Devangi Nishar is a bright young professional from India. She moved to the United States at an early age, graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. degree in Applied Economics and Management, and spent a year working at a leading consulting company in Manhattan before moving back to her native Mumbai, where she is currently running and expanding a luxury retail chain. Recently, she spent two weeks volunteering in the “teaching English” Volunteer Abroad in Hanoi with her friends Priyanka Bhansali and Chintan Amin. It was her first time in Vietnam but Devangi has volunteered extensively since she was 13, serving during her summer vacations in education projects in the slums of Mumbai. “I learned so much in Vietnam. I learned more there than in my previous 10 years of volunteering in India and the United States”, says Devangi. Here is her interview.
 
What motivated you to seek a volunteer opportunity in Hanoi?
I have taught as a volunteer in India and the United States and I wanted a new opportunity in a different country. Vietnam is a rapidly changing country where English is increasingly important, so the volunteer placement makes a lot of sense. This is exactly what I wanted. I went to Hanoi to apply my teaching experience in a valuable project but also to gain new insights about education that I can use in the future.
 
What was most frustrating or challenging to you during your volunteering placement?
At the beginning we did not have a clear schedule. We sat down with the head of the English department to sort things out but initially it was frustrating because some professors did not know how to use our skills. However my friends and I were very proactive in getting our teaching schedule organized. We talked to everyone and it worked out well. We ended up teaching eight hours a day, and sometimes we also participated in after-school workshops. We worked a lot, which was great because we were there for only two weeks.
 
There were about 50 students per class - it was challenging to keep them all engaged. Initially, they didn't know what to make of us. I played a lot of icebreakers and teaching games to overcome the language barrier and connect with them. They began welcoming us once they saw that we wanted to help them, and heard from their friends that our classes were fun and engaging. The more we stayed there, the more the students opened up to us.
 
The daily schedule was challenging. You wake up very early and travel a long distance to the school through the crazy traffic of Hanoi, and when you get back home the living conditions are basic. You get used to it, though, and having other volunteers around all the time made it all so much easier.
 
From what you observed during your experience, what were the three most important characteristics of a successful international volunteer?
First, you have to be open-minded. Education in Vietnam is quite different from what I had experienced before. It’s likely you’ll come across cultural things you’re not familiar with. Instead of being reactive I think it is important to be reflective. Don’t start judging while you’re there. Vietnam has a different concept of personal space, for example. You have to smile, guess their intentions and adapt.
 
Second, creativity and a capacity to think on your feet are important things for a volunteer teaching English. When teaching, you have to adapt to the atmosphere of the class and respond to the needs of the students on the spot. I remember we organized a workshop and it was not working as we expected, so I improvised a new game and it worked very well.
 
Third, you have to be patient. In Hanoi we got cheated so many times. Every time you take a taxi you have to be careful. You have to be aware of your surroundings.
  
What kind of impact did you have on the community?
I think we had a big impact on the school, even though we were there for only two weeks. Once we figured out the learning gaps we came up with workshop designed to meet the needs of the students. We created three kinds of workshops: public speaking, brainstorming and pronunciation. The teachers also attended our workshops to learn from us, and they gave us advice about some students. They were very happy with us and invited us to participate in the after-school classes as well.
 
How did the people in your host community perceive the role of international volunteers like you?
There was a mix of excitement and confusion at school and outside, because volunteering is a relatively novel concept in Vietnam. At school, the teachers and students didn't know what to do with us initially. We had to work with teachers to create a schedule, brainstorm ideas for classes, and as we taught more, overall excitement around our presence increased because they saw our contribution. They were warm and supportive, and went out of their way to make our time at the school special.
 
What did you learn about yourself during your experience?
I learned so much in Hanoi. When teaching, I improved my capacity to think on my feet and to start from scratch when things were not working. I also learned a lot about meeting new people from different cultures. I learned there is a universal language because I could connect with other people who were so different from me. Everyone I met in Hanoi taught me something. I also learned the value of exchanging ideas and working in teams with other volunteers and locals.
 
Click on the pictures above to enlarge them. Photos courtesy of Devangi Nishar.

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