What to expect and how you'll make an impact:

The nature of special needs care in Vietnam is unique, due mainly to the nature of disabilities thought to be caused by a herbicide known as Agent Orange. The debilitating toxin was sprayed all over the country during the Vietnam War. Hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese people were exposed and the chemical’s harmful effects now span generations. As a Special Needs Care volunteer in Vietnam, you will be working in hospitals and community clinics in Ho Chi Minh City, providing support to disabled children and young adults. Your tasks will vary based on your volunteer placement, but can include:

· Assisting with rehabilitation exercises and therapeutic treatments

· Helping with meals and washing up

· Playing games

· Arranging music and arts activities

· Supporting renovation work like painting murals

· Helping with fundraising initiatives

· Teaching English to local staff

Why do Special Needs Care volunteering in Ho Chi Minh:

When you volunteer in Special Needs Care in Vietnam you’ll be adding value to the local community, while also developing personally and professionally by:

· Improving access to care for people with disabilities

· Helping students develop life skills in a safe place

· Developing your communication skills

· Gaining experience supporting people with disabilities

· Immersing yourself in Vietnamese culture

· Learning about the effects of the Vietnam War

Volunteer requirements:

· Volunteers under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to participate in this program

· Volunteers aged 16-18 are required to provide with parental consent in order to participate on the program, and may be asked to provide additional documentation to the local team.

· All volunteers are required to provide a criminal background check prior to departure. Those aged under 18 , if unable to obtain a criminal background check, can provide two-character reference letters instead.

· All volunteers are required to have adequate travel insurance.

· All volunteers must be able to communicate English.

Price:

1 week $260 Equivalent to $37/day

2 weeks $420 Equivalent to $30/day

3 weeks $600 Equivalent to $28/day

4 weeks $780 Equivalent to $28/day

5 weeks $940 Equivalent to $27/day

6 weeks $1,100 Equivalent to $26/day

8 weeks $1,320 Equivalent to $24/day

Accommodation:

You’ll stay at volunteer dormitory at ​a tourism college which is a 30-minute drive from the tourist area of Ho Chi Minh City. You can expect to share a room ​with 5-7 other volunteers, all sleeping in bunk beds, shared bathroom. Living conditions are basic; however, there is air conditioning. The showers are with cold running water (nice and refreshing in the hot weather!). WiFi is available in the volunteer dormitory; however, the connection can be slow sometimes so we recommend bringing an unlocked mobile phone and purchasing a local SIM card when you arrive in Vietnam. The local team can assist you with this during your program orientation. Some placements are located relatively close to the volunteer accommodation, however in some instances, volunteers may need to travel by public bus for 30​ to 40​ minutes to their placements. If this is the case, you will be accompanied by a member of the local team for the first 2 or 3 days to ensure that you know where to go and can find your way around easily.

Meal

Volunteers in Ho Chi Minh City are served three meals per day during the week. Breakfast is usually toast, cereal, fruit, tea and coffee. Lunch and dinner are typically traditional Vietnamese fare and include a wide variety of rice, noodle and soup dishes with plenty of vegetables, meats and fresh herbs. On the weekends volunteers are only served brunch and dinner. If you have any special dietary requirements, please let us know when you apply for the program so we can make arrangements for you.

Include:

· Accommodation

· Meals

· 24/7 in-country support

· In-country program orientation

· Pre-departure support

· Airport pick-up

· Personalized preparation tools, guides and check lists

· Certificate of Volunteer Service