Volunteering in Vietnam is a good way to interact with the local population and see the country while contributing in a positive way. Many foreigners are given work visas to carry out volunteer work and those with specialized skills frequently end up finding full time employment during their volunteer period in the rapidly growing economy.
The most common type of volunteer work in Vietnam deals with children. These programs usually include work in orphanages, disability centres, street children shelters, and villages. A lot of the children do not have parents or the parents are not able to care for the children. Volunteers help in providing care, teaching, and those with special skills like nursing or physiotherapy can support children with mental or physical disabilities.
Vietnam also needs volunteers capable of teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). Volunteers can teach to children from disadvantaged backgrounds in schools located in far flung areas, training centers, disability centres and orphanages. There is no demand for previous teaching experience, only a willingness to work.
Vietnam has an adequate public healthcare standard with an average life expectancy of 74 years and a low rate of child birth mortality. However, there is a shortage of nurses, mid-wives and hospital beds due to limited funding. Healthcare volunteers in Vietnam help to set up medical camps in different provinces so locals have access to medical facilities, and treatment. Work involves administering vaccines and managing the camps.
The rate of tuberculosis infection in Vietnam is high with close to sixty people dying each month due to the ailment. Also HIV and AIDS are on the rise in the country. There is a need for high intensity of volunteer work in Vietnam for distributing medication, educating the population on preventative measures, vaccinations and related measures. The opportunities to volunteer in Vietnam are numerous.
About Vietnam
Vietnam is notable for its spectacular scenery and long and rich cultural history. While the war is not too far in the past, and still affects the day to day life of many Vietnamese, its people are friendly and the country has opened up to economic liberalisation.
With a long and beautiful coastline and the Red River and Mekong Deltas, Vietnam is full of beautiful and unspoiled scenery. The Vietnamese are extremely cordial to Western visitors, and are eager for extra contact with the rest of the world.
Geographically Vietnam lies in South East Asia, sharing a border with China to the north, and Laos and Cambodia to the west. Vietnam enjoys a long coastline along its eastern side.
Development in Vietnam
Vietnam launched an economic reform programme in 1986. The core of Vietnam’s economic strategy has been rapid integration into the world economy. Despite an initial improvement, with integration into the global market Vietnam struggles with strengthening its resilience to global fluctuations.
The Vietnamese economy suffers from inflation, which increases the price of goods and services putting further pressure on families.
Fifty per cent of the population still live on less than US$2 a day. On top of this, large portions of the population remain vulnerable to sliding back into poverty as a result of either economic shocks or natural disasters such as typhoons and flooding.
Education of Vietnamese youth is an extremely important foundation for lifting their generation and their family out of poverty.
How You Can Help
The mission of a lot of local NGO’s in Vietnam is to reduce poverty and provide better quality of life for disadvantaged children in Vietnam. This builds cross-cultural education and understanding between Vietnamese people and people around the world.
Volunteers provide assistance to disadvantaged socio-economic groups within Vietnamese communities, focusing primarily on displaced, destitute, disabled and orphaned children.
As a volunteer in Vietnam you can provide love, affection, education and support to orphaned children. You will help to improve their living facilities allowing them to be self sufficient and providing a safe and secure environment in which they flourish.
As a volunteer you can practice and teach physiotherapy to disabled children. You will also provide English education, inter-cultural exchange and understanding in Vietnamese communities.
Popular Projects
Childrens Program
Volunteers in the Vietnam Children’s program have the opportunity to work in one of our placements in or around Hanoi – these include orphanages, disability centres, villages and street children shelters.
Many children are parentless or their families are unable to care for them. The role of the volunteer is provide love, attention, education and life skills for these children, and to support the local staff at these placements. Volunteers are needed to assist in caring for children, teaching basic English, arts and crafts, music, sports and other life skills where possible.
There is also need for volunteers who have specialized skills in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, nursing or other professions with qualifications that could support children with mental and physical disabilities.
Physical Therapy
Do you have physical or behavioural therapy skills? Or an interest in supporting children with physical and mental disabilities? Unfortunately, due to low resources, there is a lack of understanding and skills to support those with disabilities living in residential projects.
There is a great need for volunteers who can use any specialized skills in physical therapy, occupational therapy, nursing or other professions with qualifications that could support children with mental or physical disabilities.
Even if you don’t have a related qualification, we still welcome you to join this program – there’s always a need for volunteers to provide interaction and engagement for these kids to help them reach their full potential and build relationships.
Teaching
There is a need in Vietnam for native English speakers or those with Teaching English as a Foreign Language experience to teach in schools, training centres, orphanages and disability centres. Volunteers in this program are placed in one of our placements in Northern Vietnam to teach primarily English to those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
For those with other specialist vocational skills, there is also an opportunity to teach these in a vocational training centre (hospitality, sales, web/graphic design, accommodation, housekeeping, nail art and embroidery).
Volunteers will be given a teaching schedule upon arrival and the primary role of the volunteer will be to assist the English teachers during classes with the primary focus on pronunciation. Volunteers may also be called upon to develop their own lesson plan when leading a class.
There are a number of teachers with good English at the school and a great opportunity for prospective teachers to gain experience in a truly unique cultural setting. Volunteers on teaching program are not required to be a qualified teacher, or have any previous teaching experience. Most organisations ask is that you give 100% effort and enthusiasm in your work with the students.
FAQ
How safe is it to volunteer in Vietnam?
Vietnam is a relatively safe country to live in, however, as with all travel, you need to take precautions such as carrying cash in a money belt and being aware of your possessions and surroundings at all times (be extra vigilant at night time). You will need to be extra careful when travelling in urban areas, such as Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.
Do I need to speak English to become a volunteer?
Yes, you need to speak English. You must be a confident English speaker because most of the work involves teaching this language. You will be taken through some brief Vietnamese language training during your orientation since it would be courteous to learn some Vietnamese phrases. If you want to learn more Vietnamese during your training our partner may be able to arrange this for you.
What is the climate like in Vietnam?
Hanoi and Sapa, in Northern Vietnam, have warm to hot summers and very mild winters. The best time to visit Hanoi and Sapa is March – May and September – November. Please note: it can get very hot in Vietnam during May, June and July (up to 40 degrees).
What else can I do in Vietnam?
Visitors to Vietnam will find a range of activities within their local area, with the rest of the country also within easy access for sightseeing.
Based in Hanoi, you can visit magical Ha Long Bay on a weekend trip, or the rural town of Sapa. There’s also plenty to do within Hanoi, including a tour of the old city, shopping markets, sampling street food, or explore Vietnam’s history in the many museums and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.
Also highly recommended in Vietnam are the Forbidden City in Hue, the small town of Hoi An, China Beach, or the Cham ruins in My Son.