International Volunteer HQ’s partner NGO in Vietnam requires volunteers NOW! IVHQ has a wide range of volunteering opportunities available in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) including teaching English, caring for disabled children/orphanage work and working with local NGOs.
LOCATION OF VIETNAM VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS
IVHQ has volunteer placements located in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh (formerly Saigon) and rural areas surrounding Hanoi. Due to the fact that the cities of Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi are geographically very far from each other, volunteers must indicate their preferred location when booking their volunteer program.
START AND DURATION OF VIETNAM VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS
Placements begin on the 1st and 15th of each month. Volunteers can choose to volunteer for periods of one week to six months.
VIETNAM VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS
Volunteers must be over 18 years of age at the beginning of the program and have at least a high school education.
VIETNAM VOLUNTEER PLACEMENT DESCRIPTIONS
TEACHING ENGLISH
Volunteers will work in a Vietnamese school or community centre to assist primary and high school students with their education. Many Vietnamese schools lack teachers with sufficient English competencies to continue the children's English vocabulary past basic writing and speaking skills. Volunteers will help to improve the children's pronunciation, assist local teachers in managing their classes, organize games and other activities in the classroom, and help to improve the children's listening and speaking skills. Hours can vary depending on the institution where the volunteer is placed and the hours that the volunteer wishes to work.
N.B. Volunteers DO NOT need to be a qualified or experienced teacher.
IVHQ Placement: Vu The Lang High School - Located in Hanoi, this 13 classroom school teaches over 500 children (volunteers teach English to both students and some staff). (Please Note - This is just one of many schools on our program and not necessarily the one you will be teaching at).
ORPHANAGE WORK/CARING FOR DISABLED CHILDREN
Although Vietnam has now been at peace for many years, effects from war continue to haunt not only the adult population of this beautiful country but also its' children. Volunteers have the opportunity to work in institutions caring for children and young people affected by Agent Orange or in schools and community clinics looking after mentally disabled children. Work is somewhat varied dependent on the institution where the volunteer is placed, however typical examples of jobs and tasks can include; assisting local staff in providing rehabilitation exercises and therapist treatments for children, playing with children and entertaining/educating them with games, music, arts and other exercises, helping to develop fundraising initiatives to ensure ongoing funding for these institutions and teaching English to local staff.
IVHQ Placement: Peace Village - A combination of a school, medical clinic and rehabilitation centre, this institution provides for over 120 children and is located in Hanoi.
Phu My Orphanage - Located in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh), this orphanage looks after 600 children (400 in the orphanage and 200 in day care for street families). Many of the children at this orphanage are disabled. (Please Note - These are just one of many institutions on our program and not necessarily the one you will be working at).
WORKING WITH LOCAL NGOS
There are many small, locally run NGOs (Non Government Organizations) in Vietnam contributing to the cause of development in both rural and urban areas. These local NGO, being typically new, are in shortage of finance, human resources and skills. There is a need for building up their capacity in different approaches, in which involving a foreigner in the office could help improve their communication skills, working skills and assist in bridging local NGOs with new partners in other countries. There are currently placements in local NGOs in the following sectors; community health, HIV/AIDS, community development and natural conservation. Once again volunteers' roles will vary dependent on the type of organization they work with but typical work can include; writing proposals and reports, improving staff's English and communication skills, assisting with fundraising initiatives and networking with international partners.
VIETNAM PROGRAM COSTS
One of the strengths of IVHQ is our extremely affordable fees. CLICK HERE to see the program cost to volunteer in Vietnam and what you receive in exchange for your fees.
ACCOMMODATION AND MEALS
In Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, volunteers have the option on staying in the volunteer dorms with other volunteers or in a homestay with a local Vietnamese family. We give that family money from your fee for support, food and board. It is exciting to stay with a family; that way you will learn the Vietnamese way of life, meet local people, eat local food and engage in local customs and traditions. However, the volunteer dorms are also very popular and a very sociable option as you get to live and socialise with other volunteers and Vietnamese staff. Living conditions in Vietnam are not luxurious and will vary depending on where you are placed although all home stays do have electricity and running water. Host families are educated, well respected in society and experienced in hosting in international volunteers. While bedding is provided, it is recommended that volunteers bring their own sleeping bag and mosquito net if they wish to travel away.
Vietnam is renowned for its tasty and diverse food. Although you cannot expect to eat like a king throughout your home stay, rest assured your accommodation hosts will provide you with a variety of Vietnamese treats during your volunteer period. Your host family would also be excited to taste some of your national dishes during your stay as well! Breakfast is taken in the morning, lunch is served at approximately 1pm (you can take a packed lunch if you wish to eat at your project) and then dinner/supper is served at 7 or 8 in the evening. If you have special eating needs, please let us know ahead of time so that we can make arrangements for you. However, we need to stress the point that you should not expect to eat as you normally do at home. We will do our best to see that you are well taken care of, but also as a volunteer, there is a need to be flexible. There are numerous amazing restaurants throughout Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh which you will be directed to by program staff if you wish to eat out occasionally.All meals are provided at the accommodation regardless of which type of accommodation you are in. Living conditions are basic but comfortable and three meals are provided on a daily basis. Meals consist of traditional Vietnamese fare, which volunteers generally find to be very generous and tasty.
ORIENTATION
Orientation will begin on the morning of the 1st or 15th of the month (dependent on your booking) and you will be picked up from your accommodation and taken to the orientation. Orientation will be conducted by the team in Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi (dependent on your placement) and cover everything you need to know for your volunteering placement in Vietnam – Introduction to Vietnam, Vietnamese Customs, Rules and Expectations, Safety, Travel Opportunities in Vietnam, Survival Vietnamese language lesson, Introduction to your project and placement. The orientation will also give you a chance to meet other volunteers and swap contact details for weekend travel and socializing. Once orientation is complete, volunteers will be taken back to their home stay and introduced to all relevant parties – home stay family members and program placement staff.
VOLUNTEER WEEK
First Day: On the first day of the volunteering placement, the volunteers will be escorted to the project by either a member of the local staff and introduced to the staff at the project you will be working with.
Weekdays: While our programs are flexible and can be fitted to your requirements, a typical day is as follows.
- 7.30AM Breakfast with the host family
- 8.00AM Volunteer leaves home and is dropped (or walks) to the project;
The volunteer joins with the local staff. You will be given a duty roster and a plan for your work. There is usually a tea break and a lunch break. Work and hours is dependent on the project and location that the volunteer is participating in. - 2.00PM-5.00PM Work at the project usually ends. The volunteer at this point is free to visit and see places or do shopping. Usually we will have a guide to take you around. You may also want to hang out with the kids up to around 6.00PM.
- 8.30PM Dinner with the host family.
Weekends: During the weekend, volunteers have spare time and usually just relax or take the opportunity to explore other parts of their local town, Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam. Long weekends can be taken to travel further afield and engage in tourist activities such as trekking, Vietnamese history tours and visits to temples. If volunteers wish to volunteer over the weekends they can join local teams and visit other orphanages (or other children helping organizations) to spend time simply playing with and entertaining the children.
WHAT PAST VOLUNTEERS SAY ABOUT THIS PROGRAM
Although IVHQ is a young volunteering placement organisation (we were formed in early 2007), we are getting tremendous feedback from our first volunteers who are finishing programs. Here are just a few small snippets of what volunteer's are saying about our programs.
"I have arrived at my homestay and everybody is very nice, the food is delicious and the room is just perfect." - Juliane Peth, Female, 25, Lueneberg, Germany (Hanoi Volunteer - Homestay Accommodation) Working on Disabled Children's program.
"I had a great time in Vietnam. The program is so rewarding" - Tracy Tao, Female, 22 Hong Kong (Ho Chi Minh - Homestay Accommodation) Working on Disabled Children's program.
VIETNAM INFORMATION
Capital: Hanoi
Population: Dec 2006 estimate: 85,238,000
Official language: Vietnamese
Currency: dong (VND)
Time zone: (UTC+7)
Climate: Vietnam has a tropical monsoon climate, with humidity averaging 84% throughout the year. However, because of differences in latitude and the marked variety of topographical relief, the climate tends to vary considerably from place to place.