Newsletters
Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City
The bustling, sprawling city in the south of Vietnam and gateway to the Mekong Delta is an accurate mimicry of Vietnam's rapid development and growth. Numerous skyscrapers and chaging the face of the city, luxury boutiques line the shopping streets in Dong Khoi and locals fly past on the latest motorcycles.
Despite all the development, poverty is still apparent in many parts of the city, especially in places rarely visited by travellers and foreign residents. The organisations featured in this page are working to help street and at risk children, provide employment opportunities for disadvantaged women and conserve Vietnam's amazing biodiversity.
Huong Lai
Opened in 2001, Huong Lai is a private, self-funded restaurant that employs former street children and disadvantaged youth in Ho Chi Minh City and provides them with vocational training so they can build a better future.
Wildlife At Risk (WAR)
WAR is dedicated to protecting the biodiversity of Vietnam by combating the illegal wildlife trade, raising environmental awareness and promoting the conservation of endangered species and their habitats. Travellers can visit the first and only multi-species rescue centre in the south of Vietnam, near the Cu Chi tunnels.
East Meets West
The mission of the East Meets West (EMW) Foundation is to transform the health, education, and communities of disadvantaged people in Southeast Asia by building partnerships, developing opportunities, and creating sustainable solutions.