Sustainable Vietnam

It was cool to see the specifics of one project (industrial park design) while still experiencing other parts of the work. Coworkers are very responsive and supportive, and can always answer my questions.
ABROADER’s program in HCMC was so well-organized and run. From the internship placement to housing, to just getting around HCMC there was constant support from ABROADER and the local buddy team. The real gem of this program is the local buddy team – they are so welcoming, enthusiastic, and caring. I am very thankful to them for spending time with me and becoming very good friends. It was so cool to learn more about Vietnamese culture on the city tour and by spending time with them. In addition to helping me sort through issues like SIM cards and rideshare apps, the local buddy team became good friends that I want to meet again soon. I highly recommend interning in Vietnam through ABROADER’s program!

Thank you so much for all your hard work. Moon’s support and the kindness of the local buddies were amazing! My host has been very welcoming and let us work on projects that we can accomplish with ample time.

The people at ABROADER helped me transition into moving to Hanoi and beginning my internship. They helped me find a homestay at this place called Bui Xuyen Viet Travel Coffee, which is a small coffee shop that is all about travel. I really love my homestay. The people are some of the kindest I have met in Vietnam and extremely helpful in helping me navigate through the city and experience a local perspective of life in Hanoi. As for my internship, the staff has been very supportive and encouraging. They have helped challenge me and encourage me at the same time to contribute in any way I can to the company. After only a few days there, I could tell that I would really like my co-workers. They are a young, energetic, and sarcastic bunch who truly care about the company. It definitely feels like a team at the office. I know that I can talk to them about any questions I may have, and they are patient in letting me learn along the way. The experience that I have so far at ABROADER has been helpful in getting a better idea of what I want to pursue after I go back home to the U.S., and my experiences overall in Vietnam were very much made possible by ABROADER are experiences that are invaluable and that I will cherish for a lifetime. Vietnam is a beautiful country, with its breathtaking nature and tropical beaches, there is no doubt about it. But what really makes Vietnam feel like home and a place that I have become fond of is the people and the friends that I have made along the journey.

With the services provided by ABROADER, I felt it was really helpful how they picked me up from the airport and took me to get my accommodations and phone figured out. It would’ve been extremely difficult to try and figure that entire process out on my own. I don’t think there is anything that ABROADER could’ve done better. They gave me all the support I need to get through my Social Work Internship in Vietnam. My Internship in Vietnam was with the Center for Studies and Applied Sciences in Gender – Family – Women and Adolescent (CSAGA), a non-governmental, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the rights of women and children who are vulnerable to violence and discrimination in Vietnam. It was pretty unclear at the beginning what was expected of me, however, I gradually figured out what was needed as the days went on. It was no problem at all. My supervisor was very sweet and so nice to me. She always asked me what I was doing on the weekends, and in my free time, and has offered me advice on different things about Vietnam. I felt that I was given everything I needed to perform my job here at CSAGA. My work seemed to be important to the agency since I did a lot of research for important proposals CSAGA was writing. The host organization had been very helpful and accommodating to anything I needed while here. They always asked if everything was going ok and if there was anything I needed to help make my time here more successful. I don’t think there was anything they could’ve done better.

The team working at ABROADER is beyond special. Each person was welcoming, friendly, and not at all judgmental when we spoke about our struggles and accomplishments. Julie was one of the most caring and supportive managers I have ever met. In addition, buddies like Lemon, Thu, and Kazue, made the experience oh-so-cherishing.
I think there could have been more activities for the interns/casual meet-ups. While the people within ABROADER make the program such a special place, I do wish there had been more opportunities and support to meet other Vietnamese students our age and various activities. At the beginning of the program, it felt as though we were on our own trying to figure out how to live here and I was unsure how to meet more people, especially those my age. I think it would be better if there could be a way to keep student interns busier and a larger sense of community that they would often interact with. In addition, giving students the opportunity to meet with their internship companies before the program would have been incredibly valuable. We were thrown into the company without much information and it took a long time for us to gain the resources and documents to fully understand the company and its mission. I think meeting beforehand would have given us a more productive start so we knew our roles and how to most effectively help the center.

The experience taught me much about flexibility, creative thinking, and collaboration within a nonprofit setting. That being said, I had gone in with the expectation that I would be gaining more exposure to the entrepreneurial/nonprofit world. The responsibilities assigned to us felt more that of an English teacher and activity planner. I very much loved working with the students and creating connections with them at the center, however, I do wish I had gained more exposure within an operation/marketing nonprofit side. It didn’t feel like there was much training. I understand the busyness of the staff at the center, but it was quite difficult to set up meetings or ask questions about our work. They were always supportive, compromised with us often, gave us lots of creative freedom within our lesson plans, and welcomed us into their team (through the yen bai trip, lunches with the team, etc.).

Thank you all so much for your kindness and welcoming spirits. Lemon and Thu, you will always be my first memory here in Vietnam. From the first time we came to meet you all and make spring rolls in the office, you all had this wonderful energy and allowed us to be ourselves unapologetically. You are all such interesting and different people, but I think what binds you is your kindness. I never realized how important being friendly to others and the impact that has is until meeting you all. I am beyond thankful for your help and the hard work you put into all of the activities for us. I will never forget any of you 🙂

At work, I am satisfied with the majority of it. I had more specific work in the first month after which I feel like the work I am doing has become less clear. Everyone is extremely nice and they have offered a good amount of support for extenuating circumstances. They have done a good job of being available and supporting the experience as a whole outside and inside work. They are understanding and have made me feel very welcome within the workplace.

At a personal level, it often feels like they sometimes get quite anxious and worried and as someone who has never even been to an Asian country and I don’t speak the language it is all very chill and I am very willing to chill and go with the flow. I am not worried and the vast majority of the time the interns are not going to be picky. I definitely really want to thank the local buddies for being so sweet and kind as well as for putting so much care and attention into each event.

I was very satisfied with the amount of support from the staff and local buddies when I first arrived in Vietnam, as well as when I had any questions about where to find certain food or stores, or ask for tips/suggestions. It definitely helped me get settled in and feel comfortable upon first coming to a foreign country. Thank you so much for all your support and the time you have dedicated to organizing events for us interns! I’ve enjoyed getting to know many of you, and I appreciate how welcoming and friendly you all were from the start. You’ve made this internship abroad experience a lot more fun. Let’s keep in touch!

I am very satisfied with the responsibilities and rules. As I am working at a startup, there is a lot of flexibility and freedom, and the rules aren’t super strict or meaningless. I’m given a good amount of work where I feel like I’m actually learning/making an impact. I am very satisfied with the support from my host placement. I’ve received a lot of training and learned a lot about AI through my job, and I can see how my work will be used by the company. My coworkers are all friendly and welcoming and have tried to include me in activities such as lunch, foosball, and snack time since day one. My team (AI team) especially has treated me very well and has made an effort to get to know me and spend time with me outside of work. Communication with the team and my supervisor has been great.
The host company has made me feel very comfortable and excited to go to work everyday. They are very understanding about taking time off and flexible with the work schedule, but I also have project responsibilities and expectations that I work hard to meet (so it’s a good balance). They also have done a great job of making me feel like part of the company through activities such as the company trip or eating street food after work.