Teaching in BaVi – A reflection of Tracey O’Donovan from the UK

Every Thursday I traveled to Ba Trai which is a rural village in BaVi to teach English to underprivileged children. My time in Hanoi was short but volunteering with Better Life Vietnam was one experience which I truly will miss and never forget. Every Thursday I met with Ms.Hoa, the coordinator of the volunteer classes, at the bus station in Hanoi to get a bus to BaVi. Although Ms.Hoa had very little English and I knew no Vietnamese we managed to communicate through google translate, not the most accurate but we managed conversations. From our conversations, I learned how committed she was to helping underprivileged children in rural Vietnam and to helping them achieve a better education. She works every day of the week from 7 am until 9 pm, a schedule which she manages to fit her work with Better Life Vietnam into.

The children I taught in BaVi were by far my favorite class to teach during my time in Vietnam. I looked forward to Thursdays simply because it was such a pleasure to teach these children. They were enthusiastic, eager to learn, engaged and fun. Most importantly, they wanted to be there which makes the task of teaching so much easier and rewarding.

On a personal level, this was also a great experience. I finally felt like I was making a difference. This opportunity allowed me to help Better Life Vietnam in advancing underprivileged children’s education to give them access to a better and brighter future. I found day to day life in Hanoi testing but every week, without fail, after I left the classroom in BaVi I was left with a feeling of inspiration. By simply giving up one evening of my week I was able to use my time to help 40 children develop their English, a lesson they would not receive without the amazing work of Better Life Vietnam.