November 9, 2013 by ECO Vietnam Group

1105 – Step Up Project

In November 2012, STEP UP is the initial campaign of the year in the Overseas Community Involvement Project (OCIP), a cooperated annual activity between EVG and Singapore educational institutions. This is our third time to hold Nanyang Girl’s High School in Phuong Thinh rural area, Dong Thap province.

This time, EVG was pleased to collaborate with 6 teachers and 39 students from Nanyang Girl’s High school. Before departing to Phuong Thinh destination, our local volunteers together with participants from Singapore were warmed up by some interesting activities in Ho Chi Minh city.

The first place in the city tour was the War Remnants Museum, a renowned attraction that contains exhibits relating to the American phase of the Vietnam War. In addition, in order to give our Singaporean fellows an insight into Vietnamese school life, we decided to visit Ba Dinh Secondary school in district 7 and indeed had a cozy culture exchange there. The city tour in HCMC was not only enjoyable but also gave the foreigner volunteers a great chance to explore more about Vietnam.

Step Up team in War Remnants Museum

Memorable time with Ba Dinh Secondary students

In the dawn of November 19th, after a two-hour car trip, we arrived at peaceful Phuong Thinh rural area.

From November 20th-24th:

With the intent to reach the targeted goals, all tasks were divided up among 6 different groups. In other words, each group was in charge with a main duty such as building houses for a poor families, teaching English for young children, planting trees along roads, preparing meals at home and consolidating the road surface. In addition, tasks were switched between teams everyday so that everyone could experience and contribute to different parts of work. Through daily life, the local people here and our Step Up team were getting closer to each other and somehow, we felt like we were living in another big family!

Who says girls cannot build house?

After 4 days straight of hard-working and devotion, we were surprised by our own achievements, remarkably was the reinforcement of 2 houses, 150 planted trees along the road, the consolidation of village roads and above all was the happiness of Phuong Thinh citizens. Little was our contribution to the wealth of this needy remote area, yet we have brought here the belief for a brighter future.

Young children were very fond of studying English with us!

November 9, 2013 by ECO Vietnam Group

1104 – New Discovery Project

After a long time, the student of Nanyang Girl High School came back Vietnam to work for New Discovery project (from 29/5 to 6/6/2012) in Loc Khanh commune, Binh Phuoc province. They love Vietnam country for sure and hope to make the poor’s lives be better with EVG together.

ECO Vietnam Group volunteers welcomed the girls with brightly smiles of early summer days. We wish this journey would have a lot of beautiful memories and experient lessons OCIP.

When coming to Vietnam, they visited many famous places in Ho Chi Minh city, especially, War Remnants Museum – which had save the magnanimous marks in our war periods resisted France and USA. Everyone was so excited to listen to tourguide’s report about some important historical events. They also took some picture there.

As soon as be present at Loc Khanh commune, they have a meeting with Board of Local Leader. They had an interesting conversation about group’s works that was to come.

A meeting at Loc Khanh Commune

In our program at Loc Khanh commune, teaching English is a indispensable work. The room which had been decorated was used as classroom for children. It’s quite small, but so crowded. Despites hot weather, children pay their attention to lessons. They not only learn by heart so boring, the girls had prepared many lovely gifts that make all kids tried to outdo the others in answering questions.

They are painting the English classroom

At the time the girls of Nanyang Girl High School stayed there, this local was opening an event for actions because of Vietnamese children. To prepare for this ceremony, volunteers had to spend lots of time, even night to have nice presents for kids. Most of them were books and learning materials which were wrapped so carefully, looked very beautiful.

Everyone was preparing gifts for children.

They got up very early to make ready for “Kick-off summer activities – Action month for children” ceremony. After arranging tables and chairs for the seats of audiences, they immediately built the stage. The children were also present at their position for performances. They looked so nervous as well as happy. This was also the separation day to Nanyang Girl High School students. The last day became warmer and closer.

The children was performing a folk dance.

The days working together, living and sharing with local people were passing over. We hope Loc Khanh commune will develop faster and the children will have better study conditions in the near future.

November 9, 2013 by ECO Vietnam Group

1103 – Pass On Project

The project called PASS ON. True to its name this meaningful project includes a series of activities connected with the desire to achieve results from the RISE project. Occur within 6 days 31/05/2011-05/06/2011, along with 29 high school students Hwa You Chong, 12 EVG volunteers, the project provided a lot of supports to the local, especially children, through practical and highly effective activities such as teaching and assisting the work of the local people Thinh Phuong commune, Cao Lanh district in Dong Thap

1. Participate in meetings organized by local committee

Through a long way to Phuong Tinh, everyone seemed tired. However, this feeling quickly passed when we saw what the local government has prepared for the union: a cozy gathering at the headquarters of the People’s Committees of communes. We received the heartfelt thanks as well as provide information about the actual condition of Phuong Thinh, local changes from the most recent project of EVG.

2. Mending schools, cleaning classrooms

The work was conducted in two days 1 and 2/6. With the guidance of the local people, the volunteers in the group had an unforgettable experience. Crossing over 10km journey by boat to reach Phuong Thinh II primary school, this is the first time we traveled by this means. The initial fear was replaced by sympathy with the struggle of students wanting to go to school here.

On that day, thanks to all the energetic of everyone, we have finished cleaning, scrubbing and sanding primer the entire door and iron railings, paint the entire outside wall and inside the room school; rearrange entire furniture. Although everyone is sweating on the environment but are beaming smile knowing that the next day, the students will be learning in the bright and clean classrooms

3. Teaching

Innocent face, her eyes filled with excitement, the kids were listening intently to every word of the lecture of the volunteer about English lessons with subject: “Body Parts” and “dish food, drinks and fruit. “Standing in front these kids, the volunteers tried their best to convey a fairly easy way to lessons with the children in all patience and love. Though not much time teaching, but we’re glad to see that we have to arouse passion in their academic.

Helping with local’s work

4. Visit local houses

The group had visited poor families in Phuong Thinh. The volunteers did not mind the distance to each house to give small gifts were prepared. They talked, shared with local people for the purpose of better understanding the difficulties of their thoughts. Through these conversations the relationship between volunteers and people have become a lot closer.

Cultural Night

On the last day, as we saw off the Singaporean, everyone was sad. Across the tears, handshakes, hugs close … But while waving goodbye from deep heart, people believe that day will soon meet again.

The project gives volunteers meaningful memories, the memories will surely follow them throughout their lives.

Sincere feelings of the volunteers had to be with the locals. From the initial shyness, they were open, ready to trust, love and sharing.

With all the activities taken together, we make sure that the project has contributed to building relationships deep emotional attachment between people from two countries: Vietnam, Singapore. And: “We’ll meet again, some day.”

October 30, 2013 by nthang123

Water of Love Project (Clip)

October 30, 2013 by ECO Vietnam Group

1101 – House For Hope Project

Project “House For Hope” was taken from 26/5/2011 to 4/6/2011 with the desire to:

Raise awareness about the harmful effects of smoke from the kitchen
Change cooking habits near the bed
Receive new lifestyle: build a separate kitchen space
Take advantage of the fresh air at home

After three months of testing, for the first time, EVG finally applied teaching English in Gia Bac. The students participate in English classes. Beside learning English, they also got to learn about personal hygiene. Through encouraging them daily brushing, bathing, nail clippers, pedicure and wash hands before every meal, the group wanted to send a message to the children: hygiene will help the body healthy.

In addition, the Group also guided students in computing basic knowledge like Microsoft Word, Powerpoint and Paint. Before each lesson, Singapore students and Vietnam volunteers discussed, prepareed lesson plans and other outdoor activities. During school hours, through the friendly and easy way of communication, students became more bold and exciting. The class quickly connected to the group a most natural way.

Playing “Simon Says”

Before “House for Hope”, we continued to meet families Ka ‘M System in the previous project to introduce the goals of the project. The team succeeded in explaining the harmful effects of smoke kitchen and convince families to build separate cooking area for sleeping. Right after that, the group conducted to help families build new kitchen behind the house with “construction workers” are students. With enthusiasm, the Group has overcome the initial difficulties, wasn’t afraid to take up work under the sweltering heat and heavy rains. After the hard work, the kitchen was built in the happiness of Mo Ka He and the group.

Putting the closet togerther for Ka’ M Hệ

Putting the closet together for Ka’ M Hệ

House For Hope Project has brought on the first “International Children Day festival” for the children in Gia Bac. People can feel the joy of the children being awarded many prizes from the fund that were dedicated build.

Despite bad weather, the program still takes place in its entirety. In the future, the group will try to organize more similar events significant to help them better integrate into the community.

What is OSL?

I. What is OSL?

OSL stands for Overseas Service Learning.
It is a program from Foreigner’ schools and Universities, in which, a group of elected and trained students are send to developing countries to do community projects. This model is preferred as Service Learning. This is why OSL project is called Overseas Service Learning Projects.

OCIP is a not-unfamiliar phrase with oversea students.

ECO Vietnam Group is proud to be the host for these projects in Vietnam since we were first established in 2009. Together with our partners from Singapore, we have made more than 20 successful OSL projects in poor regions and ethnic minority communities around Vietnam to make a better life and education in these areas.

OSL projects also have another name such as Regional Community Involvement Project or Overseas Service Learning where overseas students to come to Vietnam for providing the support and at the same time to learn from the community. It strictly follow the model called Service Learning.

II. What we have done

In each OCIP, our partners and we have worked for months of research (includes reece trips), preparation and training to come up with the best plan and the best solution for our 2 weeks working in the chosen region.
Since each OCIP has different targets, each with different needs, therefore our projects serve various causes depend on the actual needs of these areas.
For more than 3 years, our Singaporean and Vietnamese volunteers (all are students) have done many jobs from painting classrooms, repairing houses to building roads, kitchens, houses, toilets, and teaching as well, etc.

Harvesting coffee bean in Youth Project.

III. Where have we been?

+ GiaBắc commune , Di Linh, LâmĐồng province , Vietnam

+ PhươngThịnh commune,Cao Lãnh, ĐồngTháp province, Vietnam

+ TânQuới commune , ThanhBình, ĐồngTháp province, Vietnam

+ An Hiệp commune, Ba Tri, Bến Tre provine, Vietnam

+ Lộc Khánh Commune, Lộc Ninh, Bình Phước province, Vietnam

Girls from Paya Lebar Methodist School were building road in Phuong Thinh Commune (Dong Thap province).

IV. Who have we worked with?

Universities:

+ Nanyang Technological University
+ National University of Singapore
+ Singapore Management University
+ National Institute of Education

High schools:

+ Hwa Chong Junior College
+ Saint Andrew Junior College
+ Dunman High School

Secondary schools:

+ PayaLebar Methodist School
+ Nanyang Girl High School

During our five years in action, 1,037 Singaporean students and 708 Vietnamese young people have participated in our projects, with a total spending of 286,739 USD for contributing to community service and education. We have received awards and merit certificates from the government for numerous projects. More than 700 Singaporean teachers and students, 200 Vietnamese volunteers, 30 ECO Vietnam Group members.

Teaching English for children.

v. What have we got?

Through these projects, our young generation of Singaporean and Vietnamese students has had the opportunity to experience a new –different world, to adapt into a different life routine to make friends across countries, to understand, learn and grow together.

Thanks to all the life lessons they achieve from the people they served, from their teachers, EVG’s advisor, their friends and also their self’s criticism during the project, these volunteers have become more confident, responsible and extremely enthusiastic with community service.

They were working very hard like real briklayers! – Building the IT room for Gia Bac secondary school

AND ALSO

[Until 7/2012]

+ 1 IT library room values more than 100 million VND for a Secondary School in Gia Bac commune.
+ 1 school-yard (800 meter square) for a secondary school in Tan Quoi Commune.
+ 3.5km road.
+ 5 kitchens.
+ 3 ECO Love Houses for the poor in Phuong Thinh commune.
+ 500 trees.
+ 1000 kg rice for the poor.
+ 1,325,500,000VND
+ 3 Letters of Appreciation from Committee of Vietnam Fatherland Front – Cao Lanh District, the People Committee- Phuong Thinh Commune and Association of Vietnamese Youth League – Cao Lanh District.

OCIPs 2009 – 1/ 2013

October 26, 2013 by ECO Vietnam Group

1004 – EDU Project

November and December are always the rush months for OCIP projects of ECO Vietnam group. Therefore,this time, EVG welcomed a group students of Saint Andrew’s Junior College (SAJC) from Singapore at the last days of year 2010 (27/11 – 10/12/2010). They spent their holiday to come to Gia Bac commune, Di Linh district, Lam Dong province. However, it certainly doesn’t take their happiness off, something would be waiting them in the coming journey.

The first picture of SAJC when they had just been at Tan Son Nhat airport.

After a short break, they continued to go to Gia Bac commune by coach immediately because lots of works needed to do. With a busy schedule, everyone was so tired but they are full of laughing and stories about the next place.

This project was named “EDU” showing all the meanings. OCIP projects care about educational improvement. The problems of this local couldn’t be solved in a short time, the major mission was to help the children – the next generation – develop their best abilities, then they can help their countries better. So the English classes for kids were very important. Next day, they used humor of sense and body language to explain English words, that made class was more exciting and so funny. The SAJC students also tried to use Vietnamese – with the help of Vietnamese volunteers – to make kids understand clearlier.

The children paid their attention to the English lesson.

The main point of this project was to built Internet Technology classroom for Gia Bac Secondary School, Di Linh district, Lam Dong province, valued approximately 100 million VND. It sounded something was a normal work, but all steps such as building foundation … were made by Singapore students. Even almost of them were girls. What the great girls !

They were working very hard like real briklayers!

Beside the main duty, they and local people also did some other works like farmers. At the Lam Dong highland, coffee tree is a special plant and even their living. At the time SAJC students been here, it was the harvesting coffee time. Boys and girls gathered coffee so clumsy, but that would be a interesting memory. There was an excited chance which it’s hard to experience in Singapore.

We can drink coffee, now we can harvest coffee!

After hard working in the daytime, the performance night was a great chance which couldn’t miss. SAJC students and the children tried to have the best shows for Culture Night with plentiful and hot items. The kids worn traditional ethnic dresses performing so lovely and natural. And the students showed a modern dance looked very nice. That night was full of laughing and cheering. All of people looked like a big family, and the language gap was not a real matter anymore.

The performance was so exciting at the culture night.

When the building was finished near, the seperation day was closer. After hard-working days together, the feeling greeted our “brainchild” so happy. This happiness didn’t belong to only ECO Vietnam group and Di Linh leaders, but also the children. That room would be a convinient place to study technology. We had just finished project EDU, but we would see you again at the closest day in the future. The ahead journey always welcome young hearts to make future lives more beautiful.

Leaders of Di Linh district and SAJC teachers, students were at the opening day of IT room – Dec 7th, 2010.

October 26, 2013 by ECO Vietnam Group

1003 – Youth Project

Youth Project is a 3rd project of ECO Vietnam Group, conducted in Gia Bac, Di Linh District, Lam Dong Province. The project was started from 9/2010 and officially took place from 19 to 11/31/2011. EVG Partner: Hwa Chong Junior College (HCJC). The students involved in the project HCJC Youth are a very young, from 17-19 years old. This trip was also the first time that you are known Gia Bac, and Vietnam.

During the project, they had helped to build a computer room for a local school.

Heleped local people collect fresh coffee. Everybody was so excited with this experience and could understand how hard the work of Vietnamese farmer is.

Joining in sport festival with Giabac students.

Teaching English is one of the most memoriable activity, as for both the group and the students of Giabac.

Youth project is done with a desire to motivate students in Gia Bac to access better education, to reach higher levels of education through teaching English and computer room construction, distribution the same building organizations active lifestyles for young people and cultural exchanges and contribute to preserve the traditional culture of Gia Bac.

Youth Project in collaboration with EDU project to build a computer room for Gia Bac Secondary School, worth 100,000,000 million with full equipment, computers. This is a first major step promises to help improve the quality of local education here, as well as promise a belief that GiaBac will eventually constantly evolving, no longer a wilderness, isolated more isolated.

October 26, 2013 by ECO Vietnam Group

1002 – RISE Project

Rise is the 14 day charity project in Phuong Thinh – Cao Lanh – Dong Thap which Eco collaborated with the NanYang girls high school to organize.

On 16/11/2010, an early flight from Singapore landed at Tan Son Nhat airport in the excitement of everyone.

The hard volunteer trip started when the team arrived at Phuong Thinh – an underpriviledged region of Cao Lanh district, Dong Thap province. The works in the starting day is a lot and full of obstacles. Everyone must be very flexible to change plans and to work out in time. This project started by remodeling a school for the children at Phuong Thinh. The volunteers have to shave lime, paint the walls, and to tidy up the bushes, … After remodeling, people still have to clean the dust on the table, dais and scrub the classroom floor, this serial work there seemed to be endless.

Moreover, the volunteers had to walk for hours to reach the site of the fixing road under the severe weather’s condition. After finishing the road, they continued to plant trees around the new residential area.

The difficulties for Nanyang girls, maybe, was teaching Vietnamese for the children, because they cannot speak Vietnamese fluently, they were also not good at the pronunciation, but they took pains to learn and overcome. The happiness and learning enthusiasm in the eyes of the children were the greatest motivation for them to deal with any problems.

Rise was not only give them the experience of team working, how to take actions to the difficulties, but also show them the unfortunate lives, which built a fire of passion and enthusiasm to serve the community in our volunteers and the Singaporean girls.

Before leaving, the team organized Culture Night to exchanges and give the gifts to Phuong Thinh students and celebrate for the achievements. Singaporean girls, Vietnamese volunteers performed their unique and attractive item, people in the village also joined

On 27/11/2010, the team officially left Phuong Thinh, people give us a small commemorative gift to mark this memorable trip.

When seeing off Singaporean girls at the airport, everyone was moved to tears. Vietnam volunteers were speechless and filled with nostalgia.

October 26, 2013 by ECO Vietnam Group

1001 – Green Leaf Project

In the time from 28/05/2010 to 18/6/2010, ECO Vietnam Group (EVG) has successfully implemented the project “Green Leaf” in Gia Bac, Di Linh district, Lam Dong province with the enthusiastic support of Dunman high School (Singapore) and a group of dynamic students come from the Environmental Club “EarthLink” of Nanyang Technology University (Singapore). Within half short months, with the passionate heart and desire to prove themselves in the building and developing community, the volunteers not only bring the practical actions contributed to the better living for this highland but also learned a lot of valuable experience that they will surely never forget.

On 28/5, Vietnamese volunteers and Singaporean volunteers has the meeting in friendly atmosphere at Tan Son Nhat airport .

Come to this project, each volunteer will always remember the highest duty of every person that is reforestation. Despite difficulties and crestfallen because be not used to, but with the enthusiasm and the passion for the job , the volunteers do not mind the difficulty of weather and still make constant effort to plant saplings on vacant land, build faith and hope to bring to better condition for living . Besides, the volunteers also have the practical and significant volunteer activities others such as teaching English to children and playing with the children.

In addition to the hours of hard work, the volunteers are also enthusiastic to get acquainted, share and help the daily work for the people here. From small jobs but significant , the volunteers have a better understanding about the people here, as well as additional capital and experience life for themselves.

Also in this project, the volunteers also have a day to organizing exhibitions and conferences with the desire to convey the green message to everyone, to make collaboration and sharing the perspective between NGOs

To sum up the trip, with youthful enthusiasm and passion of the hearts desire to learn, the volunteers planted a lot of young trees, organized English classes for children, helped for local people and organized successful night of cultural exchange as well as successful ECO Forumand exhibition. The contribution was not worth much but it also contributed on bringing joy and hope to the needy, building confidence to a brighter future for the local people.

Farewell Gia Bac highland to return home, each volunteer know that they will no longer working tired , sleeping that thought to the next job. In that moment, it remain are friendship built during the difficult and happy time, the hard people in Gia Bac, the lifelong memories that they will never forget .