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#Developed a willingness to take on challenges and gained courage #An experience of receiving boundless love from the children #Sadness at parting and a resolve to return
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It was an experience where I received boundless love from the orphanage children and learned a lot from my fellow volunteers. Although I''m sad to part and it left a lasting impression, I''ll keep these memories and definitely come back next time!
Recharging with warm love with children in Hanoi, Vietnam Jin Eun-ju, gap year participant (23) / One-month Vietnam volunteer gap year |
# Hello! I''m a participant who just returned after completing a one-month volunteer gap year project in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Hello. I returned to Korea after finishing a four-week gap year volunteer project called ''Recharging with Warm Love with Children in Hanoi, Vietnam.''It really feels like the month passed by so quickly, so the experience still lingers and I really miss the children in Vietnam..
Before going on my first gap year overseas volunteer trip, I worried a lot about whether I could go to Hanoi on my own and give the children precious memories, and whether I could do well. But I think I applied thinking this gap year would be a great act of courage and a challenge for me!
*For Jin Eun-ju, who wanted a special volunteering experience and time to get to know herself better, daily tailored one-on-one personal missions that allowed her to do meaningful volunteer work and consider life direction and leisure time were provided, and a gap year notebook was also provided so she could reflect and make plans.
#Throughout the volunteer work, I actually felt like I received boundless love from the children!
So I came to Hanoi, and what I realized from meeting the children here was that the times I worried before coming were truly meaningless.Day after day, the children welcomed me and showed their affection. Rather, I think I received boundless love from the children.
The children in Hanoi approached me from the moment we first met and wanted to stay with me. That made me grow even closer to them. I even feel sorry because it seems I received more love than I gave them!
# Thanks to the friends I volunteered with in Vietnam, I was able to spend the four weeks more enjoyably!
I think I spent a more enjoyable four weeks because I was with the foreign volunteers I met here. Volunteering together, playing with the children and talking allowed us to become much closer. There were times I felt tired, but watching the foreign volunteers with me made me reflect a lot. Even when tired and weary, they showed none of it and were passionate during their time with the children.
Also, sometimes awkward situations arose, and at first I didn''t know how to handle them.ButEach time that happened, I learned a lot by observing how the fellow volunteers treated the children and received a great deal of help.
# The Most Touching Moment During My Vietnam Overseas Volunteer Work!
The most memorable moment here was the last day. On the last day before going home, a friend who uses sign language gave me a card. The small handmade card had the cute message ''love you''... It was such a moving moment and made me feel so sorry.I couldn''t use sign language, so I had never tried to talk to this friend. I only greeted them, and I don''t think I ever thought about learning sign language to have a conversation with them.Seeing the handmade card, I felt so upset and full of regret thinking about why I hadn''t been brave until then.
I realized too late that the children here had always been by my side without prejudice. I was very disappointed in myself for not having been courageous, but I decided to keep this regret and, if I get another chance, to be braver.
# The Weekend Trips with Friends Will Surely Remain Great Memories!
On weekends without volunteering, I traveled a lot with friends to places like Da Nang, Sapa, and Ha Long Bay.Sapa and Ha Long Bay in Vietnam were quiet, relaxing, and wonderful. I wondered when I could come back, and I thought I would like to come again with my parents if I get the chance.
During this gap year, not only the volunteering where I gave love to the children, but also the trips and conversations with foreign friends and meeting various people — all of this will remain as good memories for me!
# Finishing My Overseas Volunteer Gap Year!
I think this is the first time I''ve felt such sadness at parting and had such lingering feelings... I don''t want to forget this moment and I definitely want to come back again even after time has passed.At first I couldn''t approach the children, but every moment in Vietnam became such wonderful times for me that it felt like a shame not to have experienced them fully.I hope the children remember me as a good person and a good memory.
I want to say that this 4-week Vietnam overseas volunteer gap year was a time in which I received a lot of love.I sincerely thank the gap year coordinator who always cared for and supported me. And I truly think I will never forget the friends I met here. Thanks to these friends, I learned a lot and was able to enjoy my gap year. Over the 4 weeks I received a lot of help and there are so many things I''m grateful for — I''m very thankful they were always with me.
Above all, I''m so grateful to have come here and met these children. This experience has made me a bit more ambitious — in my willingness to take on challenges and in my courage!
# My Personal Tips for Preparing for a Vietnam (Hanoi) Overseas Volunteer Trip!
- English
: You''ll need to listen to or use English while volunteering. But by the 2nd or 3rd week here, you''ll start to hear more than at first and naturally develop the ability to grasp meaning from familiar words. (Me too haha)
- Accommodation & Meals
: The accommodation had very strong air conditioning and was cleaned daily, so it was always neat! The meals were really delicious! Breakfast is simple with fruit and bread but was really tasty, and dinner was good too! Sometimes they even served pizza for dinner haha. Everything was so tasty that I ate seconds and thirds and gained 3kg before returning to Korea haha.
- What to Bring
: It can rain at any time, so be sure to bring an umbrella! Also, you may need more emergency medicines than you expect, such as cold medicine and digestive medicine, so be sure to pack them in advance. Oh, and you might miss Korean food sometimes, so bringing seaweed or ramen could be good. The rest of the items you need can be bought locally in Vietnam. Prices are cheaper and they had everything I needed! Haha, don''t worry!
My Vietnam Volunteer Gap Year Is!
Experience ★★★★
: I think it was a really great experience! I also think it was one of the times I showed the most courage!
Learning ★★★★★
: I was able to learn a little Vietnamese and English, and in addition, I learned a lot in various ways—how to interact with children, about the culture, and more!
Environment/Safety ★★★★★
: Security felt safe, and I think it was really safe as long as you don''t walk around alone late at night! haha
Leisure ★★★★★
: It was great that every weekend I could go with friends to nearby travel spots like Ha Long Bay and Sapa! On weekdays, after dinner I also had plenty of personal time, so I could go to cafes or exercise!
Capturing the growth journeys
of our participants.
