To provide English native language speaking environment for disabled people and develop their English communicative skills.
PROJECT ACTIVITIES:
Will To Live Centre acts principally as a bridge to connect disabled people with vocational centres for training and employment support, and create clear pathways between skilled, disabled individuals and enterprises or organisations seeking employees. They work to ensure that disabled people benefit from the support offered by charitable organisations, including subsidies and scholarships, and nurture feelings of affection and care in order to create a welcoming community in which people with disabilities can live.
COMMUNITY CONTEXT:
It is located in Hoang Mai district of Hanoi, in the outskirt of Hanoi, which is about 15km from city centre. One of the increasing labour market requirements is the English language skills and usually this sector of the population have a very little chance to learn foreign languages or to meet foreigners to practice English and exchange communication skills.
VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS:
Volunteers should like to work with disabled people, to show maturity and initiative spirit. Volunteers should be able to work independently in the classroom. English native speakers preferred.
Age:
preferred 22 or over.
VOLUNTEERING PERIOD:
Minimum stay preferred 3 weeks.
VOLUNTEER TASKS:
Improving listening/speaking/reading/writing skills for students. Improving competency in communication. Organizing games and other activities in classrooms. Volunteers can attend as well a Community English Class in VPV office; it takes place in the afternoon, for children living in the neighbourhood. Volunteers can join this class one or two days per week, depending on their schedule.
HOSTING SITUATION:
Volunteers will stay in a dormitory with rooms shared with other volunteers. Living conditions will be Vietnamese standard with separate bathroom, single bed with mattress. The Will To Live Centre offers accommodation in the same placement if the volunteer prefers it. Food will be provided at the accommodation. Meals will be mostly local food, which vary from the daily cooking schedule. Volunteers, especially those who are vegetarian may be required to do some cooking. During working-days food is provided by the host placement.
To provide English native language speaking environment for disadvantaged youth and develop their English communicative skills.
PROJECT ACTIVITIES:
REACH is a local, Vietnamese, non-government organization specializing in vocational training and employment for street and migrant youth, school dropouts, and unemployed youth, aged from 18 to 25 years old. This NGO offers three months vocational trainings and job placement in the field of hospitality, sales, customer’s relations and technology of information. The centre provides as well communicative English skills in order to meet the high demand of the society in the labour market integration process.
COMMUNITY CONTEXT:
It is located in Ba Dinh district, a central area easy for the students to arrive there. The centre uses an innovative model in Vietnam which incorporates the needs of underprivileged youth and the requirements of the local industry. One of the increasing labour market requirements is the English language skills and usually this sector of the population have a very little chance to learn foreign languages or to meet foreigners to practice English and exchange communication skills.
VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS:
Volunteers should like to work with youth and show maturity and initiative spirit. Volunteers should be able to work independently in the classroom. English native speakers preferred. English teaching certificate preferred.
Age:
preferred 22 or over.
VOLUNTEERING PERIOD:
Minimum stay preferred 3 months.
VOLUNTEER TASKS:
Improving listening/speaking/reading/writing skills for students. Improving competency in communication. Organizing games and other activities in the classroom or outdoor, in flexible classes. Volunteers can attend as well a Community English Class in VPV office; it takes place in the afternoon, for children living in the neighbourhood. Volunteers can join this class one or two days per week, depending on their schedule.
HOSTING SITUATION:
Volunteers will stay in a dormitory with rooms shared with other volunteers. Living conditions will be Vietnamese standard with separate bathroom, single bed with mattress. Food will be provided at the accommodation. Meals will be mostly local food, which vary from the daily cooking schedule. Volunteers, especially those who are vegetarian may be required to do some cooking. During working-days food is provided by the host placement.
To provide English language speaking environment for disadvantaged youth and develop their English communicative skills.
PROJECT ACTIVITIES:
This is one of six shelters of the HCMC Women’s Charity Union. It is was built by Mrs Jean Houlmann. Since it was established it has been managed by Miss Huynh Tuyet Nga and the children here call her “Mother Nga”. At the moment, there are 27 children living here - 12 children in primary school, 11 children in secondary school and 4 children in high school. Almost all of them are in a poor situation, some are abandoned, some are orphans, and some have their mother or father in prison. Although, having different situations and coming from different places in Vietnam, but they now live in love and solidarity together, and those are the greatest moral powers that help them to live and to study. They go to school outside of the centre six days a week, some study in the morning, and others in the afternoon.
VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS:
Volunteers do not need experience in teaching, although would it would definitely be useful. Volunteers should be prepared to share stories, sing and dance. The content of the class follows a book, and lessons are to be prepared beforehand by volunteers. Local Vietnamese volunteers from VPV also join the volunteer in every class to provide translation, support and control where necessary, and to also to make our volunteers more comfortable especially when first starting. Adaptability and quick thinking is needed to teach children with different ages and abilities.
VOLUNTEER TASKS:
Although an all-boys shelter, both male and female volunteers are welcome here. Volunteers teach English at this project and VPV has also organised activities there on special days such as Christmas. Teaching follows a local book. The boys are all of different ages and so have different English abilities.
VOLUNTEERING PERIOD:
Ongoing project. Minimum stay preferred is one month.
HOSTING SITUATION:
Volunteers will stay in a dormitory with rooms shared with other volunteers. Living conditions will be Vietnamese standard with separate bathroom, single bed with mattress. Food will be provided at the accommodation. Meals will be mostly local food, which vary from the daily cooking schedule. Volunteers, especially those who are vegetarian may be required to do some cooking. During working-days food is provided by the host placement.
- Help street children to have the opportunity to improve their ability in integrating with society. - Help children who earn their living on the streets to know how to communicate with basic English and to use a computer. - Give cultural and social knowledge in order to gain self-confidence.
PROJECT ACTIVITIES:
Tu Xuong Center is a centre for street children that offers English and computing classes, which has developed and grown due to the help and support of the Catholic Solidarity Committee. It is also part of the Friends For Street Children (FFSC) organization. It has helped over 40 pupils in improving listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in basic English. The pupils learn English and computing and some of them can achieve English examining certificates, as well as having English conversational skills. In addition, if the pupils know basic computing-English they can receive sponsor-parents and receive scholarship from people who are introduced by the ‘Smile For Life’ organisation. This scholarship will help them continue their studies in the centre or they can learn a trade which is suitable for their needs and their abilities. Afterwards, when they grow up, they can earn and live by independent means. After a year of studying almost all pupils can communicate in English with foreigners when they are working on the streets and are competent at using a computer. They also join in festivals, cultural exchange events and picnics, which help them in developing as people and give greater self confidence in their life. For that reason, Tu Xuong Centre continues to be a place for all children who have desire to learn as well as have a healthy life in order to help them develop more and help provide them a better life.
VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS:
Volunteers do not need experience in teaching and with the children being a little older, having a greater knowledge in English, and with the help from the centre's director, the classes are a good way to introduce teaching to an inexperienced volunteer. Volunteers should be prepared to share stories, sing and probably dance.
VOLUNTEER TASKS:
Volunteers from VPV are sent here to teach English for the children. Content is followed from a book and guided by the director of the centre. The children's age range from about 13-18 so the English level of some children can be quite good. Volunteers can also arrange extra activities such as days-out or a special day as well as join in other events offered by the centre on occasion. There are 3 different classes that are available to our volunteers. There is a classes in the morning, afternoon and evening which are 3 times a week. Volunteers are usually given either the morning or afternoon class with the evening class being optional. Classes are 1,5 hours. The classes run from Monday to Friday, with Saturday and Sunday free.
VOLUNTEERING PERIOD:
Ongoing project. Minimum stay preferred is one month.
HOSTING SITUATION:
Volunteers will stay in a dormitory with rooms shared with other volunteers. Living conditions will be Vietnamese standard with separate bathroom, single bed with mattress. Food will be provided at the accommodation. Meals will be mostly local food, which vary from the daily cooking schedule. Volunteers, especially those who are vegetarian may be required to do some cooking. During working-days food is provided by the host placement.
The aim of the oprhanage is to provide care for the children who have mental and physical disabilities. They provide physical and mental therapy to try and give them some skills to move them as close as possible to independent living.
PROJECT ACTIVITIES:
Ky Quang Pagoda was built in the early part of the 20th Century in 1924 and is quite famous in Ho Chi Minh City. The pagoda is now a place of charity for unlucky children and also helps treat diseases. Now, the pagoda is taking care and bringing up more than 200 children in the South of Vietnam. The children here have unfortunate backgrounds as many have been abandoned by their parents and relatives. It is not uncommon for children to be found left outside the pagoda, or for them to receive a call from the hospital with the request to accept abandoned babies. At the moment, about 200 people are living in the Pagoda, their ages ranging from 5 days old to 40 years old. 90 of these are orphans that are suffering from a wide range of disabilities including cerebral-palsy, blindness or Down's syndrome. At present, about 30-40 local children have a chance to study at Ky Quang as some local teachers teach Vietnamese for them in the morning. The Pagoda Orphanage is founded and run by the Bonze Thich Thien Nhan. It has 25 staff members who stay at the Pagoda to take care and bring up these orphans. A French organisation has recently been given permission to work alongside the monks here.
COMMUNITY CONTEXT:
Ky Quang Orphanage is located in Go Vap District.
VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS:
No experience is necessary but any time spent working with children or disabled children does have a big advantage. Volunteers should be patient, adaptable and have the ability to accept that conditions and practices may be different in Vietnam. Lots of energy is also needed. For teaching volunteers should be confident, resourceful and adaptable to student behaviour and classroom atmosphere. No prior teaching experience is needed, but is very useful.
VOLUNTEER TASKS:
Volunteers can be placed here for either teaching English or orphanage work.
For teaching English we have arranged classes with local children from the area who do not have such good opportunities to study at school. They come to the pagoda to join our English classes, which have proved very popular. The classes are open to all so attracts many different ages and English levels vary from child to child. The content of the class follows a book, and lessons are to be prepared before hand by volunteers. Local Vietnamese volunteers from VPV also join the volunteer in every class to provide translation, support and control where necessary, and to also to make our volunteers more comfortable especially when first starting.
For orphanage work the volunteers will work mainly in a day-care room inside the pagoda that rehabilitates, takes care, entertains and feeds disabled children. The children all live at the pagoda but are brought to this room in the morning, and returned in the evening, and it is this room that volunteers will spend most of their time. The main focus of the work is to help the children to develop with constructive activities, helping them to walk/stand/catch as well as playing. A large majority of time is spent feeding the children, as some children take a lot longer than others.
VOLUNTEERING PERIOD:
Ongoing project. Minimum period of stay - 2 weeks.
HOSTING SITUATION:
Volunteers will stay in a dormitory with rooms shared with other volunteers. Living conditions will be Vietnamese standard with separate bathroom, single bed with mattress. Food will be provided at the accommodation. Meals will be mostly local food, which vary from the daily cooking schedule. Volunteers, especially those who are vegetarian may be required to do some cooking. During working-days food is provided by the host placement.
CDECC is an independent consulting organization, which provides research, supervision and evaluation services in the fields of environment and climate change, children’s development, gender equity and family, protection from and prevention of HIV/AIDS and the promotion of grassroots democracy. CDECC endeavors to become a strong NGO in Vietnam and focuses on the protection and development of communities and children. Such a mission is a reaction to environmental pollution and climate change, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, poverty, gender inequality and violence.
Project activities:
- Conducting research on proposals to realize projects aimed at communities’ and children’s protection and development. - Counseling activities concerning communities’ and children’s protection and development. - Promoting and receiving funding resources from domestic and international organizations, enterprises and benefactors to provide support for communities and children in great difficulty.
Community context:
Local NGOs are part of civil society which is very new in Vietnam.
Volunteer's requirements: Flexibility / adaptability, good in team work. Computer skills. Native English speakers preferred. Educational degree or practical experience required. Please bring a laptop for your work.
NB:
Please send a CV and motivation letter.
VOLUNTEERING PERIOD:
Minimum period of stay - 2 months.
VOLUNTEER TASKS:
- Writing and editing documents. - Fundraising. - Promotion of the project (Presentation of the project in front of donors). - Teaching English to the local staff. - Editing budgets. - Organizing daily tasks. - Networking.
Host situation:
Volunteers will stay in a dormitory with rooms shared with other volunteers. Sometimes homestay may be arranged. Living conditions will be Vietnamese standard with shared bathroom, single bed with mattress. Food will be provided at the accommodation. Meals will be mostly local food, which vary from the daily cooking schedule. At lunch, most of the time food is provided by the local staff of the NGO.
Support for Education and culture of Vietnam, promotion of sustainable development of society.
Project activities:
- Support for Education and culture of Vietnam. - Support, consulting, evaluation for community projects. - Coordination in training. - Transfer new application and method in education and culture. - Create new approach and new awareness in education and culture.
Community context:
The children are the future; it is our duty to look after their education and to contribute to their intellectual development.
Volunteer requirements:
Flexibility / adaptability, good in team work. Computer skills. Native English speakers preferred. Educational degree or practical experience required. Please bring a laptop for your work.
NB:
Please send a CV and motivation letter.
VOLUNTEERING PERIOD:
Minimum period of stay - 2 months.
VOLUNTEER TASKS:
- Writing and editing documents. - Fundraising. - Promotion of the project (Presentation of the project in front of donors). - Teaching English to the local staff. - Helping with the English lessons development. - Helping at "Traditional Playground" projects. - Editing budgets. - Organizing daily tasks. - Networking.
Hosting situation:
Volunteers will stay in a dormitory with rooms shared with other volunteers. Sometimes homestay may be arranged. Living conditions will be Vietnamese standard with shared bathroom, single bed with mattress. Food will be provided at the accommodation. Meals will be mostly local food, which vary from the daily cooking schedule. At lunch, most of the time food is provided by the local staff of the NGO.
The goal of the project is to develop ecotourism for the Giao Xuan community in the Xuan Thuy National Park to provide them an alternative lifestyle. The project is dealing with sustainable livelihood and poverty by creating job opportunities. The project also contribute to environmental conservation by reducing reliance on natural resources for income generation, promote cultural preservation and support community development.
Project activities:
Since 2003, the Centre for Marinelife Conservation and Community development (MCD), a partner of VPV, has been working with coastal communities to address the need for alternative, sustainable livelihoods. Ecotourism has been identified as a constructive way to improve livelihoods and help restore Vietnam's marine ecosystem. MCD is helping communities develop eco-business in a sustainable way working to ensure a future for all.
Community context:
Giao Xuan is a small rural town situated in the province of Nam Dinh, approximately 150km Southeast of Hanoi. With a population of just 10,000 people, the town has a very friendly atmosphere and the locals are extremely receptive and hospitable to foreign visitors, often greeting them with a delighted smile. The main source of income of the people of Giao Xuan comes from marine life. Visiting Giao Xuan you will be able to observe local work practices and experience the local culture. Unfortunately, over-fishing destructive fishing and the clearing of the mangrove forests for shrimp aquaculture have resulted in a loss of biodiversity. The combination of poverty, a dependence on aquatic resources and environmental degradation has created a situation that calls for immediate action.
Volunteer's requirements:
Flexibility / adaptability, good in team work. Computer skills. Native English speakers preferred. Educational degree or practical experience required. Please bring a laptop for your work.
NB:
Please send a CV and motivation letter.
VOLUNTEERING PERIOD:
Minimum period of stay - 1 month.
VOLUNTEER TASKS:
- Writing and editing documents. - Fundraising. - Promotion of the project in order to raise the number of ecotourists. - Teaching English to the local staff. - Networking.
Host situation:
Volunteers will stay in a dormitory with rooms shared with other volunteers. Sometimes homestay may be arranged. Living conditions will be Vietnamese standard with shared bathroom, single bed with mattress. Food will be provided at the accommodation. Meals will be mostly local food, which vary from the daily cooking schedule. At lunch, most of the time food is provided by the local staff of the NGO.
« I would recommend participating in a workcamp, especially with VAP, who ensured that I found a project to suit me and provided essential training for me in preparation for my trip. Being part of a workcamp really is a life-changing experience, oh, and it looks great on your CV! »