Teach For Change – Vietnam

Yes. I’m taking a gap year. Yes. It’s in South-east Asia. Yes. I’m probably going to find myself. No! I don’t care about stereotypes.

This section of my blog will deal with any writing from excursions that take me out of the stuffy little bubble I live in. A large part of these writings, I am sure, will come from my experiences in Vietnam.

Teach for Change Vietnam is a social enterprise which aims to elevate the status of women as well as the general education standards in Vietnam. In a developing country such as Vietnam, there is still much gender inequality, and women struggle to find opportunities for employment in steady well-paying jobs. Teach for Change is run and organised by Coins for Change, who were founded with the aim to help decrease how disadvantaged women are in Vietnamese society. It is an organisation run “by women for women”, and seeks to help the many single mothers sufferers of domestic abuse, create a more pivotal role for women in the workplace including supporting women entrepreneurs, and finally to bring a better standard of education to those who can barely afford it.

As Nelson Mandela said: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Teach for Change recognise that in a rapidly changing world, the ability for the inhabitants of developing countries to speak or at least understand some English is an incredibly important tool. English language proficiency has increased importance in countries such as Vietnam, and being able to speak good English will often lead to better paid jobs. This is one way in which Teach for Change seek to better the prospects of disenfranchised women and children.

Another key focus of Teach for Change is that it is largely dependent upon volunteers and benefactors. This is the way in which I personally wish to help the cause, whilst also gaining invaluable experience for myself. The key role of volunteers is what allows Teach for Change to address the education of the poor in Vietnam, as often it can be very expensive to learn English.

Through the efforts of Teach for Change, education in the English language is becoming more available to poor children and families throughout Vietnam. This can make the difference in setting the children of Vietnam on the right path for the future.

All I have provided here is a brief explanation of the role of Teach for Change. However, I am far from an expert, and would recommend the perusal of the Coins for Change website here for more information.

The importance of this organisation for me personally, is that I will be volunteering with them for six months between 2019-2020 as part of my gap year. As of yet, I have little preconceptions, but as my plan begins to take a more and more solid shape, so my anticipation and excitement builds.

Til next time,

Stay Hydrated.