Work in a Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled Children

Volunteer abroad Vietnam physical therapy

  • The Project

    Volunteer abroad in Vietnam and spend time working in a rehabilitation centre which caters to handicapped children of war veterans, invalids, sick soldiers, children affected by dioxin and a number of poor and underprivileged families in all of the towns and provinces in Northern Vietnam. The centre is located in the Ba Via District, a suburb of Hanoi and its main role is admission, care, nursing, orthopaedic surgery, education and vocational training for its residents. The centre was originally set up by the Hanoi Service of Labour, Disabled Soldiers and Social Affairs and is home to over 180 children ranging in age from 2 to 18 years.

  • Why the project needs you

    The centre is a refuge where the children can receive care, attention, a high standard of physical rehabilitation and become immersed in extra activities such as embroidery, weaving or even tailoring. There is also a small Chinese Garden with Traditional Chinese medicines, however due to a lack of funding and attention from the already overworked staff; this sometimes gets left to the wayside. There are plans however to extend the facilities however volunteers are needed to make this happen and to provide additional support, care and assistance to the hard working teams on the ground.

    Project Location

    The centre is located 70km outside of Hanoi in the Ba Vi district, a beautiful rural area where the farmers grow yucca, corn, rice, pineapples and bananas. The room in your guesthouse is equipped with an en-suite shower-room, TV and Wifi. If you opt too, you can cycle the 4km from the guest house to the centre where you will pass fields, vegetable gardens, orchards, small farm houses and little stalls.

    Beware of water buffalo or cows crossing the road in front of you. You may also witness local events as traditional weddings in the guesthouse’s event facilities, situated next to the lake in this area popular with Vietnamese tourists.

    Accessible by public transport, Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam for almost a thousand years, is considered to be the cultural centre of the country; where every dynasty has left behind their imprint with Chinese influence and French colonial design. Now becoming a major city in South East Asia it has internationally recognised universities, many cultural museums, theatres, fantastic restaurants and some superb inner city parks. For adventure lovers too Hanoi has something on offer. The tourism of Hanoi has taken measures to develop adventure sports like kayaking, rock climbing and trekking. The colourful festivals of Hanoi are another reason to attract tourists to the area. The festivals are a great time to learn about the local customs and beliefs.

  • Project Facts

    •Duration: 2 - 26 weeks
    • Cost: £1049 ($1836) for 2 weeks and £195 ($341) for each week thereafter
    • Requirements: age 17+
    • Location: Ba Vi District, outside Hanoi, Vietnam
    • Project activities: Teaching English playing games, rehabilitation, physical therapy
    • Working hours: 09:00 - 16:30, Monday - Friday
    • Project Availability: Project start every Monday.

  • What is included

    • Accommodation: Shared room in a guest house (up to 2 in a room)
    • Airport pick up
    • Transfer to the project site and return to Hanoi city on completion
    • Training: Pre-departure packs, on-site orientation, a basic language class and a local phrase book for the remainder of your stay
    • Support: 24 hour support including a local guide for the first 3 days.
    • Excursions: Staff will help plan cultural visits to temples and archeological sites, local hikes, and
    cultural outings. (activity prices may be extra)
    • CRB- Criminal background check for UK residents. Other nationalities will need to supply police check forms

  • What is not included

    • Flights
    • Insurance
    • Visas
    • Meals: Volunteers must buy their own food
    • Transport between your project and guesthouse - some old bicycles are available to ride each day, however you may purchase a new one should you wish, and donate it after you have left the project
    • Airport drop-off

Related Projects

Other Projects in Vietnam