Journal by Vy Thomas
This trip at Giving it Back to Kids introduced me to so many new experiences and people. Volunteering and teaching English at Carmela’s home showed me that Quynh is definitely the teacher, and I’m the example. The boys at Carmela’s home are very fun to be around, I never get bored listening to them argue, even if most of the time I don’t understand what they’re saying.
Being briefly introduced to the young moms and babies at the Fathers Home was so cute! Although they are happy with their children and life, I really have empathy for the young women having to deal with having children at such a young age and not being accepted from their family, hence why they must go to a home where they will be accepted and taken care of.
My favorite home we visited was Mary’s home. The young girls are so sweet, I could just hug them all day. It’s so life changing to see some girls my age or older in that home without families. It really makes me appreciate all that is given and sacrificed for me. The young girls at Mary’s home are so enjoyable to be around, like how they constantly want to braid your hair, hold your hand, or just want to be near you. If I could take them all home, I totally would.
At Lighthouse, I met some young women who are going to school at the university, although all of them are many years older than me, they still made me feel comfortable around them, and made sure not to exclude me or anyone from the activities. I got very close with a few of them because they made it so easy to be able to participate with so many of the other kids.
Another volunteering expedition I was very changed by was delivering the water filtration systems to poor families in the countryside. It’s very shocking to me that some families do not have a source of fresh, clean water. It really puts things into perspective that not everyone has access to whatever they want or even what they need.
Giving out these filtration systems made my heart warm and fuzzy knowing that many lives were changed for the better. These experiences with the Giving It Back to Kids organization were very life changing and I hope that one day when I am older I will be able to come back and help more people around Vietnam.
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