Volunteering in Vietnam

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	“I am very happy and satisfied with my volunteer experience at the work camp through Volunteers for Peace Vietnam (VPV). I sought the volunteer experience to dive more deeply into Vietnamese culture, to meet new friends, and to find a meaningful way to contribute to a worthy cause in Vietnam. I found that all of these goals were achieved.” Allison Keller ~ 2009
	"Overall the experience was positive and beneficial to both us and the orphans we served.  The group at VPV is clearly dedicated and well intentioned. " Craig Blett / Vietnam ~ 2008
	"We greatly enjoyed our time with the kids, and liked the unstructured format that enabled us to develop activities with the kids that fit their own needs and whims. Sometimes we taught English to a couple of kids in their rooms, sometimes we sang songs with a small group, sometimes we just kicked a soccer ball around the yard or drew pictures with them. " Tamara Blett / Vietnam ~ 2008
	Teaching English at the SOS Children's Village.   Brea Burmeister / Vietnam ~ 2007
	International Volunteers embark on a group outing.   Robert Peck / Vietnam ~ 2008
	"I just recently finished a 2-week workcamp through Volunteers for Peace outside of Hanoi, Vietnam at the Vietnam Friendship Village.  The workcamp consisted of working on the organic farming project at the village to promote sustainability for the children and veterans living there.  At the Village, there are about 140 children and 40 veteran's who are suffering the effects of Agent Orange". Amber Frederiksen / Vietnam ~ 2006

“Of all the volunteer VFP projects I participated in, for me, this project was one f the most satisfying and rewarding project to be apart of. In fact, this is the second time I signed-up for this project. Getting a chance to play with the children who are affected by the spraying of Agent Orange during the war, and to work in their organic vegetable garden was something I will always cherish.” Ed Cohen ~ 2009

“My two weeks with Volunteers for Peace were probably some of the most worthwhile of my life. The work I did with Thuy An Rehabilitation Center enjoyable and felt necessary. I felt like we were making a difference in the lives of these children, however small those differences might seem. Some days the "work" we did was tangible, and some days I knew the best thing I did that day was spending some quality time with a very deserving child.” Courtney Kotewa ~ 2009

“In our group who work at the Children's Freindship Village, there were 2 from Korea, 3 from Japan, a Canadian, and myself, the lone American. Except for myself, the ages were from 18 to 22 years old. Me, I felt like a grandfather, but we ALL got along beautifully. It was one of the best group of volunteers I ever been apart of. We had a lot of fun.” Ed Cohen ~ 2009

“My trip to this work camp was a real eye-opener for this farm boy.  I was born and raised on a farm in Wisconsin and had never traveled to any great extent outside of the United States.  I chose the Vietnam project because I felt I could be an ambassador of those Americans who regret the U.S. government’s ignorant, arrogant, cruel and selfish history – The Native Americans, slavery, the Salem with trials, the leper colony at Molokai, internment of the Japanese during WWII, the Vietnam War, the War in Iraq.  I felt it important to demonstrate that there are Americans who are kind, empathetic, generous, open minded and tolerant.  This camp allowed me to do that.” Kenton Burki / Vietnam ~ 2008

“Before I fell asleep on my mat each night, I could hear the crickets outside. It was surreal experiencing such calm and peaceful nights. How greatly this contrasted with the Vietnam I knew in movies, books, and the stories I heard from family. The War was never far from my mind when I was on Vietnamese soil. Lightning would etch its scars across the black sky to the beat of a ticking metronome, and I could imagine the thunder of faraway bombs. This horrible past was brought to my present each time I wanted to communicate with the children, but the Agent Orange poisoning made it almost impossible. Many were mute, and most mentally or physically challenged. The by-products of these toxins have been entrenched into their ecosystem. Mothers and fathers can pass it on to their children. These impairments pained me because even if war memories fade into the country’s consciousness, their future will still continually be plagued with toxins sprayed during the war. This trip has made war a reality for me, in a sense. It makes me feel sick knowing that collateral damage to children and families is not taken into consideration during times of war. And if it is, it’s only as an afterthought. I still can’t believe that after thirty years, this mentality continues to this day in wars fought overseas.” Jennifer Nguyen / Vietnam ~ 2007

"The workcamp was altogether superb: the work was fulfilling and appropriately challenging, the other volunteers were a delightful mix of cultures and personalities, and the accommodation was comfortable and sufficient. I left the place with a strong appreciation for the connections I made that is unmatched by backpacking alone. The experience, though only two weeks, taught me more about Vietnam than my entire two-month trip that I did in Vietnam in 2001. " Joanna Nobbe / Vietnam - 2006

"The Vietnam Friendship Village is a wonderful project that is helping to mend the damages that were done to the Vietnamese people during the decades of war in Vietnam. The organic farming project at the Vietnam Friendship Village is a wonderful project that helps feed the residents suffering from the affects of agent-orange. The opportunity I had to work in this project was unforgettable, educational, and fun! "Justin Frederiksen / Vietnam - 2006

"This was a positive and rewarding personal experience. The myriad of jobs that comprised our day-from bricklaying to playing a soccer game with children affected by Agent Orange-fulfilled my hope for what the VFP experience would provide: an organized, and affirmative volunteer experience that accomplished tangible results, established international friendships, and the feeling that I was helping, and learning from,a community that was substantially different from my Toronto upbringing." Moez Surani / Vietnam - 2006

"Because of the way the garden was set up it was difficult to get the bricks to the appropriate spots en masse so a siginificant part of the project was passing the bricks down in a line, hand over hand, in a long human chain. In this time we got to chat with the other volunteers, sing with them, and sweat with them. Other of the jobs were more demanding - Moez and I learned to carry heavy concret slung between our two shoulders as we walked, barefoot, in the slippery mud. We also learned how to lay bricks and mix cement. One complaint we had is that we could have worked harder! I think that the workers and coordinators were nervous to overwork us, but most of us - especially the International volunteers had come to work so the work was a real highlight for us. However, we did understand - and very soon - the need for the long lunch breaks as teh heat of the day was often unbearable! The contact with the permanent workers was another highlight. They were forever upbeat and helpful - never tiring of our slow and sometimes clumsy work. I admired the women especially - small middle aged women who could swing the buckets of concrete and baskets of sand onto their shoulders with ease - buckets that it took two of us to even get off the ground! Sometimes they would try to teach us Vietnamese and then laugh uproariously at our pronunciation, or feed uscopious amounts of sour plums while we sat in pleasant silence." Johanna Skibsrud / Vietnam - 2006

"This project is extremely close to my heart-the new friendship and cultural experience has made this project worth while. The 5 international volunteers and 20 local volunteers worked hard to ensure this project was a huge success from planting seeds in the garden to building a bamboo fence. The accommodations were basic but comfortable. The project was well organized from meals to transport. I really enjoyed the guest speaker on Agent Orange which really enhanced our learning experience. We were interviewed by local media to talk about our interest in the project. Overall, it was a valuable worthwhile experience." Amanda Sutherland / Vietnam - 2005

"The experience is one that I will not soon forget; indeed, it was one of the most memorable times of my life. I left the village feeling satisfied with our work, equipped a broad base of knowledge about the legacy of Agent Orange and a strong desire to return to the village someday soon." Mitch Moxley / Vietnam - 2005

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