First, why did I choose to apply for this internship?
In my last year of high school, I had to do a one-week observation internship. I was really interested in NGOs, so I sent many applications to different ones located in Belgium. Mekong Plus NGO, a partner of Thien Chi, accepted me. It was a short experience, but very interesting, and I always thought I needed to learn more.
After that, I finished high school and started university in Economics and Management, but it wasn’t really for me. When I finished my Bachelor’s degree, I applied for a Master’s in Population Sciences and Development.
As part of the Master’s program, I had to do both an internship and a Master’s thesis. Since I was writing my thesis about Ha Giang in the North of Vietnam, I thought it would be a great opportunity to do my internship in Vietnam as well. I contacted Mekong Plus, asking if they had any partnerships with local NGOs, and they recommended me here.
Administrative paperwork
At this point, everybody is happy: I found an internship that looks amazing, I’m going to Vietnam for a few months… but now the fun part starts!
First, check if you need a visa. If you are Belgian, like me, you do. You can apply for it at https://evisa.gov.vn/. Thien Chi is very strict and needs to transfer your visa details to the authorities, so apply in advance and choose a working visa type. The maximum stay is 90 days, so depending on how long you want to do your internship/volunteering, you might need to leave the country (for example to Cambodia, where there is a partner NGO) and then come back. The visa costs $25.
Before coming, it is also important to check your vaccinations and see if you need any additional ones for Vietnam. You can check here: https://www.wanda.be/fr/landen/vietnam/.
Practical information
Now that we have all the documentation, it’s time to book flights! The sooner you buy your ticket, the cheaper it is. Always buy round-trip tickets, even if you want to change your dates later. It will be cheaper to buy flexible round-trip tickets than two separate one-way tickets. I flew with Turkish Airlines, and it was great. I landed in Ho Chi Minh City and then traveled to the NGO’s town.
Regarding accommodation, don’t worry. In my experience, a staff member will greet you when you arrive and show you to a homestay in the city. I’m staying at Bao Tran Homestay: the room is clean, has AC, and the owner is really friendly. I don’t have a kitchen, but honestly, I don’t miss it because it’s so easy and cheap to find food in the street. This place is around 8-9$ a day, so 270$ for a months.
Since I’m staying in the city, a staff member comes to pick me up every morning to go to the office.
In your luggage, don’t forget to bring a raincoat if you are coming during the rainy season, it really does rain a lot! But the raincoat also has another important purpose: protecting your skin from the sun during motorbike rides.
And don’t forget to bring flip-flops! It’s hot and rainy, so flip-flops are the go-to for everything.
For me, the most important thing I brought is my Kindle. Since not many people speak English and there aren’t a lot of foreigners in the area, I had time to read a lot. So, bring something you enjoy doing in your free time.
That’s how I prepared for my internship in Vietnam: from choosing the NGO to handling paperwork, booking flights, and packing essentials.
In the next post, I’ll share what it felt like to finally arrive in Vietnam.
Leticia