Work with Orphans and Special Needs Children in Hanoi

  Vietnam

• Hanoi: 
Hanoi

Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks and 9-12 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 5-8 weeks

Description: 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.

*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.

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

Qualifications: 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.

Cost in US$: USD 1535.00 for 2 weeks, USD 220.00 for every week thereafter

* Accommodation: Shared room in guesthouse.
* Food: Food is not included; you will need to purchase your own food (budget approximately USD 50 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

Experience Required: no

Age Range: 17-80

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to Vietnam Independently

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network

i-to-i Meaningful Travel's Mission Statement: i-to-i is an award-winning organization providing unique opportunities for you to travel, work and live abroad. Thousands of travelers aged 18 to 80 have joined our volunteer vacations and over 50,000 have learned to Teach English as a Foreign Language through our tailor-made TEFL courses. With over 400 projects on 4 continents, you can join the worldwide i-to-i volunteer community on an extended adventure in areas such as teaching, community development, sports coaching, conservation, building or internships in tourism, marketing, journalism, or health.

Year Founded: 1994