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Project PhoEverWithYou is a collaboration between NTU’s School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Club (EEE Club) and the Eco Vietnam Group (EVG). As a team of 27 people taking on various roles and responsibilities, students coordinated teaching programmes, prepared logistics, created content, and attended safety training to prepare for the overseas trip. On 30th June 2024, the team embarked on a journey to Vietnam’s Trà Vinh Province, excited to experience life in the village for the next 10 days. For a week, the team rotated among three primary roles: teaching, construction and housekeeping.
At Hoa Tan Secondary School, students return from their holidays to attend classes conducted by our teaching team. Initially, the team struggled to communicate and maintain order as the students were rowdy and had a short attention span. However, with a willing heart and a strong passion to serve, our team, the Vietnam team and the teachers adapted to the students’ different learning needs. The teaching team planned science experiments, allowing the students to have more hands-on fun! Some of the Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) lessons conducted include assembling a robotic car, connecting series-parallel circuits, and learning Algebra. As the days went by, the teaching team and the students shared a remarkable bond.
Each day, the construction team toils under the sun, to build an extension of one of EVG’s community libraries. As most of the students’ parents work in Ho Chi Minh City, a 4-hour journey from Trà Vinh, the students and grandparents remain in the village to reduce the living costs. To help promote intergenerational interactions and impart life skills, vocational training (e.g. preparing and serving food in the food and beverage industry) will be conducted in the community centre. Within the community centre, the library serves as a playground for students to explore their interests, providing quality education, up-to-date knowledge and networking opportunities. Furthermore, it serves as a cultural exchange hub, preserving Trà Vinh’s heritage and traditional values. It is our privilege and honour to be able to contribute to EVG’s project. At the end of each day, all of our team members felt a sense of achievement from learning and assisting in the cement mixing, brick laying and wheelbarrowing, bringing us closer to a library with well-built facilities. On a larger picture, we appreciate that all these efforts help reduce inequality in education.
At the hostel, the housekeeping team assisted in the meal preparation process, ensuring that all members in the various teams were well-fed. During our daily night sharing, the housekeeping team would pass their knowledge to the next team, sharing tips on how to make the dishwashing process more efficient; talk about teamwork! Over the weekends, our team had the opportunity to enter the mud to catch fish in the river. The visit to local households was an eye-opening experience for our team, understanding that seniors of Trà Vinh found happiness in their simple lifestyles. For one of our dinners, our food exchange team prepared local dishes from Singapore to share with the V-team and students from the library. Some of the dishes prepared include Rojak, Nasi Lemak, and Bak Kut Teh (chicken).
To conclude our time in the village, our members conducted a carnival at Hoa Tan Secondary School. We prepared traditional games such as Chapteh and Five Stones. The students were delighted to participate in the cultural exchange. On the same evening, the students enjoyed performances from our team, the EVG volunteers and the V-team.
During the following days, we were welcomed by Vicosap, Grandma Lu, and Van Lang University as part of our learning journeys. At the Vicosap factory, we learnt more about Macapuno, a creamy coconut variant local to Southeast Asia. The team tasted some of the byproducts and enjoyed ice-cold Dừa Sáp dessert in the hot weather.
In Ho Chi Minh City, Ms Huong Lu kindly hosted us at Grandma Lu, a Bánh Mì shop inspired by her grandmother’s recipes with hostel services for temporary stays in the city. Ms Lu shared that not long after starting Grandma Lu, the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, Ms Lu remained resilient, gave out free Bánh Mì-s to the community and made hostel prices more affordable. Her entrepreneurial spirit and kindness earned Grandma Lu its deserved success as she aspires to open more outlets in the city and potentially expand globally. Together with students from Van Lang University, our team engaged in icebreakers and DIY projects. On our last day, our team visited Ho Chi Minh’s famous tunnels of Củ Chi, an immense network of connecting tunnels used by Viet Cong soldiers.
Our team is immensely thankful for this opportunity to experience life in Vietnam, encouraging us to improve our servant leadership and ultimately, become better global citizens.
I would say my OCIP experience was a humbling and enriching one. I was able to push myself both physically and mentally through construction and teaching sessions respectively. The highlight of this trip for me was being able to organise and emcee the cultural exchange segment for the kids. Our cultural performances gave them a glimpse into our Singaporean identity and seeing the adorable smiles on their faces, I’m relieved that they enjoyed it as much as I did. Ryan Bradley Ang Zhi Wei, OIC of Cultural Exchange
About Project HerePhoYou
A special Youth Expedition Project (YEP) project portfolio of the NTU School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Club (EEE Club).
