I write this final post with a bifurcated feeling of fondness and somber. These past two months of volunteering and travelling around the diverse and culturally-rich country of Vietnam has been the most fulfilling experience of my life. But, as I spend my last few days in this country, I cannot help to think that in a week time I will no longer be living in a country I have been able to call home for 2 months. Nonetheless, the memories that I have from this trip will last a lifetime; my intended aims of arriving to this country to leave an impact and to enrich my own epistemic experiences were achieved to the fullest and my expectations were surpassed in many ways.

To me, the UN Sustainable Development Goals act as a bedrock for any country to attain higher levels of equitable and long-lasting development. Going into this volunteering experience, the two goals I wanted to focus more were (1) poverty elimination, and (2) zero hunger. These two goals serve as some of the pillars of sustainable development, and any way in which I could help the local communities of Ho Chi Minh City achieve these would be impactful. The Smile Food Shop thus served as the perfect location to volunteer, focusing on these two SGDs. My time at the Soup Kitchen was incredible. Whilst demanding, it was eye-opening to see the impact that can be created. To see the hundreds of people able to secure a meal each day as a result of the Smile Food Shop was heartwarming and fulfilling. It enabled me to directly see the privilege that I myself certainly took for granted; being able to have the security of having three meals a day. This is a lesson and a memory I will certainly keep with me, and I will frequently remind myself the value and luxury that I and many in the Western world are afforded. 

Some of the highlights throughout my volunteering include several Happy Days (Noodle Days) that we served; these were always the busiest days, serving as many as 900 portions of noodles in a single service period. Furthermore, getting to know the staff at the Smile Food Shop, as well as interacting with some of the local customers, was an incredibly enriching experience. Moreover, getting to volunteer with people I know consider good friends was an incredibly fortunate experience. We all collectively carried each other to push through any issues we faced, and the feeling of team spirit was evident each and every day. 

Last, but certainly not least, I have many people and organisations to thank for this trip. First of all, I would like to say a huge thank you to the Laidlaw Foundation and Durham University for facilitating this experience. The opportunity to immerse oneself in a completely novel cultural environment and workplace has provided me with lifelong lessons that I shall carry with me in both future leadership roles, as well as enhancing ways in which I can further be a global citizen. In particular, I would like to thank Kelci for all of her help throughout the process; from helping to ensure my trip went as smoothly as possible as well as helping with any issues I had, I cannot thank her enough for all her support. Additionally, I would like to thank the Green Lion for further facilitating this experience. In particular, Quyen, the head of the Green Lion in Vietnam, and MJ, my programme coordinator, were both incredible in providing me with assistance throughout my volunteering experience and creating such a friendly and welcoming environment for the whole of my 6 weeks of volunteering. I would finally like to thank all the friends I made along the way. Some of my fellow volunteers have become lifelong friends, and I cannot thank them enough for making this past summer the best and most fulfilling summer of my life.