Humanitarian holidays: 15 may school
To many, holidays are synonym of leisure, entertainment and farniente. To some, it is the perfect occasion to work for humanitarian organisations, act solidarily and volunteer for charities troughout Vietnam.
In Ho-Chi-Minh city's first district, for more than 20 years, the 15 May School provides tuition and shelter for ex-streetchildren. It aims at providing them with the best tools to get out of their pre-existing poor living condition.
The school is named from international children day. Its financial viability is made possible with the help from Vietnamese government, as well as private donors. Once a year, in may, the school organizes a special event involving students to raise funds. This is the occasion to boost staff and students' self-confidence.
At school, everything is organized for kids to feel safe and secure. Facilities, teachings, and materials are all located inside the school perimeter, in order to keep students undisturbed by the outside world.
The children are provided with a wide range of courses and activities, from english lessons to pastry-courses and physical education. The kids are also entertained with occasional field trips, such as visiting the city zoo or swimming at the pool.
All activities are framed by international volunteers whose reason to enlist are diverse. One basically used her holidays to work. An other is completing part of his university cursus by volunteering. A third found her way to the school being referred by an Australian youth volunteering association.
"Motivation comes from the fact that in the West we are so lucky. We always had education and welfare, now it is time to share" said Matthew Harrison, 22, from Australia.
Yen Tran's rewards "are in usual things: smile, fun, attention andaffection", even if she admits "working with kids is a challenging experience". However, she feels it's not just a one way relationship.
Usually, volunteers are required to enlist for a minimum length of 6 weeks; enough time for the students to get accustomed, as well as keeping the "nice family atmosphere" Jessica Perrin, manager, often speaks about. Conclusively, she rules that in the field of volunteering, "the longer the better".
All three are unequivocal about their experience, considering it useful and unique. As Yen would "definitiely urge people to volunteer", Matthew states "it is a good feeling to make a difference".
More information about volunteering in Vietnam can be found on thefollowing websites:
- http://www.15mayschool.org
- http://www.un.org.vn/unv/opportunities/vietnam.asp
- http://www.ngocentre.org.vn
In Ho-Chi-Minh city's first district, for more than 20 years, the 15 May School provides tuition and shelter for ex-streetchildren. It aims at providing them with the best tools to get out of their pre-existing poor living condition.
The school is named from international children day. Its financial viability is made possible with the help from Vietnamese government, as well as private donors. Once a year, in may, the school organizes a special event involving students to raise funds. This is the occasion to boost staff and students' self-confidence.
At school, everything is organized for kids to feel safe and secure. Facilities, teachings, and materials are all located inside the school perimeter, in order to keep students undisturbed by the outside world.
The children are provided with a wide range of courses and activities, from english lessons to pastry-courses and physical education. The kids are also entertained with occasional field trips, such as visiting the city zoo or swimming at the pool.
All activities are framed by international volunteers whose reason to enlist are diverse. One basically used her holidays to work. An other is completing part of his university cursus by volunteering. A third found her way to the school being referred by an Australian youth volunteering association.
"Motivation comes from the fact that in the West we are so lucky. We always had education and welfare, now it is time to share" said Matthew Harrison, 22, from Australia.
Yen Tran's rewards "are in usual things: smile, fun, attention andaffection", even if she admits "working with kids is a challenging experience". However, she feels it's not just a one way relationship.
Usually, volunteers are required to enlist for a minimum length of 6 weeks; enough time for the students to get accustomed, as well as keeping the "nice family atmosphere" Jessica Perrin, manager, often speaks about. Conclusively, she rules that in the field of volunteering, "the longer the better".
All three are unequivocal about their experience, considering it useful and unique. As Yen would "definitiely urge people to volunteer", Matthew states "it is a good feeling to make a difference".
More information about volunteering in Vietnam can be found on thefollowing websites:
- http://www.15mayschool.org
- http://www.un.org.vn/unv/opportunities/vietnam.asp
- http://www.ngocentre.org.vn
posted by McJanus at 5:54 AM
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