Vietnam_orphanage

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Orphanage and Care Home - Vietnam

Location

Northern Vietnam

Start dates

Once a month throughout the year - see below for specific dates

Duration

2-8 weeks

Availability

Spaces available

Cost

2 weeks = £695
Extra weeks = £145 per week

Discounts

Summer Promotion £50 per person for friends / partners in 2012

Live in a guesthouse in a beautiful location in rural Vietnam
Get involved with teaching English, games and orphanage daily life
Experience real Vietnamese culture

Project details

Introduction

Volunteers are needed to help by giving their time, energy and attention to poor or orphaned children in the beautiful surroundings of rural Vietnam.

The orphanage is a bright and colourful place for the children where they can grow up in a safe, supportive and happy environment.

Read what past volunteers have said about this project in our Vietnam orphanage reviews.

A typical day

Volunteers have the opportunity to get involved with a range of activites at the orphanage depending on your skills and the needs of the project.

Volunteers will spend Monday to Friday 8am to 4:30pm at the orphanage. You will have a few hours at lunch time to relax and head back to the guesthouse for lunch. Some of the children at the orphanage attend school during the day while around 40 children stay at the centre to learn vocational skills and improve their English.

Each day at the orphanage will differ but they are likely to include the following tasks:

Teaching English
Playing sports
Help take care of infants
Doing arts and crafts
Songs, music and activites
Helping with vocational classes (sewing/carpentry etc.)
Food preparation
Cleaning and maintenance of the orphanage and vegetable garden
Helping the children with their homework

A care home which also cares for elderly people is located next to the orphanage. The residents have been abandoned by their families or have no relative to take care of them, and some have mental illnesses. Volunteers also have the opportunity to spend time with the old people and disabled adults if they would like to.

The location

The orphanage and care home is located around 70 km outside of Hanoi in Vietnam in Tay Dang which is in the Ba Vi district. It is in a beautiful rural location surrounded by paddy fields and corn fields and it a great opportunity to experience real Vietnamese culture. The volunteer accommodation is around a 20 minute bike ride (4km) from the orphanage and care home.

How you can make a difference

By volunteering on this project you will help children who have had an incredibly tough life. It is hoped that through improved education and healthcare, these children can lead better, happier and healthier lives and have better opportunities for the future.

What's included

A comprehensive information booklet and pre-departure support
Travel advice and assistance
Airport pickup
Transfer to the project and return to Hanoi at the end of your placement
Training and induction in Hanoi
3 days with a local guide (with a high level of English) at the project
Accommodation 1 night in Hanoi (Old Quarter) and further nights in Ba Vi (single sex room if requested)
24 hour support, help and advice from the local team

What else to budget for

The following items are not included and estimates are given as a guide for your budgeting: flights to Hanoi from the UK (£600-£700), visa (£44), meals (approximately £150 for 2 weeks), travel between the guesthouse and project (bikes can be hired for around $1 per day), travel insurance and personal spending.

More details

Background information about the project

The orphanage is a colourful place for the children to relax after school and learn vocational skills which will give them a brighter future. The orphanage and care home was established in 1984 by the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs of Hanoi. The orphanage aims to provide shelter and care for orphans who have lost one or both parents, as their relatives are often too poor to take care of them. The care home also cares for older people who have been abandoned by their families or have no relative to take care of them and people with mental illnesses.

Currently, there are about 67 orphans who are mostly between 12 and 14 years old. Children under five years of age attend kindergarten run by housemothers in the orphanage, while the rest of the children go to public school 2 kilometres from the centre.

The orphanage has two 2-story dormitories for the children to live, a meeting room, administration offices, kitchen, dining room and a conference room. The homeless adults live in an area next to the orphanage. There are also two small workshops and a large garden where the children to plant different kinds of vegetables and fruits and an area for raising domestic animals and fowls at the back of the centre.

Support and induction

You will be given initial training at our partner’s organisations office in Hanoi on your first full day in Vietnam. You with then be taken to the project by a member of staff who will introduce to the project, accommodation and will stay with you for your first few days so you can settle into the project.

Other volunteers

There are normally between 2 and 4 volunteers at this project each month but there could be a maximum of 6. Volunteers come from a range of backgrounds, ages and nationalities.

Volunteer accommodation and food

You will be staying in a guesthouse which is around 4km from the project. It is a very friendly hotel, with clean and simple bedrooms. Volunteers will stay in single sex rooms, sharing with up to two volunteers. The bedrooms have air-conditioning, a fridge, fans, en-suite and a TV. There is WIFI and a computer with internet available in the guesthouse reception.

Volunteers can order breakfast, lunch and dinner at the guesthouse. There is a range of Vietnamese food and they can cater for vegetarians.

Free time and travel opportunities

The guesthouse is located in the small town of Tay Dang which is located next to a beautiful lake. It is a popular location for Vietnamese local tourists to take a dip to cool off on a hot day or spend a relaxing day fishing. Opposite the accommodation there is a small lakeside bar with a few pool tables where volunteers can wind away a few hours each evening.

The town has very limited facilities so we recommend that volunteers bring books/kindle and some music.

Volunteers normally work 5 days a week and at weekends volunteers can choose to stay in Ba Vi and relax by the lake, visit local temples and archaeological sites, visit Ba Vi National park or take a local bus back to Hanoi. Hanoi is a wonderful city to explore by foot or bicycle, including the lakes, museums, pagodas, temples and of course the great shopping! There are also many street cafes, bars and restaurants to enjoy, especially in the Old Quarter where most tourists stay.

Challenges

It is not the type of environment where you will be given direction all the time so this placement suits volunteers who have lots of initiative, drive and creativity. It's important to be realistic how much benefit you can bring in a short period, but recognise that you are part of a bigger picture of ongoing volunteer support and development.

Due to their background some of the children may have behavioural issues so it's important to be patient. You may well find it emotional as you form friendships with the children and learn about their lives. It is likely this will leave a lasting impression on you.

You will need to be able to work well within a team and be adaptable to working and living in a group. The projects require self motivation, flexibility and creativity from the volunteers.

Where your money goes and the PoD Charity

PoD is run as a non-profit organisation and does not receive any external funding. We charge a fee for all our placements to cover the overseas costs of volunteering and the costs of running our organisation in the UK. Fee levels are set to match costs (on a non-profit basis) and any surplus monies are distributed to the overseas organisations and charities we work with via the PoD Charity.

For over 10 years PoD has been providing volunteers to help charitable projects around the world. The PoD Charity was established in 2010 to build on this success by also providing financial assistance. Find out more and get involved in fundraising for this project through the PoD Charity.