Volunteering in Vietnam

Enrolment form Vietnam
Enrolment form please CLICK HERE.

The country
Vietnam is a country of stunning landscapes, mountain regions with lush vegetation, valleys marked by slowly flowing rivers, picturesque lakes and more than 3,400 km of wonderful white, sandy beaches and numerous islands.

Vietnam has suffered from wars and foreign rulers more than almost any other country throughout its 4000-year history. It is no surprise that Vietnam is still known for war, mainly in the 20th century: the first Indochina War (1946 to 1954) and the second, also known as the Vietnam War, from 1968 to 1975.

But the small country held out against its stronger opponents and recovered quickly from 30 years of civil war. Today the young Vietnamese society is willing to leave the latest war and its consequences behind. The scars left on both people and nature are nevertheless visible everywhere.

Millions of Vietnamese people suffer from the after-effects of “Agent Orange”: the nickname given to a defoliation agent used by the US Army in its Herbicidal Warfare program during the Vietnam War. Agent Orange is responsible for genetic defects on human beings and continues to cause physical and mental disabilities. There are about 8 million victims of Agent Orange in Vietnam. We must admire the attitude of many Vietnamese towards this dark chapter of their recent history. “What is over is over”, they say!  For more information click

Population
Vietnamese people, also called "Viet" or "Kinh", account for 88 % of the population. Most ethnic minorities live in the highlands covering two-thirds of the territory.
They are the indigenous people of continental Southeast Asia and are all known as “Montagnards”. The largest ethnic minority groups include the Hmong, Dao, Tay, Thai and Nung. The Vietnamese society is very young. Around 44 % of the population is under 15 years of age. The average age is 25 years.

Religion
Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism have strongly influenced the religious and cultural life of the people. About 86 % of Vietnamese are Buddhists, even though they do not practice regularly. Even so, religion influences social life.

Climate
Vietnam stretches over two climatic zones.
In the north there is a subtropical climate, which is divided into two seasons: winter, which begins in November and ends in April and summer from May to October. In the south the tropical climate is divided into three seasons: cool from November to January, February and hot months of May and the rainy season from May/June to October.

The Programme
EXIS cooperates with one of the few officially recognized voluntary service organisations in Vietnam. Currently, there are possibilities for volunteering and/or internships in and around Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam in the North and in Ho-Chi-Minh-City, former Saigon, in the South.

Voluntary work is possible all year round and lasts from 2 weeks to a whole year. Orientation, preceding volunteer work, starts every 1st and 15th of the month. You should arrive at Hanoi or Ho-Chi-Minh-City airport on the day before programme start. Some institutions may be closed during holidays. This is noted in the project description. If you plan to stay in Vietnam during one of the holiday seasons you can choose another project or work in another institution during this time.

Orientation includes language classes, discussion on culture, religion, politics and practical guidance, as well as about your project work. A guided tour through Hanoi or Ho-Chi-Minh-City is part of the orientation.

Our partner organization works hard to make sure the international volunteers experience Vietnamese daily life. Their best helpers are a group of young Vietnamese from the “Vietnamese Volunteer Club”. They will answer all your questions, show you the city’s night life or even invite you to their homes where you can experience Vietnamese hospitality. The duration and content of the orientation depend on the length of your stay. If you volunteer during less than 4 weeks you will follow 1 or 4 days orientation. Volunteers staying during more than 24 weeks receive a full week (5 days) orientation.

Food, Accommodation and Support
Volunteers stay in a guesthouse run by our partner organization. You will share a room and a western style bathroom with up to 3 other international volunteers. There are a few single and double rooms available to volunteers who stay more than 6 months. After orientation and depending on your project, you will mostly continue to stay in the guesthouse with the other international volunteers. Most projects are located near the guesthouse, so you can walk to your workplace or borrow a bicycle from the organization. Some projects are 45-60 minutes by bus from the guesthouse. In this case you will be given a bus ticket to get to your placement.

Meals usually consist of rice, vegetables and/or meat. Vegetarians may be required to do some cooking themselves.  A local coordinator of our partner organization will be at your service throughout your stay.

In addition to supervision and support by the programme coordinator, our partner has established the Vietnamese Volunteer Club. These young volunteers come to the guesthouse regularly to spend time with the international volunteers and help them adjust to Vietnamese life.

Volunteer work
Volunteer work options are:

• Education
• Social welfare
• Community Development Projects
• Most work places are suitable for Internships.

Education
There are several work places where volunteers can teach either English or French at different kinds of schools – from primary and secondary schools to vocational training centres, colleges or university.
Volunteers will be expected to help with the following:

• Improving listening/speaking skills of children.
• Improving pronunciation.
• Organizing games and other activities in classrooms.
• Assisting local teachers in managing the classes.

Normally volunteers will teach about 20 hours a week. During the months of June and July there are no teaching possibilities. Volunteers will always work with a local teacher.
For primary and secondary school teaching, the minimum age for volunteers is 18. If you want to teach in a vocational centre, in a college or at university you must at least be 21 years old.

There are also special work places available where you can teach English or French to orphans or street children. Most educational projects are located in Hanoi but some placements are also available in Ho-Chi-Minh-City.

Nghia Tan Primary School
This is one of many public primary schools on the outskirts of Hanoi, about 8km from the city centre. English and French are optional subjects. Everyone recognizes the importance of language skills, but the government lacks the money to hire teachers.

There are about 1,800 children, aged 6 to 11, who started learning English in grade 3 (9 years old). Some start to learn French in grade 1 (6 years old). Teachers and children have few chances to meet and talk with foreigners so volunteers are needed to practice the languages.
Volunteers are expected to help with the following:

• Improve children’s pronunciation.
• Organise games and other activities in classrooms.
• Assist local teachers during classes.
• Improve the children’s listening/speaking skills.

Normally volunteers teach about 20 hours a week. Good English and/or French language skills are required.

Nam Trung Yen Secondary School
This secondary school at 10km from Hanoi centre, is attended by about 300 children, aged 11 to 15, who started learning English in grade 3 (9 years old).

Volunteers are will have the same tasks as at the primary school.
You can also help out, once or twice a week at the “Community English Class” at our partner’s office, where English lessons are organized during the afternoon for children of the neighbourhood. Native speakers are preferred.

Hanoi High School for Gifted students
Hanoi National University is training 700 gifted students, preparing them for different majors like Science, IT, Mathematics and English language. Some of these students will become foreign language teachers.

Providing them with good English skills will be decisive for the international development of Vietnam. Tasks are as at Primary and Secondary school, but here we need only professional native speaking teachers.

Tran Hung Dao Vocational College and Hanoi Vocational College of High Technology are located in the Tu Liem District, 10 to 15 km from Hanoi centre. About 200 students aged 18 to 21 follow high qualified labour force training, like computer programming and repairing, metal works and accounting.

As these students have few chances to learn foreign languages or to meet foreigners to practice English, volunteers with a university degree and preferably native speakers are welcome to improve communication skills of these students.
Tasks are as described above.

Will to Live Centre
This centre, located about 15km from Hanoi centre, functions mainly as a bridge between skilled disabled people and enterprises and organizations seeking employees. Its aim is to ensure that disabled people benefit from the support offered by charitable organizations, including subsidies and scholarships.

Also here English teachers are needed. You should be interested in working with disabled people and be able to teach independently in class rooms. Minimum age is 20 and minimum work stay 4 weeks.

Reach” NGO
Reach is a livelihood-promotion training programme in Hanoi City for youth seeking work. Reach is designed for school dropouts, unemployed secondary school graduates, street youth, migrant youth and resettlement community members. Students come from the poorest 15% of the population. Reach programme was started in Hanoi in April 2004. 80% of trainees have a stable job and income after finishing the 3-month training course. Reach serves as the perfect platform for youth empowerment.

Students are mentored by teachers and industrial professionals, who give them confidence and the conviction that they can make a difference. The teaching style is adapted to students’ learning needs and is usually interactive.
Reach needs volunteers (min. 22 years old) with an English teaching certificate, who are available during 3 months. Volunteers should like to work with youth and combine independence with teamwork.

Several other Secondary-, High schools and Colleges located at about 80km North West of Hanoi are also interested in English teachers.

Association of Women of Charity
The Association of Women of Charity runs several shelters, housing about 150 orphans and street children.
The shelters are located in different parts of Ho-Chi-Minh-City (Saigon). The children go to school every day, but they need extra English classes to help them catch up with “normal” children at school. The chance to improve their English gives them confidence and integrates them better into the community, the first step toward a brighter future.

The nuns and the care givers also wish to learn English to help the children and to communicate with international sponsors when they visit the shelters. Volunteers teach English to these disadvantaged children in a classroom setting with focus on communication skills. In most cases, volunteers teach children age 6 to 15 for about 14 to 20 hours a week. Teaching English to these children is a perfect opportunity to practice teaching skills and teamwork.

Volunteers can also support the shelter’s administrative staff or organize extracurricular and creative activities such as games, drawing, and singing. Volunteers will be required to travel between the shelters to give lessons. There are no local teachers in the shelters to assist the volunteers. Therefore, volunteers must be proactive. The two shelters are described below.

Tan Binh Shelter in Ho Chi Minh City
Tan Binh is a shelter for boys only, run by the Women's Charity Association of HCMC (WOCA). There are around 30 boys, who all come from a poor situation.
While some have no family, others do have some relatives, whome they can stay with during holidays, others may have parents in prison. Tasks will be:

• Organising educational activities and sports.
• Building up a wider horizon for the children.
• Motivating them to do their utmost, in order to get a brighter future.
• Redecorating classrooms.
• Participating in all odd tasks.

Hoa Sen Shelter in Ho Chi Minh City
This shelter provides care and education to about 30 girls. The home is quite far from the city centre and all the girls stay here from Monday to Saturday. Sundays are spent with any relatives they may have. They all attend local schools and have extra English classes at the shelter. Travelling from the dormitory to work takes about one hour by bus.

Volunteers should be able to work independently in the classroom.
Tasks will be:

• Teaching English.
• General welfare.
• Organising extra activities like dancing, singing, sightseeing.
• Raising money for scholarships.

Social welfare
There are several social and welfare projects in and around Hanoi and in Ho-Chi-Minh-City, where volunteers can work with mentally or physically disabled or disadvantaged children at different ages or with handicapped war veterans. Some of the children are orphans.

Volunteers’ tasks include assisting the staff in their daily work with the children with rehabilitation, organizing sports and/or extracurricular activities, or by teaching English to staff and to the children.

Hope Centre
This NGO in Hanoi takes care of mentally disabled children. There are 11 teachers and one paediatric doctor. There are 50 disabled and able-bodied children in three classes. The aim of the “Hope Centre” is to provide opportunities and education for children with mental impairment and to make them feel included in the local community. The children suffer from developmental disabilities such as Down’s syndrome, Autism or Cerebral palsy. The centre provides early academic learning and physical education, therapy, yoga, painting and poetry.

The location is in a very crowded place with many shops. It takes about one hour to get there from the volunteer accommodation. Volunteers should like to work with handicapped children, be mature and have initiative. Min work period is 4 weeks.

Accommodation is in a dormitory with shared rooms. Food will be provided at accommodation. Meals will be mostly local food. During work days volunteers may either have lunch outside or eat with the staff at Hope Centre. They have to inform the cook on day in advance if they want to eat there.

Morning Star Centre
The Morning Star Centre is a non-profit day care centre, providing early diagnosis, care and clinical intervention, special education and vocational training for children in Hanoi and surrounding areas. There are about 200 children aged 1 to 16 and 70 staff members. The centre was founded by the “Association of Handicapped Children of Vietnam” and promotes charitable activities and opportunities for children suffering from development disabilities such as Down’s syndrome, Autism and Cerebral Palsy.

The staffs of caretakers, teachers, cooks and doctors are a very caring group of people, who works long hours for little pay. They also have started to offer some vocational training for teenagers at schools outside the centre in the hope they gain independence and confidence. Recently a coffee shop has been opened at the entrance of the centre, where some of the children help out, gaining experience and interacting with clients.
Volunteer tasks include:

• Assist local staff.
• Play with children and entertain/educate them with games, music, art and other exercises.
• Help with fund raising.
• Collect useful information and documents from different sources.

Vietnam Friendship Village
Established by an American war veteran, the “Vietnam Friendship Village”, located in Ha Tay province 15km from Hanoi, started in 1993 to treat children and veterans suffering from the effects of Agent Orange. Children and veterans nourished and provided with free medical care.

About 120 children and 40 veterans live here in 11 houses.
The children, who may stay for several years, receive their basic education as well as some form of job training.
In 2004 an organic gardening project was started at the village with the aim to increase awareness of the consequences of war and to demonstrate strategies for healthy living. The farm now provides about 60% of the vegetables for the village. The goal is to cover all local needs and to sell and raise further funds for the community.
Volunteers will be expected to help with the following:

• Gardening.
• Organise games and other activities for the handicapped children.
• Assist teachers in special education classes.
• Assist with fundraising and other official communication.

Thanh Xuan Peace Village
The Peace Village was established in 1991 and provides a home and education for over 100 children and young people (ages 2 to 22) who suffer from the effects of “Agent Orange”. It serves partly as a hospital, an orphanage, nursery and elementary school.

The aim of the village is to care for these children and help them to integrate into society. They are educated in 4 special classes where they receive primary lessons and vocational training, guided by the staff of 50. The children make friends as healthy children do and can usually respond to teachers and family members.

The Village has two physiotherapy treatment rooms, an aqua-therapy pool, a playground, a communal dining hall, classrooms, technical training workshops, computer lab and health clinic. Thanh Xuan Peace Village is located on the outskirts of Hanoi. Volunteer tasks include:

• Organise games in teaching classes (math, drawing, singing and handcrafts).
• Help the staff with general housework and care for disabled children.
• Help with fund raising.

Thuy An Centre
This centre originally opened its doors for the disabled children of veterans of the Vietnam War. Now the centre accepts all disabled children. There are about 150 children aged 0 to 18 and 50 staffs. Their handicap is either mental and/or physical and the centre helps them with rehabilitation, education and vocational training and care.
The children take part in cultural programs and sports.
The aim is to reintegrate the children into society if possible. An organic farming project is planned.
Volunteer tasks include:

• Organise games in teaching classes (math, drawing, singing and handcrafts).
• Help staff with rehabilitation, general housework and care for disabled children.
• Organise sport.
• Teach English to staff members and children.

Ky Quang Orphanage for disabled children in Ho Chi Minh
Ky Quang Pagoda is a private institution run by Buddhist monks, providing various services for the local community, in addition of being a place of worship.

This place, located in the north of Ho Chi Minh, takes care of about 200 disabled, orphaned and blind children. Local children can also follow lessons. There is a traditional medical clinic for local residents. Tasks will be:

• Assisting local staff in providing rehabilitation exercises and therapy to children.
• Playing with children and entertaining/educating them with games, music and arts.
• Painting and restoration work.
• Help with fund raising.

LTK Physio Centre in Ho Chi Minh
This centre, located in the west of Ho Chi Minh City, provides rehabilitation to adults and children. Most of the centre functions as a hospital with various rooms for different treatments, but it also includes a day-care centre for disabled children where they can get physical-, occupational- and speech therapy. Volunteer tasks are:

• Assisting local staff with rehabilitation exercises and therapy.
• Playing with children and entertaining/educating them with games, music and art.
• Shadowing medical doctors in surgery (medical students only).
• Painting and restoration work.
• Joining different therapy rooms and work more directly with children and adults (depending on your skills).

Community Development Projects
All youth and community development projects are located in or around Hanoi. At the moment our partner organization supports 9 different NGOs in the following fields of work:

• Ecotourism.
• Marine Conservation.
• Healthcare, HIV/AIDS awareness and reproductive healthcare.
• Promotion of sustainable agriculture.

Ecotourism
Giao Xuan is a small rural town, approx. 150 km Southeast of Hanoi. The main source of income of local population comes from marine life. Unfortunately overfishing and destructive fishing and clearing of the mangrove forests for shrimp aquaculture have resulted in a loss of biodiversity. The combination of poverty, a reliance on aquatic resources and the environmental degradation has created a situation that calls for immediate action.

Since 2003 the goal of the project is to develop ecotourism in order to provide the population with an alternative lifestyle. The project also contributes to environmental conservation, by creating alternative income generation, promoting cultural preservation and supporting community development.
Volunteers with an educational degree or practical experience are required. Send a CV and cover letter to info@exis.org
Volunteer tasks are:

• Writing and editing documents.
• Fund raising.
• Teaching English to the locals.
• Promotion of the project in order to raise the number of tourists.
• Developing project activities.
• Networking.

The Centre for Marine life Conservation and Community Development
MCD is an NGO devoted to coastal community livelihoods. The aim is to harmonize conservation with sustainable Socio-economical development. The activities are:

• Coastal resource management.
• Community development.
• Research.
• Communications and Advocacy.
• Institutional building.

Sustainable Health development
This NGO in Hanoi has been running for a year now and has a small team of staff. Its mission is to improve the health of people, especially in economical disadvantaged areas and ethnic minority communities, through capacity building awareness, raising and improving access to basic healthcare services. There is a particular focus on sexual and reproductive health, mother and child care, disability awareness, prevention and rehabilitation, primary and preventive healthcare.

Information about HIV prevention and reproductive health in general are very important in Vietnam as 50 % of the population is under 30 years old. Volunteers need to bring a laptop, be able to work in teams, have computer skills, and have an educational degree or practical experience. Minimum stay is 6 months. Your tasks will be:

• Participating in developing programs and project proposals, discussions, research.
• Writing and editing documents and fundraising.
• Assisting in promotion and building a link between the NGO and international organizations.
• Support the local staff and teach English 4 hours a week.

Good School, Good Planet 
This projects aims to improve the education for children in the northern mountain region, by providing infrastructure, reconstructing  schools and installing water tanks in 3 remote villages, setting up libraries and collecting school uniforms and toys for children.

Moe Chau is 200km from Hanoi and populated by 12 different ethnics groups.  Van Ho village with 9 communities and 7721 residents is one of the poorest places in Moc Hau. The challenges are access to education, healthcare, clean water, markets and roads. The drop off rate of the primary schools in this region is very high. Poverty is the main reason, but low quality infra-structure is a significant factor. Most schools are in poor conditions and do not meet the standards in Vietnam. There is no potable water and no sanitary facilities or any other school facility, such as office or storage space for books etc.
Volunteers participate in developing programs and projects proposals, including brainstorming, discussion, research, writing and editing documents and fundraising.

Minimum stay is 2 months and native speakers are preferred. Volunteers need to bring a laptop, be able to work in teams, have computer skills and have an educational degree or practical experience. Accommodation will be in a dormitory in Hanoi. A visit to Son La will be organized when necessary.

Enrolment form Vietnam
Enrolment form please CLICK HERE.

Duration
You can join our volunteer programme for a period of two weeks up to 52 weeks (1 year), starting each month on the 1st or 15th. You can also apply for a short period and extend your stay once you are in Vietnam.

Your volunteer work place and all other public services, closes for Tet – the Lunar New Year. Tet officially lasts 3-4 days, but the whole country celebrates for a couple of weeks at the end of January or beginning of February.

See pictures of Tet celebrations: http://www.adoptvietnam.org/vietnamese/tet-vietnam2.htm

If you plan to arrive during TET, food and accommodation is guaranteed but all work places will be closed. Tet dates for upcoming years are:  Cat 2011 February 3, Dragon 2012 January 23, Snake 2013 February 10, Horse 2014 January 31, Goat 2015 February 19, and Monkey 2016 February 8.

Included in the fees

• Airport pick-up from Hanoi or Ho-Chi-Minh-City and transportation to the guesthouse.
• 1 to 5 days language and cultural orientation (duration and content of the on-arrival orientation depend on the number of volunteer weeks).
• Dormitory style accommodation at the guesthouse, triple/quadruple bedroom, shared bathroom.
• Free use of internet at the guesthouse (limited access due to power shortage or great demand)
• Three Vietnamese meals a day.
• Counseling and support during your entire stay
• Free bus ticket if project site is far from guesthouse/host family.
• Pre-departure handbook.

Not included in the fees:

• Travel to and from Vietnam.
• Insurance.
• Visa fees.
• Vaccinations.
• Airport transfer after end program.
• Personal expenses like pocket money, costs for extra activities.

Enrolment form Vietnam
Enrolment form please CLICK HERE.

Visa and Entry Requirements for EU-Citizens
Visitors to Vietnam must obtain a visa before travelling, at a Vietnamese diplomatic embassy or consulate in their home country. It is not possible to get a visa on arrival. You can apply for a visa by mail or in person at the Embassy as early as six months prior to the date of travel. The applicant must submit an original passport, a completed and signed visa application form with one passport-size photo attached, the visa fee (money order, or cashier’s check) and a prepaid return envelope, if the visa is to be returned by mail. Entry to Vietnam may be refused if your passport expires in less than six months.
A tourist visa is sufficient for stays up to 3 months. The most common visa is a single entry for a period of one month.  It is possible to receive a double or multiple-entry tourist visa for a period of more than 3 months upon request and at additional cost. It is possible to extend the visa or to change the validation period in Vietnam as long as your visa is valid. Holders of a valid visa may use any official entry or exit port in Vietnam (airports, harbours, or on land, e. g. the borders Vietnam/China, Vietnam/Laos and Vietnam/Cambodia. Volunteers staying longer than 3 months need a working visa. You will receive the necessary application papers in due time from our Vietnamese partner organization.

Security
Vietnam is generally a safe country. However, petty street crime is increasing as the number of tourists increase. In Ho Chi Minh City especially, you should not wear a lot of jewellery and should keep your spending money close to your body in a secure place. We further recommended that you take taxis rather than cycles at night. Taxis are metered and cheap. Carry a hotel card so that you can show your taxi driver where you want to go. You should leave valuables in a hotel safety deposit box at all times and carry photocopies of your passport, credit card numbers and airline tickets.

Insurance
Travel insurance is compulsory. Please contact your insurance company and explain the destination and reason for your stay.

Health and vaccinations
You should consult your doctor for information about vaccinations and also prepare a small first-aid kit. The following vaccines are recommended: Polio, tetanus, yellow fever, typhoid, Japanese encephalitis. Your personal kit should include:

• Aspirin or other medication for pain or fever.
• Antihistamines (for allergies and itches).
• Anti diarrhoea medication.
• Something to settle the stomach.
• Rehydration mixture (to prevent dehydration).
• Insect repellent.
• Antiseptic and bandages.
• Sunscreen and lip balm.
  The sun shines more than half the time, so be sure to bring plenty. Also, the dust rate in the air is quite high in industrial cities; it is advisable to buy a small mask if you are bothered by dust. You will see the locals wearing these masks too.
  More tips and good advice see: The Vietnamese tourist office

Before you travel
Volunteer work is for people interested in learning about sustainable solutions to poverty. You will work in partnership with local people on community based projects. To volunteer you must be in good physical condition and willing to lend a hand wherever needed. The work demands flexibility, initiative, maturity and drive.  Local staff will give help and support, but you should be prepared to plan and organise your own work. If no one on your project speaks English, one of the Vietnamese volunteers from the Volunteer Club will accompany you to your workplace and function as an interpreter and communication link between you and the local staff. Do not expect luxury!