First Day Chronicle

by Nancy Nguyen

The campers started their day by having breakfast at Duc Tai Hotel in Ha Tinh Province.

From the hotel we went on a 45 minute bus ride to Ban Chuoi, Quang Binh.

Upon arrival at the work camp site, I noticed that there were obvious signs of cows nearby. We had to be very careful with every step.

We were divided up into teams, then assigned classrooms/activities to complete. I tried my very best to make the classroom look as nice as possible for the kids, so that they would be proud and excited to learn in such a beautiful school.

In addition to impacting student futures by taking part in classroom preparation, I also enjoyed meeting volunteers from America and Vietnam with the common goal of helping Vietnamese students in less developed areas of VN have access to education.

I also had a chance to speak to SM scholarship recipients and learned how they have used their scholarships to further their education and the work available to them.

I am passionate about going to SM work camp, not only because I feel that I'm helping students gain access to education, but I am also helping their families and the future of Vietnam.