  I will be fulfilling my dream of volunteering in Vietnam, where I will be participating in the volunteer program Help The Children through Global Volunteer Network. GVN is a non-governmental organization which places people in a range of opportunities such as teaching or environmental work in a number of countries. I will be working with  local orphanages in Hanoi, located in the capital of Vietnam, for 1 month starting in August 2015.

The objective of my journey is to reduce poverty and provide better quality of life for disadvantaged children in Vietnam. This builds cross-cultural education and understanding between Vietnamese people and people around the world. Volunteers such as myself will provide assistance to disadvantaged socio-economic groups within Vietnamese communities, focusing primarily on displaced, destitute, disabled and orphaned children. I will help to improve their living facilities allowing them to be self sufficient and providing a safe and secure environment in which they flourish.   

Check out this is a beautiful video made by one of the dedicated Vietnam volunteers. These photos show the difference volunteers can make in the lives of children in need. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfFVRW0Cq1M     

In order to embark on this journey to help others, I will be using my personal  savings as well as working hard to raise funds to offset some of the expenses.  Even the smallest donation will help enable me to take on the challenge of helping others in less fortunate circumstances. If you are interested in making a  donation, please donate!!!!! If you can't make a donation at this point, help me reach my goal by sharing this page with others! Thank you for your time and consideration; I am incredibly appreciative.    

While I am in Vietnam I hope to achieve the following goals: Provide the basic necessities of love, attention, support and joy. Gain perspective on the human experience and life. Learn what kind of support is most needed for the individuals I work with and then make every effort to deliver this support in a meaningful way.  

  I have included some program details and information about Vietnam for your review:

Fifty per cent of the population still live on less than £1.19 a day. On top of this, large portions of the population remain vulnerable to sliding back into poverty as a result of either economic shocks or natural disasters such as typhoons and flooding. Education of Vietnamese youth is an extremely important foundation for lifting their generation and their family out of poverty.  

 Why does it cost money to volunteer? Paying to volunteer can seem a strange concept but, in fact, the volunteer work is not what is being paid for.GVN is a non-profit organization and exist simply to fulfil their mission of connecting volunteers with communities in need with a special focus on vulnerable women and children. GVN's volunteer programs are based in developing countries within poverty-stricken communities. GVN partners with local grass-roots organizations that are working to make a difference in their community/environment where the majority of people do not have the funds to adequately feed their families, afford health care, or send their children to school. The communities themselves are in need of infrastructure and support and do not have the ability to cover the costs for the much needed assistance a volunteer provides. GVN’s long term aim is for the communities/projects to become sustainable and self-sufficient. There are a range of costs involved in establishing and maintaining successful volunteer programs. GVN believes a volunteer program should bring genuine benefits to both the communities and the volunteers.  GVN  does not receive any government funding so we are dependent on the fees paid by volunteers to pay for the services and resources provided.  

  “Even the smallest act of caring for another person is like a drop of water -it will make ripples throughout the entire pond.”-Jessy and Bryan Matteo