Sixteen enthusiastic students embarked on an extraordinary journey to Vietnam, travelling across the globe to bring meaningful change to a remote mountain village. The team’s mission? To work side by side with local families, helping with daily tasks, building infrastructure, and immersing themselves in the rich Vietnamese culture.
The adventure began in Hanoi, where students explored vibrant markets and iconic sights, getting a taste of Vietnamese life before heading to the village. Upon arrival, they quickly got to work, helping a local family with the rice harvest—a crucial annual task for sustaining food supplies. Under the guidance of village elders, students learned to prepare rice in traditional ways, mastering cooking techniques that had been passed down through generations. Together with their hosts, they shared meals, stories, and laughter, building bonds over shared efforts and delicious home-cooked dishes.
The group also tackled hands-on projects to improve village infrastructure, mixing and laying concrete to create safer paths for residents and children and constructing bamboo fences with locally sourced materials. This hard work was met with scorching heat and challenging conditions, but the students remained dedicated, driven by the difference they knew they were making.
A highlight of their trip was a visit to the stunning Halong Bay, where they marvelled at the limestone karsts rising emerald waters—a perfect finale to their journey.
Nancy Wall, a proud teacher, praised the students, saying, “Their hard work, resilience, and spirit of teamwork were inspiring. The friendships they built with locals and each other will leave a lasting impact on the village and their own lives.”
The trip showcased the power of youth coming together to make a difference, leaving everyone eagerly looking forward to future adventures.
