Project Summary

The Fisher Village consists of more than 40 families living on temporary ragged boats by the Red River near the historical center of Hanoi, and one small part of the village is on an island. Their lives are extremely difficult: the surroundings are badly polluted, they don't have tap-water or electricity and they have to filter the water from the Red River for drinking water. The disease and drowning rate is very high. Most families have more than 5 members, and most are unemployed, which makes it very difficult to feed the entire family. The children, all of whom are badly malnourished and illiterate, have to collect rubbish, sell collected fruits, vegetable, lottery results or catch shrimp overnight in order to help support their families.

The volunteer center is a small non-formal education center for the children of the Fisher Village. Local and international volunteers give lessons to the children and cook meals for 20 children everyday during the year. The goal of the school is to help children go back to an official public school to get a diploma. Volunteer Visions believes that education is the best way to give the children a chance to have a better life. This project also combines activities to help families of the Fisher village. This includes, providing extra food, medicine, water filters, toothpaste, second-hand warm clothes and free hot showers in the winter, as well as taking some time to clean the river banks.

At a Glance

Minimum Program Length:	2 weeks
Start Date:	Every Monday
Arrival Date:	1 day before the project start date
Dates:	June 7-20, June 18-30, July 2-14, July 16-28, July 29- August 12, August 12-25, August 26- September 5, September 5-17, September 17-29, October 1-13, October 15-27, October 29-November 10, November 12-24, December 6-20
Minimum Age:	18 years old
Volunteer Gender:	Male and Female
Accommodation:	Your accommodation is included in the program price. All volunteers will stay at a Youth House or a local partners' accommodation. This will include very simple and basic living conditions similar to that of most Vietnamese.
Food:	Three meals a day are included in the program price.
Pick-up Info:	A Volunteer Visions representative will be waiting for you at your arrival point and guide you to your accommodation and project location.
Project Schedule:	The working day can range from 4-8 hours per day.

Your role as a Volunteer

Your role as a volunteer is significant in the lives of the children and families of the Fisher Village. Volunteers will be responsible for cooking lunch for 25-30 children, teaching classes to learn basic subjects such as, history and current events, health, English, etc. The most important thing is to help teach and keep the children abiding under school rules. It is our goal to prepare these children for the possibility of attending of regular public school in order to get their degree. Volunteers will also organize some after school leisure activities for youth. As a volunteer you will have the opportunity to make the lives of these children more enjoyable. Volunteers should be patient and enthusiastic in their work, as well as highly motivated.

Project Location

Located in the north of Vietnam, Hanoi has been the capitol of Vietnam for almost a thousand years and is therefore the political epicenter. With an estimated population of 3,145,300, Hanoi is also a major metropolitan area of Northern Vietnam and the largest educational center in Vietnam. In this metropolitan area one will experience typical Northern Vietnam weather. The summers (May-September) are hot and humid and winters (November-March) are relatively cool and dry. The summer months bring Hanoi's rainy season, averaging 1,682mm of rainfall per year. Vietnam is affected by the monsoons, which explains why the country remains slightly cooler than other countries in the area. However, temperatures can still soar to 38-40ºC (100-104ºF) in the summer months. During the winter months Hanoi can dip as low as 6-7ºC (48ºF). Hanoi is currently at the highest Human Development Index (standard of measuring well-being) for the country of Vietnam. Hanoi is experiencing great economic growth and infrastructure upgrades.

Suggested Skills and Interests

Most importantly, volunteers need to be open-minded, have tolerance, respect for others, initiative, creative, patient and enjoy working with disadvantaged children. Self-motivation is very important as well as being enthusiastic in their volunteer work. Volunteers should respect the culture, dress codes, and traditions very closely. They need to be flexible with local foods, accommodations and styles of living, as this is a cultural learning process for the volunteers as well.

Suggested Donations

Donations of tapes, English teaching tools, games, books, pens, notebooks, basic medical supplies, clothes, blankets, hygienic items, etc. are all welcomed.