Also known as Vietnam Independence Day, the most auspicious celebration in Vietnam is National Day and if you are lucky enough to be in this enchanting country on September 2nd, you will get to experience something special. The streets of Ho Chi Minh City are a blaze of red and yellow as just about every building displays the National Flag of Vietnam, and for the Vietnamese people, this date represents the birth of their country and marks the end of a century of French rule. This year, National Day falls on a Sunday, which means the next day is a national holiday, making for a long weekend. Life can be hard for the poor people in Vietnam and National Day is a time for having fun and celebrating their independence and should you be in the country during this time, you will see many colorful street processions and enjoy the happy atmosphere.
It was on this day, in 1945, that Ho Chi Minh stood at a podium and to the world he declared independence from the French. After many years of colonial control, this bold move was perfectly timed at the end of the Second World War, when the French were too busy to pay much attention to their South East Asian territories and this declaration of independence is the foundation stone of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and is eagerly celebrated as much today as it was back then.
President Ho Chi Minh read the declaration of independence at Ba Dinh Square, a prominent feature in Hanoi and this ended Japanese occupation, who had sought an agreement with France over using the land to help them in their war efforts. National Day sees a procession at Ba Dinh Square, accompanied by an amazing fireworks display and the entire nation takes a day off work to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of their nation. There are many other processions around the country on National Day and wherever you happen to be in Vietnam, you can join in the National Day celebrations.
Vietnam is rightly one of our most popular volunteer destinations and National Day is just one of many colorful events one can experience when spending time in this enchanting land. We have numerous projects running in Vietnam that are designed to help underprivileged children, which include working in a children’s hospital, where you can brighten up the sick children’s lives by engaging in activities like singing and storytelling. They will especially love National Day and you can join with them in the celebrations and make it a really special day to remember.
If you are a native English speaker, why not pass on some of your language skills to underprivileged Vietnamese children? Even if you have no previous teaching experience, you can engage kids of all ages in a range of activities and if you are confident enough to give it a try, we have all the resources you need. If you would rather assist a local teacher, you can gain some valuable experience as a teaching assistant and work with children of all ages. Our teaching English volunteer project is very popular as it gives you the chance to make a positive difference in Vietnamese children’s lives by helping them to gain valuable English language practice – something that will help them when they reach working age. As National Day approaches, you can help the children prepare for the festivities and even base an entire lesson on National Day and what it means in English and perhaps even find some basic songs they can sing. It is important for the children to know their history and by combining history and English, you can help the children to better understand their cultural heritage.
Back in the Vietnam War, the US forces were frustrated at not being able to find their enemy and they used Agent Orange as a defoliant, which has left a terrible legacy. It is estimated that in just under a decade, more than 40 million liters of the harmful chemical were dropped on jungle foliage and the after effects were, and still are, horrendous. The home for victims of Agent Orange was founded 15 years ago and cares for war veterans and children who are suffering the after effects of being exposed to Agent Orange. The village has grown since then, with currently 11 homes where the children and adults live and the volunteer’s role would include helping children at meal times, tending the village market garden – which supplies most of the vegetables consumed – and organizing activities for disabled children. Of course, National Day would be celebrated and you can pool your ideas with the other volunteers to create National Day activities, which would involve making paper flags and coloring them red and yellow. Any festival is an opportunity to give these unfortunate people some happiness and perhaps you could accompany the children to watch the street processions.
If you would like to contribute as a volunteer for victims of Agent Orange, we can always use the extra help and while this project requires a minimum period of 4 weeks, the rewarding experience is something you will never forget.
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