Volunteer Orphanage Programs

As well as orphanages, volunteers share their time between a variety of placements including working with babies and children, and working with disabled children, as well as teaching English.

Volunteers will be allocated to a placement by our partner. Regardless of which placement you are in, you will fly into Da Nang and have your orientation there.

Our current placement locations are:

Da Nang

Here volunteers will work at two Day Care Centres (home for disabled children), two Baby Orphanages, one social support centre and one orphanage for street children. At these placements volunteers will teach English, arts, crafts, songs and sports and at the Baby Orphanages volunteers will clean, feed and play with the children. Volunteers will work with staff to teach English at the orphanage placements as well as work as assistants at local language centres.

Tam Ky Placements

Volunteers in Tam Ky, 70 kilometres south of Da Nang, have the opportunity to work with three community organizations: The Home of Affection, the Tam Ky Baby Orphanage and Tam Ky Rehabilitation Center for Children. Volunteers will teach English, arts & crafts and sports and will also take care of the children at the Orphanages and Rehabilitation Center. English teaching within the community is also part of this placement. Volunteers will teach at a local hospital as well as in a small beach village (Tam Thanh).

Tuy Hoa Placements

Tuy Hoa is the capital of Phu Yen province which is located 100km north of Nha Trang and 400 km south of Da Nang. Here volunteers will work at a Home of Affection for orphans and street children, a social support center for baby orphans and children with disabilities, a rehabilitation school for children with disabilities two education centers for poor children at a Fishing Village. This placement will involve more aspects of teaching than Tam Ky and Da Nang placements.

In the orphanages and support centres there are many children who suffer from mental and physical disabilities. Qualified physiotherapists, occupational therapists, clinical psychologists, behavioural therapists, play therapists, doctors, nurses, orthotist prosthetists, podiatrists and all people with a medical qualification are highly sought after in the Vietnam program.

Program Schedule

Volunteers are required to arrive in Da Nang at the beginning of the month in which they are volunteering to participate in the training and orientation program. In 2010, the Tet holiday runs from the 10th of February and will effect placements to some extent for 7 to 10 days.

Program Locations

Da Nang is now Vietnam's third largest city and is located on the banks of the Han River. It is an hour's flight from Vietnam's major international airports: Ho Chi Minh (in the south) and Hanoi (in the north). Famous landmarks in Da Nang include China Beach, the Marble Mountains and the museum of Cham Sculpture.

Tam Ky is the provincial capital of the Quang Nam province and is located 30 km south of Da Nang. Quang Ngai is 120km south of Da Nang and is the capital of the Quang Ngai province.

Tuy Hoa is the capital of Phu Yen province which is located 100km north of Nha Trang and 400 km south of Da Nang.

Program Requirements

As a volunteer in Vietnam you must:

• be 18 years or over
• have no health problems
• be enthusiastic
• be a native speaker of English
• no older than 65 years of age

To apply for this program, click here

To return to the Vietnam page, click here