Scholarship/Orphanage Day 4 (7/22) || Sophie Kim
- UCSD Volunteer
- Oct 12
- 2 min read
Today was the last day of Scholarship/Orphanage! We boarded the bus and headed 2 hours towards the middle school Binh Hoa Nam. After speeches from our fellow 16G officers Mason and Michelle, we each lined up in groups of 6 and handed the students a MEMO backpack with a scholarship and school supplies. Afterwards, we got the chance to play with the kids. The kids were shy at first, but we got to carry them on our backs, give them hugs, and converse with them and their parents. We got to learn about their hobbies, their favorite subjects, and their everyday lives. One of the girls we met was raised by her father alone, but every morning he would wake up early to tie her hair into colorful bands and playful hairstyles, making sure she felt ready to take on her day at school. We spent around an hour laughing and playing with the kids until it was time for them to head home. They got onto the back of motorbikes with their parents and waved to us goodbye.
Overall, playing with the kids at Binh Hoa Nam was very heartwarming, but bittersweet since it was our last day of this segment. It was emotional, eye-opening, and fun playing with these children for the past 4 days, and the Scholarship/Orphanage segment of the trip will have a special place in my heart. I will forever cherish moments with these bright children, and I hope to see them again soon.
With the blink of an eye, we were done with Scholarship/Orphanage and headed back to Ho Chi Minh to begin our last chapter of the mission trip, clinic!
Our day came to an end with the Welcome Celebration and Karaoke! Plus, another lovely performance from the UCI dance team :) It was great to see the entire group, including our collaborators, come together before departing to Trà Vinh. I’m excited to finish off the mission trip strong <3
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