Soup Kitchen Experience

When we arrived at the soup kitchen you can see in the picture below that we were well fed by the workers before the hardwork began. The Vietnemese people are such hardworking individuals and they are able to withstand daily work in the uncomfortable environment. We were all crouched down crammed into a tiny room cutting vegetables and stuffing rice bags. The heat was unbearable and we all felt extremely faint!

Once we finished preparing the food and it was cooked, we went to the hospital to see the food being distributed to those people who have sick loved ones in the hospital. There is not enough room in the hospital for visitors, so individuals sleep outside the hospital and line up for food everyday. Seeing the conditions that the people have to survive (just to be close to the person in the hospital), makes you realize how lucky we are to have such great hospital care in Canada.

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August 11, 2009 - Posted by christiesvietnamtrip | Volunteering

1 Comment »

what a great adventure you’re able to experience…..be safe!

Comment by a. my | August 11, 2009 | Reply

About This Trip

Back in September, B Wyze presented their employees with a competition for a Social Responsibility Vacation. One employee would be given the opportunity to volunteer in a third world country for up to 3 weeks. I was fortunate enough to be this individual.

I will be volunteering in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam for two different programs: an Orphanage for Children with Disabilities and a Shelter for Street Children.

The Orphanage For Children with Disabilities cares for abandoned children with mental or physical disabilities as well as children who are victims of agent orange. The orphanage helps to educate them to the fullest extend of their capabilities, both physical and intellectual. Finally, the orphanage helps them to learn to live independently. There are about 400 children at the orphanage.

Volunteers can talk and play with the children, help the physiotherapists when they do the therapies for the children, feed the children and teach some children to feed themselves and take them on their wheel chairs for a walk in the orphanage’s front garden.

The shelter for street children provides accommodation, education, recreational activities and opportunities for street children and orphaned children so they can get a job when they grow up and go back home to integrate with their own families or build their own live. There are 20 children at this shelter from the age of 6 years old. Volunteers at this project offer valuable support and education to the children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. I will be teaching conversational English to the children and offer support to the children while being a positive role model for the children.

A very special thank you to the CO-CEO’s of B Wyze, John Towsley and Rick Beaudry for giving me this opportunity!

Christie's Social Responsibility Adventure

Volunteering in Vietnam