Hearts for Hue is pleased to announce the completion of our annual Singapore Management University program, which encompasses multiple community development projects, cultural exchange programs, and English teaching lessons. With the completion of the program as of May 2018, 70 student volunteers on three different community development projects over the span of 2 weeks. The students, under the guidance of Hearts for Hue and local workers, built structures at three local schools. Two project groups completed fences around local schools, Project Phoniksa III at Sao Mai 2 Kindergarten and Project Triveria 5 at Quang Thanh Primary School.
Fences not only protect the children from busy roadways but also allow for more government funding to be directed to the school. In Vietnam, schools that meet a higher level of safety requirements are awarded by more funding. By building fences, these students were also contributing directly to the success of the children attending the school. The third project group, Project Hue Dreams 8 at Muc Tru Kindergarten, completed building a courtyard at a local school that had a history of flooding. By raising the height of the courtyard, the flooding issue has been alleviated and children are able to play outside without the risk of health issues due to standing water.
Along with the building projects, the Singaporean students prepared English lesson plans covering basic English skills and interactive games for children at the schools. Although the children have English lessons in school, they rarely get to practice their English skills with native English speakers. These programs encourage the local Vietnamese children to practice their English while giving volunteers a chance to positively influence the lives of the children they are supporting through their building projects.
Aside from the volunteering activities, the Singaporean students had the chance to experience authentic Hue culture by visiting a local home and engaging in a cultural exchange with the Hue College of Foreign Languages, The Hue College of Economy, and Hue Junior College of Education. Some of the local Vietnamese volunteers gave the students a personal tour of Hue, visiting the Citadel, the Tomb of Khai Dinh, and local restaurants which serve authentic Hue cuisine. Students spent their off time exploring the city, relaxing by the Perfume River, and wandering around the abandoned water park located just outside of Hue.
Hearts for Hue would like to thank The Singapore Management University for their continued support, as well as the volunteers’ dedicated effort to transform the lives of Vietnamese children through sustainable community development.
Hearts For Hue Team.
