A group of more than 30 students from the U.S. are visiting Vietnam to build houses for disadvantaged families in the central province of Quang Ngai.

Divided into two groups, the students are helping to construct five houses in Pho Thanh and Pho Chau Communes.

They said they were encouraged to visit Vietnam after American veteran Frederic Whitehurst visited their schools and spoke of the famous war book Dang Thuy Tram's Diary, which included written entries by Vietnamese doctor Tram during the U.S. war in Vietnam.

The students prepared for the trip over the last six months by communicating through an online forum organized by National Geographic Student Expeditions.

“The trip of a lifetime”

Seventeen-year-old Olivia Salama of Colorado is one of the most enthusiastic members of the trip.

She found information about Vietnam and delivered it to others in the group.

The students raised around VND300 million (US$14,285) for the trip, most of which came from working part-time jobs.

“I know your country has still had difficulties. Vietnamese people have been through many wars to protect their country but they love peace,” 16-year-old Jon Haines of Florida said.

“The most interesting part is constructing the soil floor of the house by hand. In the U.S. we have machines to do this. My hands are about to fall off my arms,” participant Andy Melo joked with a smile on his dusty face.

The group shared that they are happy to be so warmly received by the local people. The trip has offered them uniquely Vietnamese experiences, from learning how to speak Vietnamese to riding a motorbike.

After a few days of staying with locals, some of them can speak a little Vietnamese and some can even sing traditional Vietnamese songs.

“Even in my mother tongue, I cannot remember any song that fast,” said Aliba Nach who can sing the Vietnamese children’s song “Mot Con Vit” (A Duck).

Local cuisine is also an interesting thing for the students to discover; the most popular dish among them is banh xeo (Vietnamese pancake). Some of them even tried to make their own banh xeo.

“I can’t believe that I’ve just made a banh xeo,” Olivia, 17, said excitedly.

The group said they will try to finish constructing the five houses before they come back to the U.S. and before the new academic year starts.

“We can send our money to help, but constructing the houses ourselves helps us understand how hard it is to build a house here. It’s the trip of a lifetime,” Maya Higgins, the leader of the group, shared.

“My house will be the most special house in the area because it is constructed by the ‘American bricklayers.’ I have never been so happy,” Si, a member of one of the five families who will be granted the houses, said, smiling.

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