Work with orphans and special needs children in Hanoi

Project Overview

Have you got the human touch?

Hanoi is the engine room of Northern Vietnam, a frenzy of activity in stark contrast to the laid back attitude of the rest of the country, which is left to don its non la and tend the patchwork of fields and rice paddies in relative peace. The hustle and bustle is well worth investigating and your reward is a fantastic old city rediscovering itself in the face of new influences and full of refreshing public parks and lakes. Volunteers in this great city split their time between two projects; one helps youngsters suffering from the effects of Agent Orange, the devastating chemical weapon used in the Vietnam War; and the other, a children's home giving much needed support to orphaned and abandoned children.

 

Trip Highlights:

• Helping care and look after the children in your project
• Exploring Hanoi's old city - brilliant
• Taking a weekend out to visit Ha Long Bay

Project details:

Working with a number of projects you could find yourself combining work at two projects - a rehabilitation centre for children with special needs and a home for orphans and disadvantaged children, or find yourself working at an orphanage based in a pagoda known for its ancient scenery and architecture.

The centre for children with special needs was founded in 2001 and now has 3 centre's around Hanoi which provide care and education for approx 50 children and young people (aged 2 to 22yrs old) who are suffering from the effects of agent orange, autism, down syndrome and Japanese encephalitis. The home for orphans and disadvantaged children has been running since 1993 and aims to support and educate the children, bringing them up to be good citizens. The home currently cares for approximately 20 children aged between 3 and 17 years old.

Bo De pagoda is located in the Long Bien district of Hanoi, built in the early 20th century during anti-French resistance war period, It is one of famous pagodas in the North of Vietnam. The pagoda’s head, Dam Lan, and its monks and nuns have developed and maintained the pagoda into a holy destination for visitors nationwide to come and spay for good fortune. The pagoda has also become a home for abandoned children. With around 50 children they are aged from new born to 18 years old, some of whom are HIV infected.

The SOS Village Hanoi was established in 1989 and since then, it has become the loving home of many children from disadvantaged backgrounds or are orphans. There are over 100 children in the SOS village, ranging from the age of 1 to 18 years old, the children are carefully taken care of and nurtured by the dedicated staff.

We do work with a number of projects so you may be placed at the above or similar projects.

 

Why the project needs volunteers:

The projects operate with limited funds and resources. They look for financial support from local sponsorship and international organizations and physical assistance from enthusiastic volunteers. This is where you come in! At the centre for children with special needs you will help to support their objectives of providing care and vocational programs to reintegrate their patients back into society. At the home for orphans and disadvantaged children you will help with English lessons, play games with the children and help the staff with general housekeeping. At the pagoda you will assist in the day to day running of the centre and creating activities with the children.

 

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, and an interest helping people with challenging conditions. Volunteers on this placement should have a good understanding of these conditions and be confident in working in this area. Although you do not require any special skills, any experience working with children or young people would be valuable. You will need to be confident, understanding and resilient to difficult conditions.

 

Your role as a volunteer:

Your role will mainly involve caring for the children, singing songs, playing games with the children, joining daily activities and exercise with the pupils as well as helping the centre to cook, clean and feed the children.  It is generally expected that you will work at the centre for children with special needs in the morning and at the home for orphaned and disadvantaged children in the afternoon / early evening although this will vary depending on the needs of the project. Working at the Pagoda you will spend the day with the children.

 

 

Where the project is based:

The project is located in the districts of Hanoi, up to 4kms from your accommodation, easily accessible by taxi or motorbike taxi. Hanoi is a pleasant city with a European feel, and you will find many attractive lakes, parks and boulevards to explore. Hanoi is a much more peaceful city than Ho Chi Minh; Vietnam's largest city, and is home to many interesting museums, temples and pagodas. You will be staying in a volunteer apartment in downtown Hanoi, within eay reach of the local coordinator's office, shops, street cafes, street foods and tourist areas.

You will need to fly into Noiboi International airport in Hanoi on the advertised arrival date (airport code HAN).

 

Fast Facts

Project Information

• Project Duration: Min 2 weeks - Max 12 weeks
• Project Costs: From USD $999.00 for 2 weeks, USD$ 180.00 for every week thereafter
• Location of project:Various locations within Hanoi
• Arrival Airport:Hanoi (airport code HAN)
• Activities:Providing general care and assistance in looking after the children. This will involve playing games, teaching English & basic life skills
• Working Hours:Flexible; usually Monday to Friday 8am to 4.30pm, all other time is free
• Getting to the project:Dependent on location; 20-45 minutes taxi or motorbike taxi ride (budget approximately US$30 per week)
• Requirements:Minimum age 17
• Other:Vietnamese New Year (Tet) will be 03 February 2011 and 23rd January 2012. 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

What's Included

• Accommodation: Shared room in volunteer apartment in dormitory rooms or Hotel
• Food:Food is not included; you will need to purchase your own food (budget approximately US$60 per week)
• Airport Pickup:Included on arrival date. Ask us for details if you're arriving early!
• Training:In-country orientation
• Support:Pre-departure helpdesk, Local in-country team and 24hr emergency support

What's not included

Flights, Insurance, Visas, Return Airport transfer, Local Transport, Food

- Year end volunteer program: Organizing Christmas Party for abandoned elder(09/03/2011) - Projects for Victims of Agent Orange Vietnam(08/12/2010) - 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)