Got a lot of heart and even more wanderlust?

Don’t let Vietnam’s relaxed attitude to life fool you; there’s so much here to see, visit, and taste! And as if the floating markets, bustling streets and emerald paddy fields aren’t enough you will also experience the famous Vietnamese hospitality as you get involved with playing games, singing songs and planning arts projects in one of two local orphanages. You’ll play a valuable role in the overall development of the children and your efforts will last long after the sun tan fades! If you enjoy a challenge this project is the perfect way to discover why Vietnam is becoming one of the hottest destinations in Asia and have lots of fun while you do it. Our TEFL certification is included to give you ideas for fun educational activities.

Project details:
You will be working at one of two orphanages, located in Ho Chi Minh City. Both orphanages were established in 1998 to provide care and an education for disadvantaged children and orphans. There are both male and female children and they are aged between 1 and 18. The children live in the orphanages and the older ones attend school during the day. Many of the male children love football and are keen to take part in outdoor activities. One of the orphanages is run by Buddhist nuns and both rely on the donations of sponsors. One of the orphanages has a number of disabled children that you will be helping with as well as able bodied children.

Why the project needs volunteers:
While volunteering in Vietnam on these projects, you'll find they offer valuable support to children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, many of whom are orphans. While the children at the projects have access to education provided by the government, they are usually unable to benefit from it fully due to the many complexities in their lives. The support that our volunteers provide allows many of the children to improve their English skills, which will create more opportunities for them, and learn about a new culture. Often the staff members do not have time to give attention to all of the children, and they will really benefit from spending time and doing creative activities with volunteers.

What kind of skills you need to go on this type of project:
Volunteers at these projects should have a genuine love of children and young people. Although you do not require any special skills, any experience working with children or young people would be valuable. Volunteers must be able to use their initiative and be motivated to work without guidance. You should be patient, compassionate, resourceful and imaginative.

Your role as a volunteer:
Take the leap and join in volunteer work in Vietnam on these projects. You will be providing essential support to the staff by assisting with daily activities at the orphanages and by offering a positive role model for the children. You may become involved in a variety of activities, including teaching English, outdoor activities, arts and crafts activities, games, songs and social education and helping with disabled children.  Volunteers will be teaching life skills and helping with domestic duties. Your schedule will be flexible and will depend on the needs of the project. You may be asked to help the staff members improve their English or IT skills, or you may become involved with fundraising or improving the appearance of the project.

Where the project is based:
The orphanages are located in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's largest city. Here you will find traditional street markets and pagodas alongside modern architecture, international cuisine and American cultural influences. Motorbikes are everywhere, and you will find plenty of places to go silk shopping or have clothes tailor-made at bargain prices. You will be staying in a local guesthouse in a residential area of the city, so you will have easy access to local amenities.

What exactly do i-to-i provide?

It may seem like a strange concept to pay for your volunteer experience. You'd be right if you think you shouldn't and the truth is you actually don't! Your placement is free; it's the benefits around it that you pay for. It's important to note that i-to-i is a travel company and not a charity. We provide a professional travel service. We are responsible for finding and assessing worthwhile projects across the world, preparing you for the volunteering experience and supporting you whilst you're there.

Here’s some more information about what your placement fee covers….

Project sourcing and assessment

We work with hundreds of locally run partner projects around the world and are constantly sourcing new opportunities. We visit all projects to check that they are worthwhile and legitimate and we also conduct a thorough safety assessment before we'll send volunteers there. More

Expert help-desk

Almost everyone who works for i-to-i has traveled extensively or worked overseas. This means we're a goldmine of information; we're always available to offer support and guidance before, during and after your trip.

Thorough project briefing materials

Once you book on to a project you'll receive a Welcome Pack that contains loads of general information about volunteering, about your chosen country and project, and a DVD about how to have fun and stay safe. We'll also give you advice on visas and inoculations.

TEFL training

If you are volunteering on a Teaching or Community Development project then a 40-hour Online TEFL course is included in your placement fee. This is an internationally recognised and accredited certificate that will help you to make the most of your time overseas. More

Airport pickup

It can be pretty daunting arriving in a different country for the first time… especially after a long flight! If you arrive on your project start date, there'll be a welcoming face at the airport to pick you up and take you to your accommodation.

Arrival orientation

Soon after you arrive you will attend a thorough orientation with our in-country team. This is to cover important safety and security information. You'll also get some tips about sight-seeing options for your time off and maybe even learn some of the local lingo!

Accommodation and meals

Accommodation is included with all projects and meals are even included with some. We only use locally-owned and operated accommodation so that part of your placement fee is filtering back into the local economy. Most projects offer homestay, guesthouse or shared volunteer houses as standard accommodation, but some offer the chance to upgrade to a more comfortable living standard. More

Local in-country coordinators

Your in-country coordinator (ICC) will pick you up from the airport and conduct your orientation upon arrival. All ICC's are English speaking and are locals of your destination country. They won't be at your project every day, but will be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week if you need them. More

24/7 emergency support

Aside from the local support from your in-country coordinators you'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line manned by i-to-i staff in case any problem should arise while you're overseas. We also hire crisis management professionals Docleaf to be on hand in case of a situation that requires additional expert support. More

Ongoing training

The safety and security of our volunteers is paramount. For this reason we provide ongoing crisis management and emergency response training to our local teams around the world. At the end of 2006 we flew all our in-country coordinators to the UK for thorough training to help them offer the best safety to the thousands of volunteers they support each year. More

Supporting our projects

We don't fund our projects directly, but once a year they are all invited to apply for funding for special projects or resources from our registered charity arm, the i-to-i Foundation. i-to-i funds the operation of the i-to-i Foundation and is the largest single donor. Along with the generous support of our volunteers, we have distributed over US$200,000 in funding in the last two years alone! More  

Recruiting people like you

We make no secrets of the fact that part of your placement fee is reinvested in to recruiting volunteers just like you! The volunteers recruited in one week will typically deliver over 2000 man-days of service. The difference this makes to projects overseas is immeasurable. Many of our overseas projects rely on assistance from international volunteers, so it's necessary for us to put together brochures and websites to find the people who can support them. This recruitment process is vital to ensure programs have a constant stream of reliable volunteers.

The intangible benefits

Volunteering through a company like i-to-i has a lot of intangible benefits to developing overseas communities and the individual projects that we work with. To find out more about our placements. click here

What we will do after you've booked:

• Once booked on you will instantly receive a welcome email confirming your booking with access to your online account
• We will send a Welcome Pack in the post containing further information and a t-shirt, the information in this pack should answer most things you need to know
• Community Development and Teaching customers will receive an email introducing them to their Online TEFL course
• Community Development and Teaching customers will be requested to complete a police check (where relevant) or send through a reference
• We will contact you if we require anything else e.g. CV/resume for some projects, doctors note for medical conditions etc.
• We will hound you to complete your forms and pay your final balance when they are due
• We are available for any questions you may have on 800 352 1794 or operations@i-to-i.com
• We will prepare for your trip and send you an email with final project and accommodation confirmation 21 days before you go

What you need to do after booking your place with us:

• Book your flights
• Arrange suitable travel insurance
• Fill out some extra details through our online interface:
  • application from
  • travel details
  • insurance details
  • medical information
  • emergency contacts
• Complete your police check or request your reference (where relevant)
• Do your Online TEFL Course (where relevant)
• Make final payment at least 60 days before you go
• Make sure you have a visa for your trip if its needed
• Visit a nurse or travel clinic for advice on inoculations and malaria prevention
• Read all details and prepare as much as you can for your trip
• Take contact details of the in country team and where you're going in your hand luggage - just in case!
• Get on the plane!

Orientation Information

You will arrive on the Arrival Date - Friday and will be met at the airport on that day. You will be taken to your permanent accommodation for your stay, the Nhu Ngoc Guesthouse (see contact details below) where you will have the first day/night to recover from your flight. The Guesthouse is located in the backpackers area in the heart of the city and is close to restaurants, shops, markets,internet services and ATM's.

Note: If you're arriving early we can arrange a meet and greet for you. If you require this please contact us to arrange this service.

If you wish to make your own way please arrange to be at the address below on the arrival date:

Your orientation will take place over the weekend and you will be introduced to your project on Monday and will start working as a volunteer.

Insurance

It's important that you get adequate travel insurance for your i-to-i experience and as many of you will be working this often means standard policies won’t work. The good news is that no matter where your coming from we have already found a policy to suit you.

The best time to get your insurance is when you book your project as this means you can get a fully tailored policy exclusive to i-to-i, just ask your consultant for further details at the time of booking.

If you have already booked but still need insurance then you may still be able to take our tailored policy. If, however it was more than a few days ago then try the links below:

Australian customers - find out more here >>

All other customers - find out more here >>

Flights

As with insurance we advise you get these booked as early as possible to avoid high prices and to make sure you arrive on the right day. The i-to-i team is right up to date with the best deals no matter where you’re flying from; their insider knowledge could save you some time and money.

Early Airport Pick-up

If you are arriving before your designated arrival date, we can arrange for an extra meet and greet service for you. For an extra supplement we will be there to meet you at the airport and take you to the orientation accommodation. Accommodation payment for any extra nights will then be made in country directly to the accommodation (approx 10 USD per night).

The cost of this Early Pick-up service is US$ 45.00