Projects for Victims of Agent Orange Vietnam

Project Overview

More than 10.000 families have been affected in three generations (parents, children and grandchildren). There are couples with five children, and subsequently their children have been born disabled. Some women affected by Agent Orange have given birth to as many as nine children, all whom have died after of a period of time. Families suffering the debilitating effects of Agent Orange through multiple generations are financially struggling to survive. These families are living in leaky and extremely dilapidated houses and need financial support to re-build their homes.  You’ll be working to provide health care for the victims and re-housing their house, all supervised by trained professionals (just to make sure they stay standing!).

Trip Highlights:

• Getting a great workout whilst building and making a positive and tangible difference to peoples lives
• Assisting in providing day to day care to the children
• Learning about life in the Central Vietnam
• Visit the DMZ: Vinh Moc Tunnels, Truong Son National Cemetery, Hien Luong Bridge over Ben Hai River, Quang Tri Citadel, World Natural Herritage – Phong Nha Cave
• Food! Vietnamese cuisine is some of the world's tastiest

Project details:

This project is organised and run by local organisations and is focused on trying to the levels of poverty in the Quang Tri province. This project aims to give Agent Orange victims a shelter to replace their dilapidated houses; to improve their health and hygiene conditions. In addition, many of the victims are small children whose parents were exposed to dioxin, suffered chromosomal damage, and gave birth to children with birth defects. Pink Lotus works with organizations committed to helping the victims of Agent Orange. These organizations area home to the children and provide medical care. Volunteers in this program will assist in providing day to day care to the children, lead activities for the children, and assist the center staff with tasks around the center. Qualified volunteers can assist in the clinic or with physiotherapy and occupational therapy exercises. Alongside the project there is always the need to help locals improve their English speaking skills by speaking with native speakers.

 

Why the project needs volunteers: The organisation running this project has set themselves very high targets for agent orange victims in the Quang Tri province and need as many helping-hands as possible to assist them. In the process you will learn so much more about life then you ever could have imagined. The children and people you will able to meet and help have truly changed your life!

 

What kind of skills you need to go on this type of project: Working conditions will be hot and resources are basic. This means that activities that could be fairly easy at home are much more difficult on location. You should have a genuine willingness to help in any activity requested and able to handle sometimes repetitive activities. Please note that this can be quite strenuous work and you will also be getting immersed in the local community, learning a bit of Vietnamese along the way.

 

Where the project is based:

Quang Tri province is situated in the north of Central Vietnam. Dong Ha is a city within Quang Tri Province, just south of the former DMZ. It was one of the hardest hit provinces during the war, finding itself at a crossroads of anger and arms. The area is still suffering the effects of the war, from problems with unexploded ordinance to birth defects from Agent Orange and other chemicals used in the area.

 

 

PLEASE NOTE: Minimum numbers apply to this trip. As there may be varying numbers of volunteers during your stay an alternative project may be offered if numbers fall below the minimum during that particular period. Please call us for more information.

Once the project has been confirmed please arrange for your flights to arrive into Ho Chi Minh airport (code SGN). Pink Lotus member will welcome you, and help you connect the next flight go to Phu Bai (Hue City), then transfer to Quang Tri Please contact us to arrange.

 

 

Fast Facts

Project Information

• Project Duration: Min 2 weeks - Max 6 weeks
• Project Costs: $1120.00 for 2 weeks, $180.00 for every week thereafter
• Arrival Airport: Ho Chi Minh City (airport code SGN), get a connected flight to Phu Bai (Hue City)
• Activities: providing day to day care to the children, lead activities for the children, and assist the center staff with tasks around the center. Assisting the local community with all aspects of building and renovating homes
• Working Hours: Flexible; generally Monday to Friday, all other time is free
• Getting to the project: Normally it takes you 20 minutes
• Requirements: Minimum age 17
• Other: Vietnamese New Year (Tet) will be 03 February 2011. There is a 7 day public holiday around this time which will affect projects. Final dates for this festival are confirmed at very short notice. Dates have been closed for a week either side of Tet but please be aware that you may have some disruptions to your placement around this time (TET in 2012 is January 23)

What's Included

• Accommodation: Shared room in hotel
• Food: Food is included.
• Flight to Phu Bai (Hue city)
• Airport Pickup: Included on arrival date.
• Training: In-country orientation
• Support: Pre-departure helpdesk, local in-country team and 24 hour emergency support

What's not included

• Flight to HCMC, Insurance, Visas, Return Airport transfer, Local Transport, Food

Special promotion: book the trip before March 2011, you will get FREE visa to Vietnam

- Year end volunteer program: Organizing Christmas Party for abandoned elder(09/03/2011) - Teach English in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam(06/12/2010) - Community work with Ethnic Khmer children in Soc Trang ,Chau Doc province , Vietnam(06/12/2010) - Build homes for underprivileged families in Vietnam(06/12/2010) - Work with orphans and special needs children in Hanoi(04/12/2010)