9 Years of Teaching, 37 Years Old, One Daughter — Algeria to Vietnam

Why She Left

Yamina had been teaching since 2015. Nine years of teenagers, age 11 to 22, in different cities across Algeria. Before that, two years as a journalist writing in French. She knew how to work. She knew how to teach. She knew how to survive.

But surviving wasn't enough anymore. The working conditions in Algeria weren't changing. The education system wasn't improving. She was tired of the routine — doing the same thing year after year while hoping something would be different.

She tried to get to France first. Applied for a student visa to continue her studies. Rejected. Three times.

She found UP2U on Instagram. Scrolled through the posts. Watched Julia's videos. Saw teachers from all over the world getting hired in Vietnam. And thought: if they can do it, and I have 9 years more experience than most of them, why can't I?

Her husband said: do whatever makes you happy. Her parents were another story.

The Hardest Beginning

She landed in Ho Chi Minh City in September 2024. It was hot — crushing, brain-melting hot. Her daughter was overwhelmed. The traffic, the noise, the food — everything was wrong at once.

Her daughter got sick within the first week. Lung infection from getting soaked in Saigon's monsoon rain while they were searching for accommodation. Yamina was terrified.

Her first employer — a kindergarten — gave her five days. Five days while her daughter was in the hospital and she couldn't focus. They let her go.

The second employer had communication problems. Promises that shifted. Expectations that changed without warning. Vietnamese management culture that she wasn't ready for. That ended too.

The UP2U team told her: we're not leaving you. We'll find another place. And Aria — the team member handling her case — stayed by her side through all of it. Meetings with the school administration. Communication between Yamina and the Vietnamese staff. Boundaries. Support.

The Place That Changed Everything

Yamina's third employer is in Long Thanh, Dong Nai — a smaller town about an hour from Ho Chi Minh City. And everything changed.

The people were kinder. The landlord's family treated her like their own — her daughter plays at their house every day. The kids at school love her. The staff respects her. The air is clean. The pace is slow.

She teaches all ages — from 2-year-olds to 14-year-olds. She's the only foreign teacher in the kindergarten. She hosts events on Saturdays. She teaches evening classes. She works hard — but she chose this. And when she walks home at night in a quiet Vietnamese town where everyone knows her by name, she feels safe.

Her Daughter Is Thriving

The same daughter who couldn't eat Vietnamese food, who was sick in the hospital, who cried every day — she now has friends, an admirer in her class, and corrects her mother's Vietnamese pronunciation.

Her daughter is learning Vietnamese, English, and Chinese at school. She already speaks Arabic and French from Algeria. Five languages before the age of four.

What She Learned

Yamina has specific advice for anyone thinking about Vietnam — especially women, especially from North Africa, especially those with kids:

Small cities are better for families. Ho Chi Minh City was too much. The noise, the heat, the pace. If you're coming with a child, aim for a smaller town from the start.

Put everything in writing. Whatever you agree with your employer — summarize it in chat or email. Say: "As we discussed..." and make sure they confirm. Vietnamese employers can change their minds quickly. Protect yourself with a paper trail.

Be flexible, but set boundaries. Vietnamese culture is different. They communicate differently. They change plans without warning. Don't take it personally — but also don't let them push you around. Find the balance.

The beginning is always the hardest. It was hard for her, and she had 9 years of experience. It will be hard for you too. That doesn't mean it's wrong. Give it time.