Who we are

My name is Tan and me and my wife run the Green Karst Restaurant and Bar in Dong Van, Vietnam. We have only recently opened but already have big plans to try to expand our restaurant into a social enterprise which can help both the local people from the Dong Van area as well as tourists and visitors who come here. 

Our Mission

Our mission is to provide English lessons and tourism training to the people of Dong Van, as well as to people living in villages in the Dong Van area which we hope will give these communities a wider range of life opportunities. Our first project is the Greenkarst English Club which we have just started to set up. 

What we do

Greenkarst English Club provides English lessons for the people of Dong Van, and meets several evenings a week for lessons in our restaurant. Anyone is welcome to drop in to these lessons, where we provide games and activities to help people of all different abilities to improve their English. As our pupils improve their English, we hope to move on to phrases and situations relating to tourism as this is something which many people here are involved in or hope to become more involved in. 

We also hope to teach pupils - especially younger ones - English skills relating to other professions, which will improve their opportunities in larger Vietnamese cities and abroad.

In addition to this, we hope to develop this project even further by visiting nearby villages around Dong Van and providing English lessons for the communities in these areas, who may not have access to English lessons otherwise. We aim to help the people in these communities to learn enough English that they are able to confidently have basic conversations with visitors. Some people in these areas may also be interested in setting up homestays, and having English speaking skills will be a valuable skill in helping to communicate with guests.

Finally, we aim to create a tourist information centre and travel agency in Dong Van, which we will use to help visitors to Dong Van to access these smaller communities, which will help to ensure that the people in these villages and the homestays they hope to build can be successful. We also hope that this will lead to an increased awareness of their way of life, and will help the people in these villages to improve their communication skills and to meet new people.

Who we are looking for

We are looking for English-speaking volunteers who are able to join in with activities and help plan lessons with us. Anyone who has experience with website design or in organising events and lessons would be very welcome, but this is not a must. The most important thing is to be enthusiastic and willing to help! 

What volunteers can expect from us

We think we would make a great organisation for you to volunteer for because this is a project which is very simple and easy to get involved with, but which could have real long-term benefits for a wide number of people. We are very easygoing and relaxed hosts, and will make you feel at home and like part of the community here. Dong Van is a small, close-knit town, and you will feel very safe here. It is situated in a beautiful area and there are many hikes and motorbike journeys which you can take to view the hills and mountains, as well as a wonderful market every Sunday!