I first went to Viet Nam for two weeks during a 6-month backpacking trip post University. In those 2 weeks I fell in love with the place and decided that at some point I would try and live and work out there. At the time I was only a couple of months into my travels and thought maybe when I was home the idea would leave me. However on coming back to England and half-heartedly looking for a job I knew that the desire to go back to Viet Nam was too strong to ignore so I started looking for jobs out there. I eventually found one teaching English in a city called Ha Tinh..................................

PLEASE DO COME TO ALISON'S TALK ON 16TH DECEMBER at the beautifully refurbished St Andrew's church, North Baddesley > click here for a map - there is a car park - ALL WELCOME

CHRISTMAS 2008 Alison Wright from St Andrew's 'with us' but teaching in Vietnam

I came to Vietnam last year for 2weeks as part of a post uni round the world trip, I totally fell in love with the place. The people here are amazing, in so many areas they have nothing but are still happy and friendly and smile away.

So I decided I had to come back and spend a bit more time here.

I found a job on the internet teaching English in a little place called Ha Tinh City. I came out at the end of June and to start with I was just teaching a few children. After being here a few weeks I was offered the opportunity to help set up a language centre and by the end of August we'd opened Ha Tinh's first language centre.

It's gradually gaining in popularity, at the end of September a friend of mine from University came out to join me for a year and now with two of us buzzing round the city more and more people are coming which is great. We mainly teach adults as the children have really long school hours but I think over the summer break we will get more children again.
 

Ha Tinh City is in Ha Tinh Province which is one of the poorest provinces in Vietnam, there are a lot of farms and not many businesses so there is a lot of poverty. Ha Tinh is only a small city and it is surrounded by really really poor villages, most of the people live right on the poverty line, we had some bad floods here during the rainy season and 15,000 people were displaced. Unfortunately this is one of the few remaining closed provinces in Vietnam which means it is very difficult for foreign aid organisations to establish themselves and help.

It's a great place though for us to live though, it's well off the tourist trail, as far we know there are 4 foreigners in Ha Tinh at the moment, a Japanese, a German and us two, so we're getting to experience true Vietnam. We're living with a family out here who are lovely and it helps us get a more real feel of Vietnamese life. It's a truelly fantastic experience being out here, my intial contract is for a year, I have to go back to England in April for my brother's wedding but as long as I can get my visa renewed I'll come back out here for a second year. Even if I can't get back I hope to keep supporting the centre and develop a link between it and England and keep regular foreign staff out there (again if visas allow!!)
I've attached a few photos of the school, some students and the surrounding area.

Hope you found that interesting, if you have any questions just drop me an email!

Ally

Privacy policy | Disclaimer |  3 Rivers Pastoral Area, Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth: Registered Charity No. 246871 - all rights reserved
Contact Web Master | Contact 3 Rivers Parish Administrator | Contact St Joseph's & St Andrew's Parish Administrator