September 2019 - Blog CED

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<span lang="EN-GB">I have been in Hanoi for around 3 weeks now
and have been working in the CED office for just over 2 weeks. Hanoi as a city
is unreal! I have absolutely loved my time here, the busyness, the local people
and the overall atmosphere of the city. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">As a 27-year-old “mature student” who has
recently graduated with a BSc Hons in psychology, I decided to come to South
East Asia to volunteer in Vietnam, Cambodia and Bali where I will spend a month
in each country. As a psychology student, I have a huge interest in
understanding how others think and behave, and I want to make a positive
difference in others’ lives. Therefore, my reasons for volunteering was to
explore and understand other cultures and to really try to have an impact in
the lives of those I would be working alongside in my projects. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">I opted for an NGO project in Vietnam. I
have never worked in an office before and quite honestly, I have never wanted
to work in an office. But, I told myself these projects were all going to be a
learning experience for me and I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. The more
I read about NGO projects and the work in which they involve I knew it was
going to be an experience I was going to enjoy. When I arrived at my volunteer house,
I was told I would be working at the Center for Education and Development. This
to me was good news, as I am very interested in the education system as I used
to be a teaching assistant. Although not much was explained to me about CED
(and the Wi-Fi wasn’t great so I couldn’t do much research myself) or how they
worked as an organisation I was excited to get started. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">When I arrived at CED, I was greeted by
staff and introduced to everyone. I was given my seat at the desk and given my
login details and it was explained what I would be doing for the morning. As a
confident woman with lots of work experience, I was happy to proceed with the
tasks asked of me. However, as there is an obvious language barrier I can
understand why some volunteers may find it a very daunting environment to be
in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">I have really enjoyed proof reading the
work of my colleagues as this gave me a chance to understand some of the work
that CED are involved in. It also showed me just how much work goes into these
projects in order to provide for others and Vietnam in general. In regards to
scholarships it is truly so lovely to read how grateful and appreciative the
students who receive them are. I think every volunteer should get tasks to
proof read work, especially for the first few days to better understand CED as an
organisation. To me, it is also very interesting to read how some people
interpret and write in an English manner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">As the weeks went by, I was given more
complex tasks… now I can see why they advise you to have a degree if you decide
to go on the NGO project. However, with this I was able to put into practice
the skills I learnt in university, as I was researching and contributing ideas
to research proposals. I was asked to work and help on a project that CED are involved
with which surrounds a </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: #1c1e29;">voluntary partnership agreement between the EU and Vietnam on
Forest law enforcement, governance, and trade called VPA/FLEGT.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>This was very challenging for me, as I had
never heard of it and therefore had no knowledge on the topic. I did my
research and still found it difficult. However, I never felt pressured to
complete these tasks in a certain period and I always knew if I didn’t
understand I could ask someone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: #1c1e29;">I was also asked to contribute to teaching English, twice a
week for an hour. Again, this was different for me as I have only ever worked
and taught school students. In addition, my colleagues already have a wide
vocabulary in English so I always asked them what topics they would like to
cover in each lesson, and then I would go and structure some sort of lesson
plan. I have loved finding ways to make the lessons appropriate and fun. I really
hope the staff come away from each lesson feeling like they have learnt
something. It has also been lovely hearing about their way of life and culture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: #1c1e29;">Overall, my experience at CED has been challenging, but I’ve
loved all of it. I’ve learnt a lot in general and also about myself. I hope the
staff at CED has enjoyed having me work in the office with them </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: #1c1e29; font-family: "wingdings";"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: #1c1e29;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Any advice I would give to the next
volunteer would be to do a bit of research into the NGO you are going to be
working for, I wish I had a bit more knowledge before I started. </span>Don’t be afraid to ask for work to do,
sometimes people in the office are so busy with their own work they don’t
always have work for you to complete. If you don’t understand the task, speak up,
or give it your best shot anyway, take your time. Unless stated there is no
real pressure. Everyone is just happy to have your input and help. <span style="color: #0b5394;"><b><i>Enjoy yourself. Learn something from every
day, even if it’s learning something new about yourself.</i></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: #1c1e29;"><b>Nicola Rowe – England.</b></span><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Hanoi and CED

I have been in Hanoi for around 3 weeks now and have been working in the CED office for just over 2 weeks. Hanoi as a city is unreal! I ha...