Posted by Nola_Lee_Kelsey on 20/1/2011 at 06:13

I have not found as many“free” programs in Vietnam as in other places. Although if they provide food and accommodations good paid programs may not cost more than buying your own. You may have better luck finding small, fee-free projects on the ground there by asking members of the expat community or via exapt sites as they often get involved in programs. Meanwhile, here are some ideas. Good luck and thank you for volunteering wherever you wind up. Nola www.TheVoluntaryTraveler.com

Wildlife Conservation

Organization: Wildlife at Risk
Location: Chu Chi and Kien Giang Province
Cost: $200 per week form members, $300 for nonmembers
Duration: Open Age: 18
Contact: khoi.ngugen@wildlifeatrisk.org or chris@wildlifeatrisk.org
Learn more: www.wildlifeatrisk.org
Details: Wildlife At Risk (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. As a volunteer, you will dedicate your time to assisting permanent staff in providing clean, safe, natural environments for the rescued wildlife and be involved in many different activities. Volunteers learn a lot about endangered Vietnamese wildlife and why the animals are at the Rescue Station. The work is not glamorous, but it s certainly rewarding to those with true commitment to the cause.

Youth House School and Disadvantaged Children

Organization: Solidarités Jeunesses Vietnam
Location: Hanoi , Vietnam
Cost: $230+ Duration: 2 weeks Age: 18
Contact: info@sjvietnam.org Learn more: www.sjvietnam.org
Details: Fisher Village, in Long Bien District, is the living place of many poor people from different parts of Vietnam. Most of them are working as a carrier, waste collector, or have a small business in the market, etc. and live in cottages beside the Red River. The children in these families wander the streets begging and collecting rubbish. An entire family barely makes $2 a day. Most of them have little or no education. To help these children have better future than their parents, SJ Vietnam Organization has successfully run this project for 5 years with the help of hundreds volunteers. Youth House School is a special school which was built by SJ Vietnam for 27 children. Teachers are local and international volunteers who share their love, hope and knowledge so these children can have a good future.

Friendship Kindergarten for Disadvantaged Children

Organization: SJ Vietnam
Location: Hanoi
Cost: $600 Duration: 1 month Age: 18
Contact: out@sjvietnam.org Learn more: www.sjvietnam.org
Special skills: Must speak English, possess teaching skills, love children and have self-discipline
Details: SJ Vietnam volunteers organize English classes and do other activities to help the kindergarten. You may help with cleaning, organizing games for children, etc. Your creativity is highly appreciated, so you can contribute your ideas about fun games that children can enjoy. It is very important to let these disadvantaged children know and trust you, so you can share an understanding of their hardships in life and make your time there more meaningful. This will also be a good time for all of you to learn about different cultures from other people by working in a group with both Vietnamese and foreign volunteers.

Aspiration Center for Mentally-Disabled Children

Organization: SJ Vietnam
Location: Hanoi
Cost: $300/2 weeks and $450/3 weeks
Duration: 2 to 3 weeks Age: 18
Contact: out@sjvietnam.org Learn more: www.sjvietnam.org
Special skills: Must speak English, teaching skills, especially skills and experience relating to mentally disabled people
Details: The purpose of the camp is to help mentally disabled children do routine tasks and then integrate these children into the community. At the Center of Mentally Disabled Children some children are heavily handicapped children, unable to speak and some cannot hear. These children have difficulties in moving, holding things and often easily lose their concentration. You will help them improve their muscular strength by taking them for a walk, teaching them to do simple exercises and to play simple games. For not seriously handicapped children, you may organize an English class, teach them to play simple games, sing songs, draw and many other things. You can also teach them to play sports such as badminton in the backyard.




University Teaching Program

Organization: Global Volunteer Network
Location: Volunteers have opportunities to teach in Duy Tan University, Da Nang University, Tuy Hoa Industrial College or Duy Tan College.
Cost: $997 for 1 month Duration: 1 to 5 months Age: 18
Contact: info@volunteer.org.nz Learn more: www.volunteer.org.nz
Details: Volunteers can contribute by teaching in the following disciplines: English for English Major Students (pronunciation, speaking, writing, culture, and literature), English for Non-English Major Students (communication skills, entrepreneurial skills, international marketing and finance, and tourism management), etc. In Tuy Hoa Industrial College, volunteers have the following subjects/workshops that they can be involved in: English teaching, environmental awareness programs, community service and volunteerism programs. There are also opportunities available for French-speaking volunteers to teach French to university students.

Caring for Disabled Children in Vietnam

Organization: International Volunteer HQ
Location: Placements available in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City
Cost: $270 for 1 week to $2,220 for 6 months (includes food and accommodation).
Project Duration: 1 week to 6 months Age: 18
Contact: volunteer@volunteerhq.org
Learn more: www.volunteerhq.org
Details: 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.

Center for Disadvantaged Children

Organization: Experiential Learning International
Location: Mekong Delta
Cost: Starting at $885 Duration: 2+ weeks Age: 18
Contact: info@eliabroad.org Learn more: www.eliabroad.org
Details: The Mekong Delta is one of the most densely populated regions of Vietnam. Towns in this region float on rivers or stand above the flood plain on tall stilts. Most people living in the Mekong delta are agricultural workers. The labor intensive process of producing rice leaves parents very little time to spend with their young children to provide them with the education needed outside school. Volunteers will work at a center started by a local priest to give the children of Cai Mon a safe place to stay while their parents are working, as well as provide early childhood education. Volunteers will teach English, lead activities and spend time with the children.

Other organizations offering projects in Vietnam:
Friendship Foundation of American Vietnamese: www.ffavn.org
Global Medic Force: www.globalmedicforce.org
Medical Teams International: www.medicalteams.org
Volunteering Solutions: www.volunteeringsolutions.com

#3 Nola_Lee_Kelsey has been a member since 16/1/2011. Location: Thailand. Posts: 11

Posted by chaeta on 21/1/2011 at 14:32

Hi Lola899,
we are volunteering in the North East Thailand. We went through Thai Dragonfly, a volunteering foundation based in Khorat. They charge you little money to do a week induction about Thai culture and ESL basis and they are in touch with orphanages and school mainly in rural areas of Thailand.
Have a look at the website and send an email to Dan for more information if you are interested.
http://www.thai-dragonfly.com/
Regards
Caterina

#5 chaeta has been a member since 27/12/2010. Posts: 10

Posted by travellingsarah on 21/1/2011 at 17:45 TF writer

Yup, your best bet I think is to approach NGOs directly. I work with one called Reach in Hanoi and they have a training programme for disadvantaged youths which includes English teaching. They certainly used to be very keen on getting native speakers involved in the lessons so would be worth contacting. Visit www.reach.org.vn for contact details.

#7 travellingsarah has been a member since 23/3/2010. Location: Vietnam. Posts: 684

Posted by idex on 26/4/2016 at 06:05

Idex began its community development projects in Vietnam in 2014 covering various aspects of the social menace from children to women. Volunteers’ opportunity in Vietnam covers child abuse, the most common social menace in the nation with various reports and practical cases involving about 4.3 million children. These include multiple injuries, severe infection and burning affecting the development and growth of children there. At present, there are no special measures taken to prevent this situation. Volunteers can make significant different in the lives of these kids. - See more at: https://www.goidex.com/program-destinations/vietnam/

#9 idex has been a member since 26/4/2016. Posts: 1