Description

Volunteer Immersion program is a helpful and interesting program for you to perform your volunteer work, help disable, homeless children and old people giving them happiness by assisting them, teaching and playing with children. You will learn and try new things, do just things which seem common but are great and valuable to others. You may also choose to get to know some of the language.

Mission: What we do is to make sure your volunteer trip in Ho Chi Minh city give you a meaningful and fun time, and the program helps the local children and people be happy and helped.

What you will do in the program:

In collaboration with disabled children education centres (caring for dumb, deaf and mental disabled children) and charity homes for orphans, volunteers will work at charity homes and centers.
* Helping the children to practise their skills and playing with them.
* Assisting the teachers to hold classroom activities.

Main Activities:
- Volunteering at orphanages helping and playing with kids
- Ho Chi Minh City sightseeing at cultural, historical and architectural relics (2 days)
- Visiting the latest famous historical site Cu Chi (1 day)
- Visit the nearest part of Mekong Delta from Ho Chi Minh city (1 day)
Entertainments, especially at night-time with a terrific water-puppet show

Additional Activities (Optional):
- Getting trained on Culture: 1.5 hours
- Getting trained in Vietnamese language: 3 hours
- Getting trained or having a motorbike ride
- Trekking in the tropical reserve jungle Nam Cat Tien (2 day)
- Traveling to Mui Ne beach (3 days)

* The Disabled Children Education Centre and orphanages are supported by donation from kind-hearted individuals and organizations. This is the only source for them to be in operation as they cannot request any fees from the children's poor or parentless families. However, you will find the teachers there fully qualified, very devoted to their work and full of love to the children.

We also try to associate with some professional psychologists who have expertise and knowledge to teach disable children so that they can give lectures of special education to the local teachers and give treatment to outstanding cases.

A typical daily activity schedule:

8am - 9.30am : Lessons on Math/ Coloring/ Writing classes
9.30 am : Break time
9.45am - 11.00am : Continue academic classes
11.00am - 11.30am : Lunchtime for children (volunteers help to feed the children)
11.30am - 12am : Lunchtime for teachers and volunteers
12 - 1.00pm : Sleep time
1.00pm - 1.15pm : Time for dessert
1.15pm - 3.30pm : Vocational classes (sewing, beading)

Highlights

Look at the destinations and places to visit hereunder and let us set up your own tailor-made trip, whether you travel on your own or arrange the trip for your group.

Destinations and activities for your trip:

* Ho Chi Minh City sight-seeing 1 to 2 days
- Ho Chi Minh City is the nation's largest and also the most populous city, an important economic, cultural, educational, media, sports, entertainment center of Vietnam. Visit museums, temples, markets and architectural buildings on history, art, culture at The Jade Emperor pagoda, The Unification palace, The old city post office, The Nortre dame Cathedral, Ben Thanh market, The war museum, Thien Hau pagoda, China town Cho Lon, Giac Lam pagoda, etc.

* Cultural activities (Optional):
- Take several sessions on historical summary and culture introduction to know the habit and behaviour patterns of the local people.

* Volunteer activities (Recommended):
- Work at one or two disabled children centers or charity homes

* Short course of language (Recommended):
- Take 2-3 survival language classes: to be able to communicate with the local people, do shopping and make orders in coffee and restaurants.

* Entertainment in Ho Chi Minh city
- Take some activities and cultural entertainment, especially at night time: by having a dinner cruise on the river, terrific water-puppet show, karaoke singing, go dancing at a nice ballroom, sitting in a bar with a live band, having a motorbike ride, going fishing, etc.

1. Cu Chi underground tunnel - Cao dai Holy temple - Tay Ninh -01 day
Taking about one hour, around 65 km North West of downtown Ho Chi Minh City. The tunnels system was first created around 1948 to assist Viet Minh in their combat with the French. This is a critical shelter and fighting network for VC during America Vietnam war. Most of visitors visiting Vietnam come to see this site.

Cao dai religion originated from Tay Ninh was an attempt to create the ideal religion through the fusion of the secular and religious philosophies of the East and West. The temple is one of the striking old structures in Vietnam.

2. My Tho Mekong delta - 01 day
Less than one hour, about 80 km from Ho Chi Minh city, where you find yourself in the middle of the orchards, rivers and canals on your boat cruise tasting the Vietnams tropical fruit, coconut candy and enjoy the Southern Vietnam traditional folk music.

* Travel To The Beaches:

1. Mui Ne beach 2 days
Around 4 hours, 180 km from Ho Chi Minh City, it is one of the most beautiful beaches in Vietnam. You can also walk on the sand hills looking down on the mild sea.

2. Con Dao 2 to 3 days
Con Dao is an archipelago off the coast of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, with beautiful unspoiled beaches, cool blue water, long smooth sand. Con Dao is considered as a paradise resort island where you can enjoy the fresh air, primeval forests, along with rich flora and fauna systems, cool climate year round, gentle hospitable people.

3. Phu Quoc island- 2 to 3 days
In the Gulf Thailand, Kien Giang province, Phú Quoc island lies in front of the Cambodian coast. Being among the blue water, untouch beaches, enjoying coral gardens offshore, varieties of wildlife species, are the pleasures which visitors tell each other.

4. Nha Trang beach - 2 to 3 days
Nha Trang city is located on the beautiful Nha Trang Bay which is widely considered as amongst the world's most beautiful bays, with mountain surrounding three sides and an island in the ocean front of the city. Ideal place for you to relax on pristine beaches and have an excellent time scuba diving in mild waves watching wildlife in the sea.

* Trekking In The Jungle and Highland:

1. Cat Tien National Park - 2 days
Is an important national park, approximately 150 km north of Ho Chi Minh City. Having an area of about 720 km2, it is one of the largest areas of lowland tropical rainforests left in Vietnam. As well as being a critical reserve for the Javan Rhino, it also is home to 40 IUCN Red List species, and protects around 30% of Vietnam's species.

2. Da lat city 2 to 3 days:
The city of mist is located 1,500 m (4,900 ft) above sea level on the Langbiang Plateau, inheriting a year-round temperate climate. An ideal place for you to relax, sightsee among tens of romantic waterfalls, valleys and pine-tree hills in the city of flowers.

3. Hoi An Old Town:
Hoi An, where you can see an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. Its buildings and street plan reflect the influences, both indigenous and foreign, that have combined to produce this unique world heritage site (UNESCO). The town lies by Thu Bon river and 5km from Cua Dai beach which is the perfect beach with fine white sand, blue water, small waves and always shining sun.

* Further Up North:

1. Ha Noi city:
Ha Noi is the capital and the second-largest city of Vietnam, which is located on the bank of the Red River. Hanoi is 1,760 km (1,090 miles) north of Ho Chi Minh City. The city is very rich in history, culture and ancient architecture.

2. Sapa:
Sa Pa District is located in Lao Cai Province, north-west Vietnam, 350 km from Hanoi, close to the border with China. Sa Pa is a quiet mountain town, with ethnic minority people working their land on sloping terraces. With sub-tropical summers, temperate winters and 160 days of mist annually makes it a truly unique place for a rich variety of plants, birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles and insects. The impressive physical landscape has resulted from the work of the elements over thousands of years. Here you can see Vietnam's highest peak, Fansipan, at 3,143 m and the Hoang Lien Mountains.

3. Ha Long Bay:
Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is in northern Vietnam, 170 km east of Hanoi. Arriving here, you will be impressed by the scenic rock formations in the sea. There you can do lots of activities such as cave visiting, kayaking, swimming, island stopovers to climb mountain, bike riding amongst rice paddies and see monkeys.

Qualifications

Your love for kids, some of your skills and some patience.

Languages

• English

Cost in US$:

Inquire for more information.

Program Fees Include:

What You Get From the Program:

- Airport reception and farewell
- Decent and comfortable hotels at 2* standard
- Transportation during all the trip (within activities in the program)
- School tuition fees
- Mineral water during your stay
- Breakfast and two main meals
- All entrance fees to the sightseeing-sites
- A uniform and/or hat (for group)
- Souvenir gift
- Flower
- Laundry
- Nice and dedicated assistants and instructors

Credit Available

yes

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

Age Range

18+ or with guardians if younger

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families and Individuals.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Guest House
• Group living
• Dormitory

Participants Travel

Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work

Independently or in Groups of 40

Post Services Include

• Exit Debriefing Abroad
• Re-Entry Debriefing at Home

Year Founded

2005