Dream Volunteers| Vietnam Service Trip

Its unique geographic shape (resembling a rising Asian dragon), breathtaking natural beauty, deep-rooted traditions, and resilient people make Vietnam a fascinating country to explore. Descendants of the Mongols from China and migrants from Indonesia, the Vietnamese were ruled by foreign imperialists for hundreds of years before finally achieving unified independence under a Communist regime in the 1970s, and the culture reflects a unique blend of the Chinese, Japanese, French, and American colonial influences. Traditional Vietnamese culture focuses heavily on family and community and celebrates a long artistic heritage including water puppetry, calligraphy, and innovative cuisine, as well as music, dance, and architecture.
Years of isolation and inefficiency led to substantial economic reforms in the late 1980s that have gone a long way to accelerating the growth of the economy and improved the general standards of education, healthcare, and living. However, Vietnam has a long way to go before it catches up with many of its neighbors in Southeast Asia. Though Vietnam is now considered a “middle-income country” about 70% of the population still lives in remote, rural areas with little public infrastructure. Our service work in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, is a fantastic introduction to all of the ethnic, cultural, and economic diversity of this geographic wonder that is Vietnam. It is an international tourist destination with a modern look and feel. What the community we support lacks in resources they make up for with ambition. The Vietnamese people are eager to share their culture with you and learn about yours.