Back From a Long Lockdown

Written by: Nick Cabrejos

Being back on the pitch with the kids after a long lockdown was a refreshing feeling. After months of being stuck at home and teaching online, I was finally able to spend time and exchange energy with students and colleagues. Things that we used to take for granted in the past now feel like a luxury, and I am promising myself not to be so jaded anymore. Most importantly, the kids had a great time. I saw kids of many different ages, even a toddler, having a great time doing what kids should be doing: playing. And us, the adults doing our best to guide them along the way. 

Volunteer Nick Cabrejos at the UPP Global Halloween Party

Right now, some of these kids don’t have the opportunity to even attend public school, so they have a lot of catching up to do academically. It is also common for these children to have to work for their families’ small businesses. These kids are busy doing things that most of us volunteers most likely did not have to do during our childhood. Personally, as a kid in Northern Virginia, USA I went to a good public school for free, played video games on my Playstations and Gameboys, and was able to do the silly random things that kids do. I didn’t have to work at a small convenience store, and I didn’t have to grow up seeing how other kids learned how to read and write while I fell behind. We are here to help these kids catch up on their playtime, and we also have plans to assist them academically. You never know, we could be empowering the future Einsteins or Edisons of the future. 

I have to return to Virginia in December, but if anyone in Saigon is interested in joining the UPP team and the kids, then they should consider making that happen. You don’t even have to be good at sports, just you being there with your good vibe is all we need. If you are currently outside of Vietnam and you want to help, I also recommend contacting the UPP team to see how we can work together.