Vietnam Volunteer Programs from $18/day | Most Affordable & Trusted

The moment I arrived at the international airport of Ho Chi Minh City, I was warmly welcomed by Jenny, my coordinator. We had to wait some time until we could leave the airport as we had to wait for one more volunteer.
We used the time exchanging stories and talking about how Vietnam was compared to Germany, where I come from and she also told me some phrases in Vietnamese.

Our orientation week coordinator, Leah, did a very good job showing us around all the sights in the city and also answering any question or helping is with any problem we brought to her. Since our accommodation was located on the premises of a local private school, we got to know some of the students during the orientation week. We were supposed to practice some english with them, by playing some games together. That was a really nice experience, as one could really see, how they were trying to formulate english sentences and how thankful they were when we corrected them.

The work at my volunteer placement was a lot of fun. In the mornings we would usually either prepare lessons for our classes or we would go to a local orphanage to take care of young children, who lived in the orphanage. That included feeding them, playing with them and comforting them when they were sad.
One day a mother came into the orphanage with two children and left them there, because she couldn't provide for them anymore. The siblings were crying all the time and I held the little boy the whole time so he would stop crying and fed him as well. When I wanted to put him back on the floor he would start crying again so I pretty much held him in my arms until he would fall asleep.
It was a wonderful experience to see how much trust those little kids have in you that they lean their heads against your chest and fall asleep.

In the afternoons, we usually went to another orphanage, where we were supposed to teach the kids, who were older than in the other orphanage, some english. I was lucky to be the teacher of class 4, the oldest class, consisting of 5 girls in the age range of 15 to 19 years. It was quite a challenge, as those girls were really smart and so I had to prepare really well to teach them something they didnt already know. Teaching them was so much fun because they actually wanted to learn something.
On my last day the girls brought some candies and cookies to reward me for my hard work in those two weeks :)

Overall my three weeks in Vietnam were a very good experience, as we got to know the culture and the city very well during our orientation week, thanks Leah!!, and also did some really good work taking care of the kids and teaching them. We noticed how much they appreciated it.

Furthermore, this program was quite easy to adapt to, as volunteers live in a big and international city and the food is very good.

Thanks for the wonderful time GreenLion and of course thanks as well to IVHQ for making volunteering as affordable as it is! :)

Volunteering in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam was an incredible experience for me. Although I only did it for a short period of time due to time constraints (job waiting for me back home) it still gave me everything I was looking for: impact (feeling of making a difference, as small as it may be), rewarding sensation, understanding of the culture, fun, and creation of amazing social bonds with other volunteers.
The first week, all the volunteers that have arrived around the same period of time are taken out on a cultural week where we get to explore the city/country and get acquainted to its culture through various touristy stops and a small cultural class. The week is very well organized and passes really quickly and by the end of it one would have visited all landmarks and sites of that area.
Then we get to our programs, I was in the Teaching English one, and had to do two different types of classes: assisting an english teacher in a school and doing exercises with the students to help practice their english, and something called the English Club, where we went to a coffee house and vietnamese students eager to learn english would join and we would have small lessons, conversations (to help practice) and games. Even singing sessions sometimes! That was the best part of my days for me because you could see the students' eagerness and willingness to practice and get better. I could feel that they understood how important english is for a career and that they would do anything to improve and become fluent (most of them less fortunate and longing for a high paying job in their future). Some of the students even took the volunteers out after the classes in order to practice more! They were so kind.
I personally formed a bond with two of the girls and by the end of it we took pictures and they gave me gifts (bracelets) to keep as a souvenir of them which as you can imagine, really touched me...
Apart from that the accommodation was comfortable and clean, nothing to complain about; and the other volunteers were lovely. I was lucky enough to have a group of open people wanting to socialize and interested in other cultures. We would arrange trips to other cities in vietnam during the weekend and they would go great. I met some amazing people and I hope I get to see them again.

Thanks,
Pia

I took part in a medical project in Ho Chi Minh. I have to say that this trip is pretty suitable for medical students just like me. I helped the patients with their IVs, changing medicine, transferring meds and pulling out needles as well as cleaning the wounds.
As a medical student in China, who is going to study for the second year, I haven't been to the operating room or help the patients by myself, but in Ho Chi Minh, what I have experienced made me relized being a doctor means more than helping and caring but responsibility and the ability to cope with stress.
Thx for the project, i believe I will stick to being a doctor in the future.

Applying via IVHQ to the medical placement in Ho Chi Minh City is one of the best choices I have ever made in my life. I'm super impressed by how prompt the replies from the organisation are, making me felt so safe and ready before the program started. Not only is the pre-trip online support very useful, but they also send you emails during and after the trip asking how are you doing. In addition, the first week of arrival was an orientation week, when we had chance to learn vietnamese culture, including their language and how to roll the springrolls. I enjoyed that "culture week" a lot! Also, I am very grateful that despite the well-organised schedule of the program, the timetable is very flexible that we have plenty of time to explore the city, and even book a flight to travel around! I have never expected to have booked a ticket to travel to Hanoi in order to visit one of the 7 wonders of nature, the Ha Long Bay, in my second weekend trip. The travel agent in the hostel where we live was very helpful and our weekend trips would not have been this perfect without the organisation by the travel agent. The staffs and local students (since we live in the hostel of Saigon Tourist Hospitality College) are very nice and friendly. They even showed us around the city and brought us to try their local food. The most unforgettable experience is trying their traditional food, balut. Although eating a half-fertilised duck egg seems so disgusting, it actually tastes okay. After this trip, I really think that south east asia is such a lovely place to explore, and I wish I could spend more time to travel some other places in Vietnam!

This was my first time volunteering abroad and my experience in Ho Chi Minh City was unforgettable and life-changing. The program offered the opportunity to build a relationship with the program coordinators, the other volunteers, and the children in the orphanage (my placement).
We stayed in a college in the city and were offered a lot of support by the local staff. It was easy to communicate with the staff and they were very willing to help.
There was wifi and the meals were provided by the college restaurant, staffed with Vietnamese students. In this case, you're also able to meet local students that are potentially around your age to find out more about the culture and aspirations of the younger generation.
Overall my experience in Vietnam was unforgettable and very well worth the nervous worrying that took place before my departure.

What I love about IVHQ is that they offer an affordable alternative to your typical vacation for young professionals. While most of my friends take a week off to head to the beach, I was able to learn a new language, interact with a different culture and make friends from all over the world. I had never been to Asia, or travelled alone before and IVHQ offered me the support and opportunity to do so. Next time you are thinking about how to spend your vacation days-- consider taking the adventure of volunteering abroad in a new country. Now for the category by category break down:

Impact:
The program I worked on was called “Feeding the Homeless.” Every morning we would leave the local school where we were living around 7 a.m. and take a bus to the soup kitchen (although rice kitchen might be a more apt term). I was fortunate enough to have the chance to work with another volunteer who had been there for 7 weeks already. It was obvious the kind of relationship someone who had volunteered for longer through the program was able to make. On his last day the local staff baked a cake and threw a going away party for him!

Support:
IVHQ works with a local provider to run their programs. The onsite staff, Anna and Leigh, were very supportive and always around if I had a question. I had a staff member meet me at the airport (along with a few other volunteers) and make sure we got to our housing. Once at our housing they gave us a map of the surrounding area, made us lunch and gave a couple of tips for crossing the road (harder than you might think when no one obeys the traffic lights!). Overall there was enough support for me to feel safe, but also the freedom to explore on my own and be more independent if I wanted.

Value:
Full disclosure, IVHQ waived my fees for volunteering in Ho Chi Minh as part of the Go Overseas paid PAID vacation program. However, when talking to the other volunteers they noted that they had chosen IVHQ because it was much cheaper than other volunteer programs. Besides housing we also got meal tickets (3x day) and entry into Independence Palace, The Vietnam War Museum and the Cu Chi Tunnels during culture week.

Fun:
This is a fairly subjective category but I would say it is hard not to have a good time in Ho Chi Minh. There are about four different programs going on through IVHQ which means there are lots of other international volunteers around to make plans with. Leigh (one of the program staff) recommended loads of fun weekend trips (I went to Mui Ne-- a definite must!). The project itself was more rewarding than fun. We worked hard -- chopping vegetables, setting tables, washing dishes, etc. -- but the local staff and people we got to interact with while serving made it all worthwhile. One of my favorite parts was actually the culture week where we got to explore the city, learn the language and make some authentic dishes. I think the more you know about a culture the more you can appreciate it. Another highlight was a dinner that Leigh put together where all the volunteers got to meet local students who were learning english. We all had a blast trying to communicate in broken Vietnamese/English and the night ended in singing and dancing.

Safety:
We lived a bit on the outskirts of town but there was never a time I felt unsafe. We all stayed in bunks with 6 - 8 other volunteers and they locked the gates at night after 11. As long as you use common sense (not carrying around valuables, let friends know where you’re going, etc). you should be perfectly fine!

Overall:
This was my first time in Asia, and a developing country. Volunteering with IVHQ was a great way to travel on my own, learn about the culture, and meet other people. As I mentioned earlier, I also highly recommend it as an alternative to your typical vacation for a working professional. Getting out of the country and traveling alone gave me a chance to get outside of my comfort zone in a way its really hard to do in "real life". Feel free to email me at any time if you want to learn more about my trip! mallory@gooverseas.com

One of the greatest stories I have from my time in Ho Chi Minh is a simple one. Within the first 30 minutes of meeting my fellow volunteers, we were planning a weekend trip together to the beach town of Vung Tao, Vietnam. We were frantically looking at websites and listings to book a cheap hotel, when I paused and looked around the room at everyone... from Ecuador, Portugal, England, Germany... All corners of the world. I remember saying to my new friends: "Can you believe it? We didn't know each other an hour ago, and I feel like I've known you my whole life." It was a beautiful moment, and just the beginning of some beautiful friendships.

My experience volunteering in Ho Chi Minh City was definitely amaIng.
Every aspect of the program was great. Starting from the staff members of the Green Lion, they are all very nice, helpful and very knowledgeable. Anna is great support the while time, Leah provided the best introduction to the culture,food and showed us many points of interest in Saigon, Dung was also a great support for the volunteers and organised many activities to maintain the group together.

The accomodation and facilities are good, comfortable bed, wifi, a common area for meetings or just to interact with other volunteers. Te food provides also succed my expectations, the students from the Saigon tourism school cool as part of their program and there's many of options to choose from.

The program itself was very nice, is very satisfying to see the progress of students after you have teach them something. At the beginning they can be a bit shy but after some words with them, the words will flow.