You will be working at one of a number of orphanages located in Ho Chi Minh City. Two of these orphanages were established in 1998 to provide care and an education for disadvantaged children and orphans, another orphanage was established in 1875. There are both male and female children at the orphanages aged between 1 and 18 years. 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 but rely on the donations of sponsors. The orphanages do have a large proportion of disabled children that you will be helping with as well as able bodied children.
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. The aim of working with the mentally and physically impaired childen is to help rehabilitate them into society when they get older.
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.
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.
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. Transport to the projects is normally by motorbike taxi.
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 fora 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 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 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 team will arrange a pick-up for you at the airport and will conduct your orientation upon arrival. All coordination teams 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 team you'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line manned by our response team in case any problem should arise while you're overseas. We also hire crisis management professionals 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. We also fly in our in-country coordinators to the UK regularly 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 from the project fee that you pay us. Instead we choose to support a number of projects every year through a grant scheme for tangible long-term initiatives. In the last 3 years we have distributed over US$250,000 to our most needy projects to help them in the great work they do.
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
A little bit of history...
Vietnam’s history has been marred by war and various power struggles as it has sought to regain and maintain independence. Its earliest origins are believed to date back to the Dong Son civilisation circa the 3rd century. Up until the 10th century it was ruled by a succession of Chinese dynasties before it achieved independence. The period up until the mid 19th century saw a series of dynasties including, Ly, Tran and Le, with aims to carve out the country’s own identity against the influence of China.
The country was unable to fend off the dominance of the French Empire and by 1883 the French had overtaken the country. Ho Chi Minh, the founder of the Vietnamese Communist party, was a key force in the country’s quest for independence, and post-WW II he declared the country independent after his communist army defeated French colonists in 1954. At the 1954 Geneva conference the French agreed to withdraw and the country was effectively divided into the communist north and the anti-communist south, which was intended to be temporary and followed by democratic elections. This didn’t turn out as planned when Ngo Dinh Diem, the leader of the south, refused to hold elections and the north began strengthening their communist influence in the south. An armed struggle ensued and the USA, who supported the south, intervened in the early 1960s and was joined by other foreign troops. War raged until a ceasefire in 1973, and two years later the north gained control and unified Vietnam under communist rule.
Stability was not assured and Vietnam incurred the wrath of China when it invaded Cambodia in 1978 which resulted in China attacking Vietnam the following year. Years of fierce combat meant an economy at near collapse which contributed to thousands of refugees fleeing the country in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Aside from Soviet influence, it remained isolated from the world. Economic reforms in 1986 paved the way for a modernised economy and economic growth. Having established diplomatic relations (notably with the USA) the country opened itself up to foreign investment. While it remains one of the world’s poorest countries, it has one of the fastest growing economies in Asia.
Best time to go...
To experience Vietnam at its most weather-friendly, there is no clean cut time of when to go as climate varies between the north, south and central regions. The north is defined by a cool, wet winter from November to April and a hot summer from May to October, during which time typhoons may occur. The temperatures in the north are at their mildest from late September to November and in March and April. To avoid the wet season in the central region which runs from August to December, it’s best to visit between January and July; the coastal regions tend to bear the brunt of the wet weather. The most desirable time to visit the south is between October and February when it’s dry and a respite from the baking temperatures experienced during March through to May. The south’s two main seasons are wet, from May to November, and dry, during the months of December to April, with June to August the wettest period.
The busiest time to visit is typically from November to January and April to June when tourists are out in full, leading to a rise in accommodation rates. A worthwhile, albeit packed, time to visit is during the weeks leading up to the lunar new year, known as Tet, a major holiday in Vietnam. The days change each year depending on the lunar cycle but for 2007 the first day of Tet is earmarked for February 18. During the holiday, there may be limited services and a number of businesses close for three or four days but the build up is the best part if you’re a visitor.
Currency and living costs...
The dong is Vietnam’s unit of currency. The current exchange rate is: $1 to 16,090.00d. Check www.xe.com or equivalent for the most up to date exchange rate.
The average costs of life’s little essentials are as follows:
- Meals – main dishes for lunch can cost between 15,000d and 30,000d in restaurants, while dinner is in the region of 30,000d and upwards. Pho, a traditional soup dish containing meat, can be purchased for as little as 2,000d to 4,000d.
- Beer – a bottle of beer can range between 5,000d to 10,000d, whereas draft beer is priced around 2,500d for half a litre.
- Coffee – A cup of coffee is priced between 2,000d and 5,000d.
- Taxi ride – A taxi ride is usually charged from a rate of 14,000d, though it’s possible that some taxis will charge as low as 12,000d and others as high as 16,000d. Most charge between 4,000d and 5,000 per km thereafter.
- Accommodation – A 2* hotel room, depending on season and availability, can be priced at around 320,000d and 650,000d.
- Internet café – Rates per hour differ from as low as 5,000d to up to 15,000d.
Getting around...
For long distances, flying is a doable but often expensive option compared to trains and buses. The main domestic airlines are Vietnam Airlines and Pacific Airlines which offer regular services between major cities; flying time between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City is around 2 hours. It’s often cheaper to purchase domestic tickets within Vietnam.
Vietnam has an extensive bus network in place and cheap fares but the buses are all too often overcrowded and road safety is dubious; driving is not recommended. While the fares may still be relatively cheap, foreigners are usually charged more than locals. Aimed at the tourist trade, Open Tour Buses are inexpensive, comfortable buses that journey to the major destinations and stop at selected hotels and restaurants along the way. Although a pleasurable way to travel, it can feel like a tourist bubble rather than an experience of the real Vietnam. Minibuses are also plentiful but can be irritatingly slow with numerous pick ups and drop offs. It’s best to ride express minibuses which have far fewer stops and are air conditioned.
If time isn’t an issue, train travel is a relaxed way to travel. The journeys can take longer than by bus but offer more leg room and are generally less crowded. Also, unlike bus fares, foreigners pay the same as locals. Depending on your travel budget, trains range from the non-air conditioned seated variety to air-conditioned sleepers, the latter being an obvious choice if you plan to brave the 30 hour plus trip from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi which is often referred to as the Reunification Express. All trains require a reservation and it’s often possible to book a train from a station other than the one you are departing from.
Aside from crowded buses, taxis are good for getting around major cities. It’s advisable to used metered taxis or at least negotiate a fare before departure. Cyclos, three-wheeled bicycles, are an alternative way of traversing city streets and can be hired for a full day. For a more high-powered mode of transport, Honda Oms, motorbikes whereby the passenger sits behind the driver, are also plentiful. For both modes, it’s best to have a pen and paper to hand to write down your destination and agree on a fare prior to the journey.
Useful links
www.lonelyplanet.com
Lonely Planet are leaders in the travel guide sector and their website is a great source of travel information.
www.fco.gov.uk
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s website provides up-to-date political news, travel advice and information on visas.
www.pacificairlines.com.vn
Pacific Airlines.
www.vietnamairlines.com
Vietnam Airlines.
www.vr.com.vn
Train operator Vietnam Railways.
