VOLUNTEERING
Special Educators, Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists sought!
The Vietnamese Government officials at Hoi An Orphanage allow us to have 2 full-time volunteers at any one time.
We are currently looking for volunteers qualified or experienced in the following areas:- Physiotherapy
- Special Education
- Occupational Therapy
- Caring for People with Disability, particularly children
Volunteer Requirements
The work is physically and mentally demanding. Volunteers must therefore be able to lift the children, and possess maturity and flexibility, in order to cope with sometimes challenging situations.The work environment in a government-run institution in a developing country is considerably different to what you will be used to working in the West. Whilst you may sometimes be shocked, or in disagreement, with work practices that you see, you will need to remain sensitive and diplomatic.
We are a very small team working in Hoi An (only 2 people); our workload is therefore considerable, and our time limited. This means that we cannot be at the Orphanage every day, hence the need for volunteer assistance. As a volunteer, you may therefore find yourself, on a number of occasions, to be the only westerner working at the orphanage. Whilst our Vietnamese staff are friendly, they have limited English. You must therefore be able to work independently and with initiative.
In summary, our volunteers must:
- be 18 years or over; not older than 65 years of age
- have no health problems
- be physically and mentally strong
- possess maturity and flexibility
- be enthusiastic
- be an English speaker
- be able to work independently and with initiative
Schedule
Placements are for a minimum of 1 or 2 months at a time, running from the 1st of the month, and are subject to the approval of the Hoi An Orphanage officials and the local police. It may be possible to extend the stay if the placement is particularly successful, and if the Orphanage administration agree.
Work hours are from 7.30am – 11 am and 2pm – 5pm, Monday – Friday.We do not accept volunteers to begin placements in January or February due to regulations surrounding local holidays.
Unfortunately, we cannot, under any circumstances, accept volunteers for periods of less than 1 month. There are several reasons for this: 1) we are required to do a large amount of paperwork to register western volunteers with the Vietnamese authorities; 2) the children need some stability from the people working with them; and 3) it has been our experience that working at the orphanage is quite a culture shock, and volunteers have reported feeling overwhelmed and not in any position to begin adding value until at least 2 or 3 weeks into their stay.
NOTE: All volunteer placements are given at the discretion of the Vietnamese Orphanage administration; they reserve the right to cancel at any time. We cannot, therefore, accept responsibility for the late cancellation of such placements.
Volunteer Support
We will meet you when you first arrive at the Orphanage and give you an orientation tour. We will answer any questions you have, and be available for any follow up support.
Health and Hygiene
Vietnam is a developing country so health and hygiene standards will vary considerably, depending on where you are. Despite all best efforts, it is not uncommon for Orphanage staff and volunteers to be exposed to head-lice and scabies. There has also been a recent, isolated, outbreak of Chicken pox.
As is the case whenever you are travelling to another country, you should seek the advice of a medical expert and make sure that all your immunisations/vaccinations are up-to-date.
Fundraising
Many volunteer-placement organisations, charge between $1200 and $2000 for an average 4 week volunteering experience in Vietnam. We do not require our volunteers to pay for their placement. However we do require you to support yourself fully re accommodation, food etc.
We also ask that you do undertake some fundraising to assist us financially. We receive no government grants or loans; funding is all by voluntary means and we therefore need your financial support to maintain the projects that you will be involved with.
Further Details
Please contact Jackie, using the form below, for information on available placements. You should provide her with a short description of yourself, your motivation for wishing to undertake voluntary work and your relevant skills and experiences.
