Such a lovely story from Mary on her trip to Vietnam, “In this shared earth we live in, we must remind ourselves that sharing is caring”, read the rest ^_^Thanks Mary! [NJT Toronto]
“As part of my practicum as a pre-service teacher, I decided to go abroad to Vietnam to hopefully create a significant positive impact for the at-risk youth in Ho Chi Minh City. I happened to have space for an extra luggage, so I thought, “Why not check out this Not Just Tourists thing I’ve been seeing everywhere? How hard can it be? And what’s the worst that can happen?” From there, my friend and I traveled to Vietnam, and I couldn’t be happier with my decision to go forward with the delivery.
Through asking around for hospitals in need, I was recommended to Thu Duc District Hospital (https://benhvienthuduc.vn/) and when we arrived, the busy seating areas, the line-ups, the chaos that ensued within its walls validated my choice. This was a high-traffic hospital, serving a huge community that depended on it.
I had the opportunity to meet with Chau who works in administration for the hospital, who connected me with a doctor whom she knew would help the items we delivered go a long way. He couldn’t be more excited to open the suitcase! Once opened, he genuinely impressed with the load we brought, along with the quality of the items and its attention to safe and sterile packaging. To me, that comment alone speaks volume regarding the needs there, leaving me heavy with mixed emotions of pain and relief.
Back at home, I’m finally getting the chance to sit down with reliable internet to share my humbling experience. In this shared earth we live in, we must remind ourselves that sharing is caring. And it feels awesome! Through wonderful organizations like Not Just Tourists, you can easily become connected to reliable, donated supplies, neatly packaged in the luggage size of your convenience, that you simply need to drop off at any trust-worthy hospital or clinic. It’s that simple! I’m glad that with any doubts I had, I read the positive testimonies of previous NJTs, and I knew I wanted to feel just as awesome! After all this, I am very happy to have had the opportunity to contribute to the cause as an ambassador, and I would definitely do it again if I could!
You can certainly follow some of my adventures on instagram @maiicraft
Thank you again for making it so easy to help out!
I look forward to seeing you soon!
Cheers!
Mary”
