Vietnam Youth And Community

The easiest option for short-term, unplanned volunteering is to work in an orphanage or youth community center. Options abound in urban areas, where countless children would otherwise be forced to make a living selling postcards on the street. Volunteering for such organizations almost always means teaching English.

Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation (www.bdcf.org). This Australian-based charity has opened two chapters in Vietnam, both of which are aimed at sending street children to Blue Dragon schools. The program in Hà Ni also organizes a football team and provides kids with bright blue uniforms, while the chapter in Hi An has students run their own restaurant (46 Båch D}ng). Volunteers are always needed to work at these schools teaching English, math, art, and even yoga. Alternatively, you can sponsor a child for US$75 per year, enough money to send him to school.
Cosmic Volunteers, Cosmic Volunteers, Inc., P.O. Box 11738, Philadelphia, USA (☎610-279-2052; www.cosmicvolunteers.org/vietnam.html). Work in an orphanage in HCMC teaching English, basic math, arts and crafts, music, and sports. The 1-week to 3-month programs include stays in guesthouses or with host families.
à N{ng Orphanage, 283 Lˆ Van Hiˆn, south of à N{ng on the way to the Marble Mountains. A small but welcoming orphanage of about 30 children where little English is spoken. Visiting hours daily 9-11am and 3-5pm.
Global Volunteer Network, Global Volunteer Network Ltd., P.O. Box 2231, Wellington, New Zealand (AUS ☎800 203 012, NZ 644 569 9080, UK 800 032 5035, US 800-963-1198; www.volunteer.org.nz). Current programs include teaching English and working in an orphanage. Programs 1-5 months, US$500-700 per month (plus airfare).
Nguy[n ình Chi€u (Hà Nÿi’s School for the Blind), 21 Lac Trung St, Hà Ni. A massage center operated by blind masseurs trained at Saint Paul’s hospital, Båch Mai hospital, and Tue Tinh school for traditional medicine. Volunteers welcome. Open daily 8:30am-11pm.
Hÿi An Orphanage, 4 Nguy[n Tr™ng T®, next to the church. All visitors are welcome to come by and sit, play, or chat with the children. Some are learning English and are looking to practice; all appreciate a visit. Open to visitors 8-10am and 2-4pm. Please dress conservatively.
SOS Village, 67 Hùng V™£ng. Volunteer, mentor, and teach English at a branch of the international SOS orphanage network. The village originally housed the orphaned children of American soldiers and Vietnamese women. When US soldiers left after the American war, many Vietnamese women were left with children, some of whom ended up in the SOS Village. The village is located in a villa-style complex on the south side of the lake, hidden among pines. Volunteers should dress conservatively and arrange for their own food and accommodations. Open daily 7am-5pm.
Sozo, 176 Bùi Vi_n and 844 S™ Hanh H· Chí Minh City, Vietnam (☎838 8825). These nonprofit cafes provide jobs to children who would otherwise be on the streets selling gum and postcards. Through Sozo, volunteers can find short-term placements at other charities in HCMC, most likely teaching English. Also runs “Friday Night School,” a discussion group for Vietnamese students to improve their English. Seeks English-speaking volunteers. Call or inquire at either cafe.
Th=o àn, 451/1 Hai Bà Tr™ng, H· Chí Minh City, Vietnam(☎8 846 5410; thaodan@hcmc.netnam.vn), in the alley off 451 Hai Bà Tr™ng. Th=o àn is a welcoming organization that is home to about 40 former street children ages 5-22. The charity provides them with education in English, French, Japanese, Vietnamese and math, and it often organizes daytrips and games to celebrate festivals. Visitors and volunteers welcome, especially to teach. It is recommended that you call before visiting.
T àm Pagoda, just south of Hu\, doubles as a religious school where monks pass on their knowledge of languages to the local children; French and English classes are popular parts of the lesson plan. Foreigners interested in joining these monks as teachers would be warmly welcomed. For details contact Thuh Phap Tri, 1 Lieu Quan (cell ☎ 0914 190 109; dha_wisdom@yahoo.com).