The Program

Partner Organisation

Global Volunteer Network-Vietnam (GVN-VN)

GVN Vietnam was founded by Viet Dang in 2004. The mission of our partner is to attract international volunteers to different social assistance programs in Vietnam, especially those working to help disadvantaged children. It is hoped by GVN-VN to build cross-cultural education and understanding between Vietnamese people and people around the world.

Like many children in Vietnam, Viet grew up having limited finances. This limitation did not allow him to attend university instead he travelled and worked around Vietnam. It was then that he had the opportunity to volunteer and see the needs of children. A few years later Viet was sponsored by a school friend that was inspired by Viet’s passion to assist disadvantaged children. His friend explanation for the sponsorship was “You are planting a garden of flowers in Vietnam”. His commitment has never wavered ever since that day.

GVN Vietnam is registered as a charity and non-governmental organization in Vietnam. GVN-VN's charity number is AT/UB299.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR: Viet Dang

Email: gvn_vietnam@vnn.vn
Phone: +84 913 457 353
Office Phone: (84 511)3661 549

OFFICE ADDRESS

Lo 28 KDC2 Nguyen Huy Tuong,
Da Nang City,
Vietnam

Assigning Placements

Your placement is assigned before you arrive in Vietnam. If you have a preference on which location you would like to be placed at please let your GVN Volunteer Coordinator know.

One month before you are due to start the program Viet will send out a 'Placement Allocation' email letting you know where all the volunteers in your start month are placed. So, start thinking now as to what type of volunteer experience you are looking for. The Vietnam program has some flexibility and we will accommodate your preferences wherever possible.

Please note, while we do everything we can to assign volunteers to the type of placement they are looking for we do not guarantee that volunteers will always get their first preference.

Program Dates

Volunteers can stay from a period of two weeks to 5 months and may start their placements on the 1st or 15th of each month. Note: Orientation for January may be delayed a few days for the New Year holiday.

Volunteers need to arrive the day before their start date to ensure that they are ready for orientation. Please note that any additional accommodation prior to your start date will be at the volunteer’s expense.

Program Overview

The program offers volunteer opportunities in the following areas:

Orphanage

• Da Nang City in the Danang province
• Tam Ky, in the Quang Nam province
• Tuy Hoa, in the Phu Yen province

College Teaching

• Tuy Hoa Industrial College

Orphanage Program

Volunteers in the Vietnam Orphanage program have the chance to help care for children in orphanages and at day care centres. Volunteers also teach English at language centres and to various community groups. This program is located in the central region of Vietnam. This program will give you a chance to make an important contribution to the people of Vietnam, and to gain an in depth experience of the country and its culture that will stay with you the rest of your life.

The mission of our partner in Vietnam is to attract international volunteer aids to different social assistance programs in Vietnam, especially those for disadvantaged children. This builds cross-cultural education and understanding between Vietnamese people and people around the world. Our first volunteers were placed in July 2004. Our partner in Vietnam is registered with local governments and with PACCOM (People's Aid Coordinating Committee) to do this. They do not receive any funding from the government, and rely on the program fee to run the program.

Our partner organisation can only function with the input of the volunteers from all walks of life. In the orphanages and support centres, there are many children who suffer from mental and physical disabilities. These children need more help than they currently receive, which in some cases is a bare minimum. 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. There is a qualified Vietnamese physiotherapist who works very hard to review over 300 children in the program. He is very grateful for any assistance and is keen to learn new ideas and techniques.

Our Vietnam partner will be very grateful for whatever time you can offer, whether you can stay for one month or 12. Your contribution is invaluable to the children on the program. The work is incredibly rewarding; you can make a difference for these children, and help to brighten their future.

The volunteer opportunities are in the following locations:

Please note: The schedule changes frequently due to the fluctuations in volunteer numbers. Please be aware that you need to be flexible and while we try to keep this information as accurate as possible, your activities may differ slightly to the ones you read about here.

Community Classes

Throughout your placement in the Vietnam Orphanage program you may be asked to teach English to local members of the community. These may take place in hospitals, language centres or other community organisations. For some of these classes the students pay a small fee to attend (directly to the language centre), which goes towards administration and electricity charges. These classes enhance the volunteers' experience of Vietnam. They also raise awareness for the cause of the orphanages and the reasons why international volunteers come to help out in the community. These people then support or help our partner in Vietnam, and consequently help the children in the orphanages.

Da Nang

Da Nang city is in the middle of the country on the north - south road, rail, sea and air routes. The population of Da Nang is around 1.1 million people. It is 764km south of Hanoi (the capital) and 964km north of Ho Chi Minh City. In addition, Danang is in the central point of three well known world cultural heritage sites, including the ancient capital of Hue, Hoi An and the holyland of My Son.

Our partner in Vietnam cooperates with local authorities such as the Da Nang Red Cross, the Da Nang Department of Welfare, the Da Nang Department of Foreign Affairs and the Da Nang Agent Orange Organisation to place international volunteers in the following placements:

Placements

Red Cross Vocational Centre

This centre is about 4 km south of downtown Da Nang. It is home to 37 disabled children whose ages range from 12-25 years. Some of them suffer mental illness; some are partly paralyzed while others have sight and/or hearing impairments.

This centre provides day-care with lunch and accommodation for 20 children, whose parents work during the day. Permanent care with three meals and accommodation is provided for the remaining 17 who live at the centre.

The centre also offers training courses on printing, sewing and embroidery for all the children, the aim being to provide the children with the opportunity to be able to support themselves as an adult. Their work is sold to the public to raise money to assist with the operation of the centre. Many pieces of embroidery and greeting cards have been sold by volunteers in their countries to raise funds for the Red Cross food program.

Volunteers are expected to teach communicative English to around 10 of the children. Volunteers are also needed to teach all of the children arts, crafts, songs, and sports.

Da Nang Malnourished Baby Orphanage

This orphanage is located in the centre of the city. It is home to around 15 babies who are mostly orphans, although some of the children are there because their families are temporarily unable to provide for them. Their ages range from newborn to ten.

There are Mothers who are responsible for caring for the children. Their jobs include cleaning, cooking, bathing and feeding the children.

Volunteers are expected to assist the staff in taking care of the children, including feeding and changing nappies, while the staff are cleaning or cooking meals. There are some teaching programs for the children, but mainly in games and some basic art skills for the older ones.

There are three children who have Cerebral Palsy, Tam (boy, aged 11), Hoa Mi (girl, aged 7), and Tinh (girl, aged 6). As the Mothers are very busy tending to the infants and toddlers, it is expected that volunteers provide particular care and attention to these two children. You will be given some basic physio therapy training so you are comfortable working with these wonderful children.

Da Nang Social Supporting Centre

The centre is located very near the Volunteer house. It is a community project which caters and shelters for around 170 people of all ages who used to live on the streets of Da Nang. Among them, there are around 50 people who are over sixty years old; 47 people have mental disorders and around 40 are children.

There are 13 children who are mentally disabled, again, the volunteer's role is to provide stimulation, interaction and exercise for these children. Again, physio training is provided.

Volunteers teach English to the remainder of the children (approximately 8) who are aged between 7 and 16 years. In the past, volunteers have also provided craft activities and sports games with these children, which have been very enjoyable and beneficial for the children. Recently volunteers started a basic exercise class for about 15 elderly people.

Duc Tri College

Duc Tri College is within walking distance of the Da Nang volunteer house. It provides low cost education for students aged between 18 and 22 who come from disadvantaged families. During the school year, volunteers assist local English teachers with pronunciation and explanations of the English language.

Agent Orange Centers

We volunteer at two local centres that provide care for both health infants and young adults affected by Agent Orange.

Agent Orange Center - #1
This centre has about 16 young adults who suffer from physical and mental disabilities. Volunteers teach arts, crafts, and play games at this center.

Agent Orange Center - #2
There are 23 babies and 20 young, disabled adults. We teach arts & crafts, play games and dance with the young adults. In the baby room, we provide tummy time, reading and other stimulation for them. Due to the fact there are 23 infants and only about 6 mothers to care for them, volunteers help bathe, change, and feed babies.

Accommodation

Volunteers live in a house which is just outside the central city. It is just 10 mins to public transport station. The program's office is based in the house. The upstairs floors are the bedrooms for volunteers. There is running hot water, internet access and telephone (for making local calls and receiving international calls only). The address is: Lo 28 Khu Dan cu 2, Nguyen Huy Tuong, Da Nang City, Vietnam. There is also wireless internet if volunteers choose to bring their own laptop.

Advice on entertainment in Da Nang can be recommended by present volunteers on the program or by staff.

This is a sample timetable for a volunteer in the Da Nang program. Please note that a lot of your work will be with disabled children. Each volunteer will have a different schedule which will be arranged after the orientation:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Red Cross Centre for Disabled Adults (8:30-10:30am)	Malnourished Baby Orphanage (8:30-10:50am)	Red Cross Centre for Disabled children (8:30-9:45am)	Malnourished Baby Orphanage (8:30-10:50am)	Duc Tri College (9:15-11:10am)
Agent Orange (2:20-4:10pm)	Social Supporting Centre (2:30-4:15pm)	Malnourished Baby Orphanage (2:20-4:10pm)	Social Supporting Centre (2:30-4:15pm)

Tam Ky

Tam Ky is in the Quang Nam Province in Central Vietnam. It is 860km south of Hanoi, 947km north of Ho Chi Minh City, and 70km south of Da Nang City (a 1½ hour drive). National Highway 1A and the North/South Railway run through the province.

Tam Ky is the capital of the Quang Nam province with a population of approximately 100,000 people. It is most famous for the nearby Cham Towers. You won't find many westerners in Tam Ky, so it certainly offers a different experience of Vietnam compared to the more touristy areas. There is a supply of books and DVDs in the volunteer house, but you might like to bring some with you for your spare time. The house has a DVD player, and DVDs can be purchased cheaply in Tam Ky. There are many internet cafes within 2 minutes walking distance of the house. There are also internet telephone facilities available.

Our partner in Vietnam cooperates with local authorities such as the Quang Nam Union of Friendship Organisations and Quang Nam Department of Welfare to place international volunteers to the following placements:

Placements

Home of Affection

This is the home for 35 orphans and disadvantaged children. The children range from 3-16 years old. During the school semesters, the older children go to school. Classes will change depending on whether school is in or whether it is school holidays - 3 months: Jun/Jul/Aug and 1 week during Tet in February.

Volunteers teach the older children English as well as general studies. The younger children are still at a basic English level learning the alphabet, colours, days of the week, etc. The children love doing art lessons and sports. Generally in a 1.5 hour class, the first hour is focused on the core lesson content and the last half an hour is used for games or sports. Recently volunteers fundraised to build an outdoor rain/sun shelter so the kids have a place to play in bad weather.

Tam Ky Baby Orphanage

The orphanage is the permanent home for around 30 orphans aged from one month to six years old. Most of the children do not have parents, although some children have poor parents who are unable to provide for them. Fourteen Vietnamese staff (called 'Mothers') care for the babies and children. They are kept busy cleaning, bathing and feeding the children.

Volunteers play with and care for the babies and children while the mothers are working. Sometimes volunteers are needed to assist the mothers feed the children. There are some teaching programs, but you will mainly bring games and art/craft activities to do with the children. The children here love music, dressing up and arts/crafts!

Tam Thanh

Tam Thanh is a small fishing village 15 km east of Tam Ky. It is an isolated beach area where the families are very poor and is inaccessible during the wet season. Many children leave school because their parents cannot afford the fees, plus there is also a shortage of teachers in the area. Volunteers work with staff teaching English to up to 60 children aged from 10 to 16 years old. Class sizes are variable and the children are very keen to learn. The program aims to improve their English to assist with future job opportunities and to encourage them to stay at school.

Tam Ky Rehabilitation Center

Tam Ky Rehabilitation Center has about 20 physically and mentally disabled children who require ongoing care from both nurses and volunteers. Our physiotherapist and former volunteer will train you how to do stretching exercises, strength building, and massage for the kids.

Economic Zone

Students at the Economic Zone are adults who are business people. They deal with foreigners in their business activities and, like the Hospital class, volunteers work to improve their English pronunciation, comprehension and conversational skills, preferably using relevant business terms.

Phuong Dong College

We began working with this college in June 2007. There are 30 students, aged 19-23, from disadvantaged backgrounds who are training to work in the local hospitality industry. As with the Hospital and Economic Zone classes, volunteers will provide guidance on their English pronunciation, comprehension and conversational skills relevant to the hospitality industry.

Daily Work Schedule

A typical day at Tam Ky program would be:

• 8:30 am to 10: 30 am: Baby Orphanage or Tam Thanh program
• 2:00 pm to 3:30: Home of Affection
• 6:00pm to 7:30: Economic Zone (twice a week)

Lessons are planned either at lunch time or in the evening. A weekly schedule is available at the house and volunteers will be allocated across the different centres.

Accommodation

Volunteers stay in a rented house. It is close to shops (photocopy, toiletries, treats, etc.), internet cafes and local cafes. Rooms are equipped with beds, pillows, mosquito nets and fans. The house has a washing machine, western toilets, running water, and a telephone (for making local calls and receiving international calls only) and wireless internet is you wish to bring your laptop.

Address: 158 Hung Vuong, Tam Ky, Quang Nam Province, Vietnam.
Telephone: +84 0510 829 053

Our staff and current volunteers will be able to recommend favourite local entertainment hangouts and assist with finding banks, post office, etc.

Tuy Hoa

Tuy Hoa city is the capital of Phu Yen province. It is 90 km north of Nha Trang, a popular coastal tourist destination and 400 km south of Da Nang city. The city centre is only 1km from the wonderful beaches of the South East coast. The volunteer house is just 300m from the best beach in the city. There are many Cham tower ruins to visit in the city and a large number of locals still belong to the Cham race. The city population is roughly 100,000 people. Like Tam Ky, there are not many westerners in the city, so you will experience the real Vietnam.

Our partner in Vietnam has a partnership with the local organization, The Phu Yen Union of Friendship Organization to place international volunteers to the following placements:

Placements

Tuy Hoa Home of Affection

This is an education center for 50 orphans and street children in the city in the evening. The children are aged from 5 to 16 years old. They do not go to public school like the other normal children. During the daytime, they work on the streets: working in restaurants, coffee shops, selling lottery tickets or begging other people for money. The program has a goal to provide as much education and skills as possible to the children so they can have better lives in the future. Volunteers will teach English, arts, crafts and life skills to the children. Prior to classes children receive an evening meal from volunteer's fundraising or donations. The schedule is currently 3 evenings a week from 6:30pm-7:30pm.

Phu Yen Social Support Center

The center is the permanent home for 8 orphans at present who are babies or children with disabilities. Most of them are taken from mountainous areas surrounding Tuy Hoa city. Volunteers are expected to assist with the center staff (mothers) to look after the children and provide some physical therapy. You will be given some basic physio therapy training so you're comfortable working with these children. Volunteers spend an hour and a half here, 3 afternoons per week.

Niem Vui School for Children with disabilities

There are 100 children with disabilities at the school. Most of them are deaf and a few of them have Down Syndrome or autism. Volunteers will provide stimulating activities to make the children more confident when they go out in the community. Arts and crafts, sporting games, short visits to a local café have been well received by the children. Most volunteers visit for one hour each week. Currently there are 15 kids receiving professional art lessons and we hope to sell their artwork to raise funds for them and their school's food program.

Tuy Hoa Industrial College (optional for volunteers in the orphanage program)

The College has an enrollment of over 6000 young adults. Most of the students are from poor rural and highland areas of the country. Basic accommodation and meals are provided for these students. Courses offered at the College include Electronics, IT, Geology, Finance and Banking, and Chemical and Mechanical engineering. English proficiency is considered a valuable asset for students – improving their future employment opportunities. Volunteers are expected to plan and teach lessons at the college to improve the students' English pronunciation and conversational skills. The teaching materials are Basic Business English and New Headway. Classes are scheduled two mornings each week; a total of 4 x 3/4 hour sessions.

Vocational College

Duy Tan is a private high school for underprivileged students. Most of the funding comes from Vietnamese graduates now living in Saigon and other parts of Viet Nam. Students at this high school live in Tuy Hoa and towns bordering Tuy Hoa. Students may live from 20 km or more from the high school, so they have to stay with relatives in Tuy Hoa or at the dormitory that the school provides. Volunteers can expect to teach classrooms that house 30-45 students. There will always be a teacher to aid the volunteer in the classroom. The school's focus is on general education. At the moment, volunteers make up their own curriculum that focuses on communication and correct pronunciation. The High School is located about 4 kilometers from the GVN house and volunteers typically ride bikes to the site.

Little School

The school is located within walking distance of the GVN house and the fishing village. It consists of 15-18 students in each class, aged 4 or 5 years old. These children are all from the local area. The volunteers teach beginner’s English, games and other fun activities to the students 4 times a week, an hour each time. This is a new and developing program since it only started in November.

Fishing Village School

The school is located just outside the fishing village and is also within walking distance of the GVN house. Volunteers teach basic beginner's English 4 times a week, 45 minutes each class. There are 18 children in each class, and the children are aged 5 or 6 years old. This is also a new program, it started in November.

Accommodation

Volunteers live in a rented house which is in the centre of the city. It is just 5 minute walk from Tuy Hoa beaches and close to other facilities such as shopping centres and public transport stations. There are 3 bedrooms in the house and one big living room. Living supplies such as: pillows, blankets, mosquito nets and fans are provided. Three meals a day are provided by the cook, filtered water is always available and a nightwatchman is employed to ensure the house and volunteers’ safety. There is running water, internet access, and a telephone (for making local calls and receiving international calls only). Volunteers may choose to bring their own laptop. The address is: 7 Ba Trieu, TP, Tuy Hoa City, Phu Yen Province, Vietnam. The phone number is + 84 057 3810084. Bicycle and taxi are provided to go to work. The staff of GVN in Tuy Hoa consists of 3 people: Ms Nguyen - the Placement Manager; Ms Chi - the Cook;; Mr Luyen - the Guard. Schedule in Tuy Hoa (November).

Schedule in Tuy Hoa(November)

Time	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Morning	8h30-9h30 L.S(3 vols)	8h30-10h F.V(3 vols)	8h30-10h15 T.I.C(2 vols), 8h30-9h30 L.S(3 vols)	8h30-10h15 T.I.C(2 vols), 8h30-9h30 L.S(3 vols)	9h-10h D.S(all vols)
Afternoon	2h30-4h SPC(all vols)	2h-3h L.S(3 vols)	2h30-4h SPC(all)	meeting at 10h30
Evening	6h30-7h30 H.A(all vols)		6h30-7h30 H.A (all vols)	6h30-7h30 H.A (all vols)

L.S:Little School
F.V: Fishing Village School
H.A : Home of Affection
D.S : Disable School
V.C : Vocational College
T.I.C : Tuy Hoa Industrial College

Lessons are planned either at lunch time or in the evening. A weekly schedule is available at the house and volunteers will be allocated across the different centres.

College Teaching

Tuy Hoa is a one of the poorest provinces in Vietnam. The Vietnamese students learning English have had very limited exposure to native English speakers. A high majority of students at Tuy Hoa Industrial College (TIC) are poor, they are not able to afford private tuition and their only opportunity they have to learn English is in a class of at least 50 students from a non-native speaker. As a result, the majority of these students have poor speaking English speaking skills. Thus, the need for English speaking volunteers here is great. If you choose to volunteer at TIC you will work with teachers who are hard working, dedicated to their students and eager to improve their own English speaking skills.

There are approximately 7,000 students at TIC, most aged between 18 to 22 years old. A majority of these students are from Tuy Hoa (Phu Yen Province), and its surrounding provinces Bin Dinh, Khanh Hoa, Gia Lai, Daklak, Nghe An, Quang Banh. The college also has some students that travel from as far north as Cao Bang, which is the province bordering China. These students travel to Tuy Hoa to study because they cannot afford university in Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) or Hanoi. Roughly 800 students live in dormitory accommodation on campus, with the remainder living in cheap student accommodation or with relatives who support them while they study. The living conditions for all of these students are very basic, they often live six to eight students to a room in hot and overcrowded surroundings.

At times you may be working as the sole teacher in the classroom or in partnership with a Vietnamese teacher. In some schools Vietnamese teachers may step down in order for you to take their classes, we do not encourage this and strongly recommend that volunteers work in partnership with Vietnamese teachers to introduce new practical teaching methods to the classroom that can be carried on after your placement. Working in partnership will give volunteers and teachers the opportunity to learn.

You may feel anxious at the thought of teaching a classroom teeming full of students who don't speak your native language and are looking at you wide eyed, waiting for you to teach them English. Almost all of the volunteers that come to Vietnam with us have no previous teaching experience. You are not expected to be teaching lessons to the same level as a teacher with 10 years experience. All that we ask is that you give 100% effort and enthusiasm to all that you do with the students. All the students are so eager to learn that it's difficult to keep it at 100% and not give more.

You may find Vietnamese schools very different to past experiences as the facilities in the classrooms are basic, students will sit on long bench seats and work on long bench tables which sit on either side of the classroom. Class sizes can range from 30 students to 80 students, with the average class size being approximately 60 students.

A typical morning at College will begin with the TIC van arriving at volunteer house at approximately 8:20am to pick up the volunteers and finish with volunteers being dropped back off at the house around 11am, the afternoon sessions runs from 2:30pm to 5pm. Volunteers will already be aware of the teacher, classroom and the material to be covered in the volunteer house. The volunteer house has a copy of the textbooks and reading booklets so that volunteers have a chance to familiarise themselves with the classroom material before beginning their lessons.

Once you arrive at TIC, you will make your way to your scheduled class and meet with your teacher (until you are familiar with the campus, Ms An, the head of the English department, or Ms Nguyen, our TIC liaison, will meet you at the car and take you to your classroom). The morning classes at TIC run from 7am till 11am, so at 8:30am, when you arrive they will have just finished a short ten minute break. The classes normally have a mix of boys and girls, although there is usually a clear majority of one or the other, for instance, accounting classes are predominately female, while chemical engineering classes are mostly male.

The material the volunteers will assist with, is from one of three sources, the New Headway textbook, the Business Basics textbook or the TIC's English For Special Purposes (ESP) booklets. The New Headway textbook covers very basic English language topics such as parts of the body, food, and the structure and grammatical rules of the English language. All students at the College must complete this course as part of their studies at TIC. A student of the Economics department, of which there are approximately 1,000, will then go on to complete the Business Basics textbook. This book covers vocabulary specifically relating to business and the workplace, and attempts to further develop students English speaking skills. The ESP booklets contain English language and vocabulary that is specific to a students field of study, for example there is a chemical engineering booklet for chemical engineering students or a computer science booklet for IT students. These courses are important because often when these students enter the workforce they are required to interact with English speaking technicians or use machinery with manuals written in English.

The role of a volunteer is to assist the teacher with their scheduled lessons, the exact nature of that role will vary from teacher to teacher, and similarly from volunteer to volunteer. In broad terms, volunteers work to improve students' speaking and listening skills, with a particular focus on correct pronunciation of vocabulary. Exposure to native English speakers will also help students and teachers alike to improve their communicative English skills, intonation, and to build confidence in their English speaking skills when interacting with native English speakers.

The teachers of TIC are also very open to volunteers taking initiative inside and outside the classroom. Inside the classroom volunteers can organise games or different activities relating to the material being covered. Outside the classroom volunteers are able to assist in the International Relations office of Mr Dinh and Ms Nguyen. In the past volunteers have worked on recording audio clips or editing English material in an effort to improve and add to the resources available to the students and teachers at TIC. The TIC also hopes to re-open its 'English Club' which would provide teachers and students with the opportunity to practice their English skills in an informal setting and allow volunteers to learn more about Vietnamese culture and customs.

At TIC students and teachers must adhere to a strict dress code, therefore it is requested that volunteers dress accordingly. Males are expected to wear a collared t-shirt or shirt and long trousers and females are expected to wear the equivalent whether that is a long dress, a blouse and long skirt or a neat shirt and trousers. There are ceiling fans and windows along the sides of the classrooms but during the warmer months the classrooms can still get quite hot, so it is recommended that volunteers think carefully about what they wear and always bring plenty of water with them to class.

If you would like to do some preparation before you come, there are a few links below to webpages that contain a lot of ESL teaching resources. I'm sure that once you've had a read through some of that information, you will feel more confident.

For more details about planning lessons, our Asia teaching resources pack will give you some ideas.

You may also wish to take a TEFL course to improve your skills. There are a number of TEFL courses that you can do online which although are not essential will help you in developing your skills and a program. This link will take you to one program that we recommend.

Another good teaching resource is the book Lessons From Nothing by Bruce Marsland. The resource "Side by Side" for the orphanage and street children programs. This book covers from very basic level to advanced level and uses a lot of pictures to illustrate for the lessons. Hence, it is helpful to the children.

Further useful links are for some activity idea and lesson plans (please note that we are in no way responsible for the material on these sites and have only researched these for the purpose of providing you with a base for some classroom ideas):

• http://www.esl-galaxy.com/ is a great website with a comprehensive list of resources
• http://www.esl-images.com and http://www.english-to-go.com (You need to pay to become a member but can use a lot of useful tools. You can even do this from Vietnam so long as you have access to a computer and printer although you may want to take a look ahead of time to see what is available)
• http://esl.about.com/
• http://www.onestopenglish.com/section.asp?sectionType=listsummary&catid=59410
• http://www.esl-lounge.com

If you have any further questions about the program, Nguyen, who is our coordinator at TIC, has offered to be a contact for volunteers and is more than happy for volunteers to send an email to: doanthihongnguyen@gmail.com

Children in Need of Surgery

When volunteering you may come across a child in desperate need of a major surgery (due to a deformity, an injury that healed incorrectly etc.). Our partner has access to an organization that may be able to help. If the child is approved, Children's First Foundation, will pay for the child's airfare, medical costs and rehabilitation to have the operation in Australia. Children's First Foundation's mission statement is:

The Foundation seeks to help those children primarily under fifteen years of age that have operable conditions but are ineligible for assistance from larger aid organisations due to their country of origin, remoteness or the severity of their illness.

Children's First Foundation asks that volunteers keep an eye out for children in need of operations. Therefore, if you find a child that desperately needs an operation please contact your volunteer coordinator for more information about Children's First Foundation.

Orientation Session

Orientation will be held over 2 days and will take place in Da Nang and at the 3 placement locations. We recommend that volunteers plan to arrive in Da Nang at least 1 or 2 days before your start date so that you can be relaxed and alert for the orientation session.

The orientation session will provide you with the necessary information to begin your volunteering program and includes an introduction to the Vietnamese culture and language. You will be able to have any questions or concerns you may have answered during the day.

The orientation session includes an introduction to our partner organisation and its operation there, Code of Conduct and Expectations of the program, tips on working with and caring for babies and disabled children, guidelines for teaching English and an introduction to the Vietnamese culture and language. You will also meet your interpreter who will provide more detailed information about your placement, its facilities and the work program.

The orientation program offers long and short-term benefits for your stay in Vietnam, and is compulsory for all new volunteers. It is during this short period that important and unrepeated information is explained to you. Many leaving volunteers have commented that orientation is a unique opportunity to meet and get to know our organisation and other volunteers from around the globe in some fun, social activities. Get involved and make the most of it!

Orientation Schedule

Location: Our partner's office at Lo 28 Khu Dan cu2, Nguyen Huy Tong, Da Nang City.

Session 1 (1st/15th of the month)

8:30-11:30	Introduction about partner in Vietnam
	Code of Conduct and Expectations
	Caring for Babies and Disabled Children
	Lesson Planning and tips for teaching
	Break into your placement groups and meet your Interpreter
11:30-12:30	Lunch (provided)
12:30-13:30	Introduction to the Vietnamese culture and language
13:30	Travel to placement

Session 2 (2nd/16th of the month)

This is your first day at your placement and you will be eased into work. In the morning you will meet with your interpreter and they will give you information about the places where you will be working and what your responsibilities are. They will also inform you of your work schedule and make introductions to host organisations where you will be working. This may include introductory meetings with managers and staff of these centres. Your interpreter will provide more detailed information on the day. If volunteers from the previous month are still here, they will help you acclimatise also.

Program Fee Breakdown

This graph represents a program fee breakdown for 1 month in the Vietnam volunteer program:

Membership to the Changemakers club

The Changemakers Program is a GVN Foundation initiative and as a member you will have access to:

• The International Fundraising Program- A program designed to assist volunteers with their efforts to raise funds for their chosen project.
• Access to internships at GVN and GVN Foundation (all positions within GVN and GVN Foundation will be offered to our changemakers list prior to being made public).

Extra Placement Costs

The placement fee covers the following expenses:

• Accommodation at your placement location, which is shared with the other volunteers working in that location.
• Three meals per day, Mon - Friday. Weekends vary based on volunteer's travel plans and location of your placement.
• Transport from Da Nang at the beginning of the placement. Because of scheduling volunteers are normally expected to arrange and pay for their own transport back to Danang after completing their time on the program, but you will be given guidance on arranging this.
• Transport to and from work sites each day, depending on placement location. If the centres are not close enough for you to be able to walk or ride a bike from the house you will be taken by car.

Additional expenses are likely to be for the following items:

• Hotel room while waiting for the orientation, the Orientation Session finishes on the 1st, then volunteers are moved to their placement sites after that. This will be US$14 per night.
• Visa extensions. Extension of a tourist visa is estimated at US$50 for 1 month, US$80 for 2 months and US$100 for 3 months depending on single or multiple entry. These are only estimates because it depends on your original visa length and where you are staying.
• Snacks.
• Teaching supplies such as pens, pencils, paper, notebooks, whiteboard markers etc for you to use. These items can be purchased very cheaply in Vietnam.
• Entertainment expenses and for travel on the weekends - hotels, meals, transport etc.
• Since rice, milk and fruit prices have increased dramatically, some volunteers chip in monthly for fruit and milk to bring to the kids. If you are interested, you can budget about US $35 per month for this nutrition program.

It is impossible to say how much these additional costs will amount to, because it is entirely up to you how you want to use your free time. As a rough guide, basic hotel accommodation is likely to be in the vicinity of US$ 10 per day in the off-season and slightly higher in the peak season. Transport for a local weekend location is in the vicinity of US$ 3 or 4 by bus, more by taxi If you plan on traveling to Hanoi or HoChiMinh, you should budget more. To work out how much it will cost to travel, it is a good idea to look at a tourist guide book such as the Lonely Planet or Rough Guide.

Program Fee Payment

Your program fee needs to be paid 10 weeks before the first of the month that you begin volunteering in. These are the methods that you may use to pay your program fee:

a) Wire payment directly to our bank account

You will need to pay any additional fees charged by your bank for the wire payment. The following information will be required by your bank in order to transfer the funds:

US Based Volunteers

Pay via Fedwire type code 1000 Customer Transfer utilising product code center.

Payment through SWIFT by MT103 (Customer Transfer)

PAY TO RECEIVER: ABA#021000089
Citibank NA
New York NY

FOR A/C WITH BANK: A/C 10933728
Bank of New Zealand
Wellington

FAVOR(BENEFICIARY): Global Volunteer Network Limited
Level 2, 105 High Street, Lower Hutt
Account Number: 02-1000-608464-0000

All Other Volunteers

Account Name: Global Volunteer Network
Account Number: 02-0528-0545009-030
Swift Code: BKNZNZ22
Bank Address: Bank Of New Zealand
High Street
Lower Hutt
New Zealand

GVN's street address (required by some banks):
Global Volunteer Network
Level 2
105 High Street
Lower Hutt

Please ensure your name and program is included in the transaction so we can allocate your funds to your program.

Once you have made the wire transaction, please submit the following form so we are aware of the payment being made and can credit it to the correct volunteer: http://www.globalvolunteernetwork.org/confirm/chequewire.php. If you need to clarify how much money you owe for your program fee, please let your GVN coordinator know.

* If you have a New Zealand based bank account, you may pay by online banking directly to GVN's New Zealand dollar bank account (02-0528-0545009-030). Please ensure your name and program is included in the transaction so we can allocate your funds to your account. Please use http://www.x-rates.com/calculator.html to calculate the amount that you need to pay in New Zealand dollars.

* If you are paying from Australia, please note that New Zealand does not have BSB numbers. The first six digits of the account number represent the bank and the branch, and it is not directly interchangeable with the Australian numbers. You will need to make your program fee payment as an international transfer.

* If you are a Canadian volunteer, a former volunteer has recommended North Star Currency as a cheap currency ordering service. They offer lower exchange rates than banks and credit cards. There are no fees to join and they will wire the foreign funds at no charge.

b) Online (credit card)

You can use our secure online credit card system through RBS Worldpay; please note that you will need to include an extra 5% to cover Worldpay's fees.

The specific link for making your payment online was given in the initial email from your GVN Coordinator. Please let your coordinator know if you no longer have that email.

c) Cheque (Check)

It is possible to pay your program fee by bank draft or cheque, if you are paying at least 10 weeks before the first of the month you are volunteering. Cheques or bank drafts must be in your issuing bank's currency. If your issuing bank's currency is not US dollars, please use http://www.x-rates.com/calculator.html to calculate the equivalent to the US dollar amount in your currency and add an extra 5% to cover currency exchange costs. Please note we do not accept postal notes or money orders. Cheques should be made out to Global Volunteer Network, and posted to:

Global Volunteer Network
PO Box 30-968
Lower Hutt
5040
New Zealand.

After posting your program fee, please fill out this form: http://www.globalvolunteernetwork.org/confirm/chequewire.php

GVN Foundation

Stay involved after your volunteer work has finished by joining the fundraising efforts of the GVN Foundation. The GVN Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization in the United States which was founded in 2005 to provide financial assistance to local community organisations in countries around the world. GVN Foundation is modelled after GVN and supports many of the projects where GVN volunteers are placed. Currently, we are working around the world to help end child poverty.

Would you like to help GVN Foundation in the movement to end child poverty? There are a number of options for you to help the Foundation in their work:

Host an Eat So They Can event

Eat So They Can is an international fundraiser that invites citizens of the world to participate in what is collectively one huge dinner party; where something as simple as sharing a meal with friends can help stop child poverty. To find out more and sign up as an Eat So They Can host, visit www.eatsotheycan.org.
> Eat So They Can

Run an International Fundraiser

Many volunteers become very attached to their projects and want to fundraise when they return home. GVN Foundation's International Fundraiser program helps you to do this. Please note that GVN Foundation can only set up International Fundraisers to support our existing partners.
> International Fundraisers

Make a donation

By working with local partners GVN Foundation is able to have a direct impact on the projects it supports. However, we rely entirely upon individual donors like you to help us fund our work.
> Make a Donation

Join a Fundraising Trek

Our fundraising treks to Everest Base Camp (Nepal), Machu Picchu (Peru), and Mt Kilimanjaro (Kenya) give you the opportunity to have the adventure of a lifetime and help communities in need.
> Join a Fundraising Trek

Sponsor a Child

The GVN Foundation offers you the opportunity to pledge $30 USD monthly or a once annual $360 USD to support children in a variety of different programs in countries around the world.
> Sponsor a Child

Give a Gift Certificate

Give the gift of hope by purchasing a GVN Foundation gift certificate for one of our sponsorship programs in Kenya, Uganda, Peru, Vietnam or Nepal.
> Give a Gift Certificate

Start your own Non-Profit

Some volunteers return home determined to change the world. The Be The Change Course is designed to take your idea for a project or dream and give you the skills and confidence you need to make it a reality.

To find out more, please visit http://www.gvnfoundation.org or - we'd love to hear from you!

The in-country fee covers administrative charge, placement arrangement, accommodation, food, transportation for volunteers, and supervision.