• Vietnam Discovery - Community Service Project Vietnam - Student Tours

THE HOUSE FOR POOR NHI

HAVE YOU LEARNT ?

The poverty headcount in Vietnam fell from nearly 60 percent to 20.7 percent in the past 20 years; but imagine that 20.7% of Vietnamese still live with

USD 1 per person per day.

WORLDBANK 2013

GENERAL INFORMATION

The project is to fix roofs that have been damaged by hard rains, to fix the walls to make the house completely proof from raining water, and to make the ground to help to avoid the flood. There may be additional projects as well in case we have complete the task earlier than planned. In general, this is to bring a new house for Nhi who is not affordable to make it. This project happens in a small community in the Mekong Delta near Can Tho City. This community is named Vinh Long. We will work on the project in the mornings (8-11am) break for lunch, and restart on the project again in the afternoon(1:30-5pm).

Helping with the repairs on a local family’s house is really necessary, as the family couldn’t afford to do it themselves.  Without our collaboration they would probably spend the next few rainy seasons with a lot of rainwater leaking in through their ceiling and flood in their dusty ground.  Additionally this project will be a wonderful chance to connect with our service community as we will get a real taste of the family ambiance and have the chance to work side by side with locals.

This is a lady who lives with her daughter and grand-daughter. She is a farmer with a small piece of rice farm and another small piece of garden to plan bind-weed. She has 2 more sons but one is very far away and the other is next door but extremely poor. Their house is so old that it can’t resist water at this wet season. . Actually she has a preparation by saving money for a long while and bought 6 pillars for a new house. However, she has had a fall from her bed at midnight two month ago and now haft of her body can’t move

Her food supply is now thanks to the little support from the poor son. The daughter is inborn crazy and have a child without father ‘s name

Then these three people will get wet from the roof since May and from high tide since Oct if we do not arrive this community

Some of the tasks that we will do in order to repair the thatched roof include:

  • Disassemble the old house and save the good beam for the projects.
  • Dig the holes to make bases for the house. Settle rocks there to make it strong.
  • Erect pillars.
  • Assemble beams to new frame.
  • Hand roofing materials up to family members on the roof to settle metal roof on the beams.
  • Build low brick wall at house ground.
  • Carry sand from boat to the ground and make it strong and stable.
  • Tie leaf plates to make wall of the house.
  • Make doors also by leaf.
  • Put brick on ground to make it beautiful flat ground.
  • Resettle kitchen.

community service project

Everyone from the family will participate in the project. The uncles and two sons and other relatives will contribute the most physical labor and be up on the roof, as well as instruct us to do the project

Living the daily life of Mekong Delta in a homestay place means you enjoy the fresh air of rural area, the working atmosphere  among students who love to have friendly conversation with you, feeling the hospitality of Mekong host, and feeling the warmth of any people around the village. Furthermore, you can even enjoy some of the following activities we often include in the program:

  • Enjoy folk music in Mekong Delta (which has been acknowledged as immaterial world heritage by UNESCO).
  • Boat trip in Mekong Delta.
  • Biking along the villages.
  • Visit a floating market.
  • Catching fire-flight at night.
  • Cooking class at the local house.
  • Visit many houses of the neighbours.
  • And others with surprise.

For further detail of itinerary, logistics solution, activites, and the like, please contact us.

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