Vietnam: Volunteer Care Projects

• Placement locations: Hanoi
• Types of care projects: Care centres for disabled children, kindergartens
• Age of children: 3 - 20
• Number of people cared for:
  10 - 40
• Role: Assisting with local staff including playing with children, basic teaching and giving general help
• Accommodation: Shared volunteer housing
• Price: From €1,495
• What’s included? Food, accommodation, transfers, insurance, personal webpage, induction and orientation, 24/7 support, social activities
• What’s not included? Flights, visa costs, spending money
• Length of placement: From two weeks
• Start dates: Flexible

Projects Abroad volunteers work with rehabilitation centres for disabled children and kindergartens in Hanoi. In whichever volunteer care project you find yourself, you need to be ready for a challenge. Care volunteers in Vietnam work to relieve the workload of the local staff, whilst also adding to the children's quality of life in many different ways.

Volunteer in Vietnam with Children

The rehabilitation centres provide physical rehabilitation, education and nursing care for many children, aiming to improve the children’s capabilities, and to lead a healthier more independent life. You will be working with children who have a wide range of disabilities, such as autism and downs syndrome. There will also be children who have physical disabilities.

The help you will provide will be varied - it may involve practical care activities such as washing, feeding and dressing the young children, playing games, or helping older children with basic English skills such as learning the alphabet and counting. Your role here is extremely important as it will help to improve their confidence and their future prospects.

Volunteering Abroad on a Care Project in Vietnam

At the kindergartens the class sizes are large, so it’s extremely difficult for the local staff to give each child as much attention as they need. Volunteers working here will provide a helping hand, looking after and caring for the children. It is also the perfect opportunity to put any skills and interests you have to use, whether it is arts and crafts, or teaching games and songs to the children - your suggestions will always be well received. By showing initiative and enthusiasm the options available are endless.

Although some of the staff at the Care projects speak only a basic level of English, the enthusiasm of both the staff and children ensures that you will be able to make yourself understood. Both the Projects Abroad staff and your supervisor will always be available to ensure you make the most of your time in Vietnam. If you wish Projects Abroad will also be able to provide you with a translator for your first couple of weeks, to help you settle in and ask plenty of questions!

Projects Abroad also offers a care placement at a centre located two hours south west of Hanoi. This is home to over 80 previously homeless people – about half of them are aged from 1 month old to 14 years old. Your accommodation will also be at the centre, allowing you to form strong relationships with the children. Please let us know when you apply if you are interested in taking part in this placement.

Our Care projects are available for two weeks if you don't have time to join us for a month or more. This project has been selected by our local colleagues as being suitable for short term volunteering for both the local community and the volunteer. Although you will gain a valuable cultural insight and work intensely within the local community please be aware that you may not be able to make the same impact as someone volunteering for a longer period.