Hosting NGO
SJV (Solidarités Jeunesses Vietnam)
Contact person
Do Thi Phuc, Director
Project Place
Ha Long, Quang Ninh province
Remark for Period
3 months participation from 02/01, 05/01, 08/01 and 11/01 is possible. Open to 1-2 months participation if the places are not full at 2 months before the starting date.
Background
Name and description of the local host
Based on the Ha Long city, Mai Hoang center of disable people exists for several years. All of the people are disable and do not have enough earning to cover their own life. Their children, all of whom are badly malnourished and illiterate, have to live in poverty. There are 65 people permanently stay at the center and 70 come every day to learn making handicraft products. When they could sell products, they have some income for their living. There is a forest behind the center but there is no-one to guide the disability to plant trees so during typhoon season in 2012, 2013, the center suffered huge damages from heavy raining, storm and wind. Almost their accommodation, classrooms, toilets, kitchen were collapsed. The people now have to live under the danger conditions. There is also big land around but not any vegetable is grown yet as the disable couldn’t do manual work. Therefore, sometimes they don’t have enough food. Not many supports from outsiders provided to the center.
Aims and expected impact of the project
- To help the disable center for their sustainable life and living in harmony with environment. There are volunteers coming to the center to work with the people and help them to design products, work in forest and garden.
- Establish this center for disadvantaged, poor and disable children, people to exchange ideas, have a chance to study vocation and to be integrated in the community. We also want this center to be a place for Vietnamese youth to exchange their knowledge, experience and culture with foreigner via workshop and talking that is why youth could play an important role in changing global environment challenges and poverty
Main voluntary work
- Manual work: supporting for staff build the house for disabled people, gardening, cooking.
- Teach English: for disabled at the center or children in local school.
- Approximate working hours: 6 – 8 hours x 5 days a week, depending on weather and number of volunteers
Accommodation
Type of building: Guest house of Mai Hoang center
- Sleeping: Sharing with other vols.
- Meals: Cooked by locals
- How and how long to go to work: Working in the same place as the accommodation!
- Smoking: Only outside building
- Internet access: Yes
Location
Large province located along the northeastern coast of Vietnam. The province is home to Hạ Long Bay, aWorld Heritage Site. The provincial capital is Hạ Long. Nearly 80 per cent of the province is mountainous with abundant land, forest water and mineral resources. Nearly 90 per cent of coal output in the country is extracted in this province. Hạ Long Bay has 1,969 islands, out of which 989 have been given names. The province covers an area of 6,099 square kilometres and as of 2008 it had a population of 1,109,600 people.
Climate: symbolic of the climate of North Vietnam; featuring all four seasons. In summer, it is hot, humid and rainy, while monsoon flourish. The average annual temperature recorded is 22.9 °C. In winter, it is cold (between 1 to 3 °C), dry, and sees little rainfall (between 150 mm and 400 mm). The average humidity is 82 percent. Annual average rainfall, influenced by north-eastern monsoons, varies between 1,700 mm and 2,400 mm (maximum recorded is 2751 mm), with rainfall concentrated in the summer months for 90 to 170 days, particularly in July and August.
Terminal
- Nearest international airport: Noi Bai international airport
- Transportation from the capital or other major city: By public bus for 4-4.5 hours that costs about 200,000 VND (7 Euro).
Other activities
Volunteers are welcomed to discover all the beautiful spots of Quang Ninh province (especially Ha Long bay, Coto island, Van Don beaches…). Quang Ninh province has a comfortable transportation network which enables volunteers to travel to other provinces easily.
Qualification for volunteers
- Required: Working level f English, willing to work with disabled people, to be flexible, adaptable and respectful, strong motivation to work hard with such a difficult living condition
- Preferable: Experience of teaching, working with disabled or children
Attraction for volunteers
- Improving interpersonal skills.
- Discovering Vietnamese culture in very unique way.
- Understanding about global issues and local action related to poverty, climate change, gender equality, human right…
Financial condition
- Participation fee to the host NGO: 7,500,000 VND per month.
- 6,000,000 VND per month for those coming from less expensive countries where the annual GDP per capita is less than 10,000 US$.
Meetings
- On arrival training: First training on the arrival day in SJ office and on job training at the site
- Evaluation meeting (place, length, etc.): 1 day only with coordinator before departure day.
Other remarks
Open to Non-Asian if the places are not full at 2 months before the starting date
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