Details

Volunteer Requirements

To be part of a volunteer project you must be 18 years-old or over. You’ll be required to have adequate volunteer travel insurance and to provide a criminal background check to CW’s local team on arrival in Ho Chi Minh City.

Medical volunteers need to be in training or qualified in a relevant medical field, therefore, volunteers are required to present a copy of their qualifications and certificates to our partner organization on arrival in Vietnam.

Location and duration

The programs taking place in Ho Chi Minh may begin any week; volunteers will be picked up at the airport between Monday at 10am to Tuesday at 6am. If you choose a project in Hanoi, they start on the first and third Monday of each month. Volunteers are also collected from the airport, but on Sunday at any time. The duration of every program may be from one week to six months; if you wish to make your stay longer, you should arrange this with our local partner.

Orientation

New volunteers need an introduction to life in Vietnam and living in the local neighborhood. This Orientation includes knowing about Vietnamese culture, such as what is accepted or not by locals, and learning a bit of Vietnamese language.

Accommodation and Meals

Accommodation for our volunteers in Hanoi is located at our partner’s main center. It is 1h away from the center of the city. The dorms have between 4 to 12 bunk beds and include Wi-Fi connection. There is a comfortable common room with a TV and there are shared bathrooms. All programs include breakfast and dinner, and lunch is available depending on the project, all made by a cook who has been highly praised by previous volunteers. If lunch is not included, it will be possible to eat for little cost at local eating places. Volunteers who go to Ho Chi Minh are accommodated in a Volunteer House where they share their bedrooms. They will be offered three meals per day in all programs. Volunteers who take part in programs located in other areas of Vietnam will be welcomed by host families.

One of the most popular things Vietnam is known for is its food. The most famous one is Pho, which contains noodles, and is spicy and has a delicious smell. It can also be called Pho Bo, which is a soup that includes beef, and Pho Ga, another soup that includes chicken. Another specialty is Com, or green rice, which is commonly presented in a lotus leaf. The Vietnamese New Year is a very special time of the year, when amazing food is prepared. Giò, a snack with banana aroma; and Chung cakes, rice cakes with pork; are some examples. Many incredible restaurants are found in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh as well!

Volunteer schedule

You must keep in mind that volunteers are depended on for very important tasks and though they can occasionally take a day off (with dew previous notice to the staff), having chosen to be part of a volunteer program implies responsibility.

On a regular weekday volunteers have breakfast in the house at 7.30 am and at 8:00  they are taken to their project placement where they’ll take part in the different tasks involved in that particular project from 8:30 to 5 pm. There’s usually a morning tea break and a lunch break.

Work and timetables may vary at each placement depending on the projects, but work usually ends at 5:00 in the afternoon and then volunteers are free to do what they want for the rest of the day.

Some will go to do some shopping or sightseeing, go back to their accommodation to rest.