What do you think about working as a volunteer in Vietnam? I think it’s meaningful work not only for ourselves, but also for many other people who are not as lucky as us. I feel really happy after the short time that I volunteered in Hue and I would always like to come back to Vietnam as soon as possible- not only for volunteering, but also to live there for the rest of my life.
As you know, each of us has our own talent, which we apply in our jobs. But why don’t we share it with society through volunteering?
I think you should try to volunteer in Vietnam at least once if possible, because of the following reasons:
1. You will change other peoples’ lives.
You will bring happiness to other people by volunteering, and their lives can be changed with your volunteering.
2. You will change your own life.
You will feel happy when you help others, and it will seem like you have lots more energy when you share your ability with others.
3. Others need the abilities that you have.
We often wish we had the abilities, experiences and skills of others. When you share the skills that you have with others, you will receive other skills in return. “To live is to share”, and for your life to be more meaningful it depends on that.
4. You will explore the power of cooperation
When you unite your efforts with others to aim at the big target, you won’t be surprised that it can one day be reached. The world is waiting you to tell it: “ I’m ready”. And when you proclaim this from your heart, let it be heard by the community you’re in. And the result will be amazing!
5. Your view of the world will be changed.
The world doesn’t follow the default circle that you’ve always imagined. When you volunteer in Vietnam, you will meet many people and learn about many situations, and you will realize that the world can be a different place.
6. You will influence the people around you
The people closest to you are your children. They will respect you more because you have contributed to society. They will also become more concerned about social issues instead of being apathetic and indifferent to the difficulties of life. Your children will feel that social awareness has formed in the family since childhood, and through adulthood. They will be very happy to continue on their social responsibility. We are all contributing to make a difference in our community.
7. You will meet unique people.
It’s really amazing that when you volunteer in Vietnam, you meet interesting people. You will also develop a network of new friends and they are truly the people who you want to connect with. The goal of your personal life becomes better.
8. You will feel connected to greater things.
There are many disadvantaged people around us and we might be amongst them. Thus, helping each other is really important. Some people have everything they want, but they are not happy. They will surely be very surprised with what happens in their mind and soul if they spend one day a week helping those who are in need.
9. You will contribute to saving our world
Most likely, you will help the homeless children with a history of violent apathy feel happiness and hope in the future. It is you who will save the world.
10. You will die happy
The worst thing in the world is lying in bed, waiting to die and saying “I wish I had tried more”. Say you are in this situation. Wouldn’t you want to give yourself the chance to do something nice? In reality, the more money we make, the more expensive it will be to ‘feed’ our needs.
But we can easily realize that enjoyment doesn’t make us happier, but in fact can make us more unhappy. Therefore, you should live twenty four hours a day in a meaningful way- don’t just live in a meaningful way when you work. In this way, you will have no regrets when your life is almost over.
– Thanh Nguyen, Programme Assistant
