Volunteering Projects in Vietnam

With its beautiful natural setting, rich culture, and tragic recent history, Vietnam is a fascinating destination. Da Nang is Vietnam's fourth largest city, located on Vietnam's east coast. For more information, we suggest that you purchase the Lonely Planet's guide to Vietnam.

Da Nang is located in the north of Vietnam's tropical zone, with a temperate and pleasant climate. There are two seasons: the wet season runs from August to December and the dry season runs from January to July.

The average temperature is about 26C, reaching 28-30C from June to August and 18-23C from December to February. The average humidity is 84%. Rainfall is highest in October and November and lowest in the first four months of the year.

Volunteers may teach English, French, or Environmental awareness at Universities, Colleges, and Language Centers.

In the University program, volunteers can teach in the following disciplines:

• English for English Major Students: Pronunciation, Idioms, Basic & Advanced Speaking, Basic & Advanced Listening, Writing, American Culture and English Literature
• English for Non-English Major Students: Communication skills, Office Management Fundamentals, Entrepreneurial Skills, International Marketing, Stock Market and International Finance, Tourism Management and Planning
• English for Lectures and Staff: Communication Skills, Business Letter Writing, Project Management in English, International Business in English, Leadership, Entrepreneurial Skills
• English for IT Lectures and Students: English for Computer Networks, English for Programming
• Volunteer placements can also be made in the professional areas of programming, networking administration training, and IT support.

In the Industrial College program, volunteers will have the chance to help teach correct pronunciation, English conversational skills and some technical terms for accounting; geology; finance; chemistry; information technology; economics; mechanism.

In the high school program volunteers can help teach correct pronunciation and English conversational skills to their students.

While Da Nang has some international flights, volunteers will probably need to fly via Saigon or Hanoi. Our partner will help you arrange your internal flight. They will also pick you from Da Nang airport and take you to your accommodation.

The Vietnam program has two volunteer intakes per month, on the 1st and the 15th. Volunteers fly into Da Nang and should arrive the day before their start date, so they are ready to take part in a training program on these dates (please note, orientation for January 2010 may be delayed a few days for the New Year holiday).

Volunteers are accommodated in a new house which is very close to school and Language Center, just 5 minutes by walking, 5 minutes from the airport by taxi, and 15 minutes from the shopping centre. The house has 3 stories, 4 bedrooms, 4 toilets, and a large kitchen. The house has a shared washing machine, TV, DVD player, bicycles, and no telephone. There is internet access available at the volunteer house.

Lunch and Dinner are prepared by a Vietnamese cook, with volunteers needing to prepare their own breakfast. The cook has the day off on Sundays, which means volunteers will need to cook and provide their own food each Sunday. Please allow a little extra money for this. There are numerous inexpensive restaurants are available throughout the city.

There may be a few possible placements where you can bring your children and this will be looked at on a case by case basis. 

Each GVN program has different criteria depending on our partner's requirements. Every application is reviewed to ensure that the minimum requirements (as set out on the program page) are met. Next we look to see what skills or experience you have that relate specifically to the program. We are also interested in any previous volunteer experience you may have (either local or international), travel experience, and your particular interest in the program.

After reviewing your application, should we require any further information from you, we will email you to request this.

We are able to cater for vegetarian diets, although if you are vegetarian you need to state this clearly on your application form and on your communication with out partner prior to your arrival, to ensure that they are prepared.

The University is open throughout the year except during the Tet and summer holidays. The Tet holiday is 10 days in mid February (on 1st Jan of Chinese New Year) and the summer holiday is two weeks between late July and early August.

Volunteers can be accepted to the teaching program during the holiday times, but we don't recommend one month placements during these periods due to the reduction in teaching time.

Volunteers need to be at lease 18 years of age. For the placements at Duy Tan University, you need to have at least an undergraduate degree

We advise that you consult your doctor about this, but because you are in a major city, some vaccinations needed in developing areas may not be required.

Yes; furthermore, volunteers for the teaching programs must come from Canada, the USA, Ireland, the UK, New Zealand, or Australia.

Our partner may be able to arrange this for you if you are interested.

Yes, our partner will arrange opportunities for you to visit sites such as the famous Cham sculpture museum, China Beach, and the Marble Mountains, which are all close to central Da Nang. Some host schools can provide you with tourist tours to beautiful places surrounding Da Nang during break times.

You need to allow a little extra money for your meals on Sundays. Any additional travel, snacks, and socializing is up to the volunteer to pay for.

Da Nang is a very safe and friendly city, although you should still take precautions such as carrying cash in a money belt. You will need to be more careful if you spend time in Saigon or Hanoi.

You should expect to be in a group of between two and four volunteers.

You will plan your lessons by yourself and should prepare for this.

You do. Our information pack has links to Vietnamese Embassies throughout the world. Your visa needs to specify the exact dates that you will be in Vietnam, so you will need to bear this in mind when applying. For a placement less than three months, you will come to Vietnam with a tourist visa, then the hosts will help you to change the purpose of visa to help you obtain a proper visa for your voluntary work. Please note that you will work exclusively for one particular host organisation during your placement. This means that your visa will not allow you to work for another organisation during your placement. For the University program you are required to obtain a business visa.

As with any overseas travelling, insurance is recommended. The Global Volunteer Network has arranged a comprehensive travel insurance package specially designed for volunteering. It includes excellent medical and accident coverage as well as a 'loss of deposits' cover which covers fees paid to GVN, airlines etc (up to US$8,000). If you would like to learn more just follow this link: http://www.volunteer.org.nz/insurance/.

Your application fee secures your place on the program (remember this is fully transferable to a later date or different program if you decide not to take part in the program, subject to the terms of service). Your program fee is payable to Global Volunteer Network 8 weeks prior to the 1st of the month you wish to volunteer. Please note that all charges incurred by the payment of the program fee are at the volunteer’s expense, e.g. if a bank transfer incurs a bank fee at the point of origin, that is at the expense of the volunteer. Eighty percent (80%) of your program fee is refundable until one calendar month before the 1st of the month you are due to begin your program. Refer to GVN's legal terms of service for full details.