Entries by Serve

Expectations of Vietnam

July 29, 2019 in /by

By Friedrich Hanrath Before I came to Vietnam, I expected it to be a poor and inefficient country shaped by agriculture and some tourism. The only time I really heard of the country was in school, when we were covering the Vietnam War. I knew it was a Socialist ruled country. Despite social and economic […]

Love, Unity and Kindness

July 29, 2019 in /by

By Eilis O’ Sullivan Badjao! While this name carries negative connotations for many people of the Cebu province of the Philippines, I can confirm that having spent a month with this indigenous tribe the Badjao represents love, unity and kindness. My journey from Ireland to the Central Visayas region of the Pacific on a volunteering […]

Music and Nursery Rhymes with the Badjao Tribe

July 26, 2019 in /by

By Maria O’Brien I chose to volunteer with SERVE after recommendations from colleagues who had previously worked with the Badjao tribe and had a very positive experience. They are both music teachers like myself so I felt I may have some skills I could contribute, having worked as an educator in music for over 30 […]

APD: Week One

July 26, 2019 /1 Comment/in /by

By Michelle, Zara and Sile As we made our way to APD on Monday morning our minds were filled with thoughts and expectations for the day ahead. Smiling faces met us as we entered the gates and warm greetings set the tone for the week ahead. We had a trust placed in us which we […]

Resourcefulness of the Badjao Community with Food and Water.

July 26, 2019 in /by

By Ciara O’Keefe When I think back about my first day at the Badjao, I think of happiness. Purely for the fact that these people must be the happiest people I have ever met despite their circumstances. The kids ran around happy with a plastic bag full of water with a small hole where they […]

There is always more to be done: Young Africa Beira

July 26, 2019 in /by

By Rory Murphy On March 4th 2019, Mozambique’s port city of Beira was 90% destroyed by one of the most devastating natural disasters in living memory. Cyclone Idai affected millions, claimed the homes of many and the lives of more than a thousand. Weeks later, Cyclone Kenneth put an end to the initial relief effort […]

Education in Mozambique

July 26, 2019 in /by

By Teresa Quain Education. Everything stems from it really. Most people’s first clear memory is the day they started school. Long after we’ve done our time in the national school system we continue to joke about the tricks we played on unsuspecting teachers who were patiently trying to pass on their knowledge.The friends and contacts […]

Morning Star Week 1

July 26, 2019 in /by

By Amy Considine and Aisling Moran The first week has opened our eyes to life in an Indian care home and challenged many of the stereotypes we had coming. The boy’s kindness, selflessness, and generosity to us and each other is eye opening. It is easy for us in the ‘Western’ part of the world to […]

Equality in Education in Vietnam

July 19, 2019 in /by

By Olivia Parkinson Having spent the last two weeks in the province of Hai Duong, it has been interesting to observe equality within the community. Education is not free in Vietnam. However it is highly valued and as a result parents work extremely hard to ensure they can earn enough money to send their children […]