looking to volunteer. seek good charity doing work in vietnam?

Question

i have a family in vietnam and travel there a few times a year (usually for a month at a time). i am a carpenter but have a (old) science degree. our location is SE of saigon on the coast
i'm most interested in rural development

Answer 1

I too have family in Vietnam, and a regular visitor of the country. Among the dozens of aunts, uncles and cousins in Vietnam is my wife, who is currently living in Saigon waiting for her immigration visa to be approved. Also, I'm a Rotarian and reviewed dozens of service projects during my last visit to Vietnam. I'm currently in the process of locating funds through Rotary to support several of these projects.

There are numerous volunteer and servcie organizations in Vietnam which support a wide variety of causes. From building houses, education programs and clearing landmines, you should be able to find something that will fit your desired interest if you look around enough.

Some of the key projects that I reviewed involve a personal effort to correct the wrongs during the Vietnam War. Such projects deal with issues concerning dioxin (agent orange) exposure and unexploded ordinances. Following are some of my findings:

Project RENEW; http://www.landmines.org.vn/
This is a program supported by the Vietnam Veteran's memorial Foundation that deals with the issues surrounding unexploded ordinances (UXO) in and around the Quang Tre Province. This area was the most heavily bombed region in the world. More bombs were dropped here than all of Europe during WWII. Because of that, there are several dozen casualties a year from UXO's eventhough the war ended over 30 years ago.

The program has a three pronged approach:

- Assistance to those and their families who had been a casualty of an UXO.
- Educating the locals concerning the ongoing dangers of UXO.
- Removing UXO's

Vietnam Friendship Village; http://www.vietnamfriendship.org/
This project supports children who have been affected by dioxin (agent orange) exposure. This program provides hundreds of children an education program which enables these children with skills that will allow them to become productive in their society.

Your construction background tells me that you need to contact one person right away. Ong Jon, who is a regular here on Yahoo Answers, frequently visits Vietnam and especially Nha Tran. He also has a construction background and gets himself involved in various volunteer tasks while in-country. Ong Jon would be your best contact to find some voluntary work to do while in Vietnam.

Chao Anh...

Answer 2

I did it via a close by church, a garments and nutrition minestry for the poor. I did it out of a might desire to serve because of the fact i've got faith that for this reason we are right here. That if each and every physique regarded st their lives as provider to others and not as a skill to get rivh or have greater, we would be so a lot greater valuable off. We had to bypass via each and every of the donated issues and do away with ineffective issues. Our motto, identity we does no longer placed on it we don't supply it to others. So, please do no longer donate stained or torn or otherwise ineffective outfits, please. yet we additionally fed families whilst they had no nutrition, i stay in a very depressed area and there is large desire for the basics of existence right here. so, families without jobs, education or any style of earnings yet in line with threat nutrition stamps and probably help with hire could run out till now the month did. human beings burnt out mandatory furniture and outfits and nutrition and utilities. So, wheather you may artwork and donate money to a close by place, non secular or no longer, then do this. human beings desire money too for warmth and water and issues as nicely nutrition and outfits. We have been open to the standard public two times a month on Wed. and every time if it grew to become into an emergency. however the artwork went on from Mon. to Sat. if mandatory. So, wheather that's money, assisting in a nutrition kitchen, a homeless shelter or a shelter for battered females and babies. despite that's which you're able to offer, time, issues, nutrition, money, only despite God places on your heart to do...that's what you're able to do. Then whilst he alterations your calling circulate directly to something else. each and every thing is for a season and doing something is greater valuable than doing no longer something. I commend you and might God bless you and deliver you to the wonderful place. there grew to become into an Americor or Americorp that grew to become into atarted some yrs. in the past, i presumed ig have been given communities and human beings together. you may call a close by church, Chamber of commerce, close by charities and ask what they desire. good now that's probable each and every thing. stable success.

Answer 3

I know the peace corps would love to have you. Have you checked out Mercy Ships? Or, if you are involved in a church, either there or here, they would have some suggestions for your as well.
What about contacting the local officials in the area and asking them what they need most?
I applaud your effort and desire to help out, great work!!

Answer 4

If your wife is Vietnamese, you can request Vietnam permanent resident card to be able to stay in Vietnam for 5 years without applying for Vietnam visa. However, you must leave Vietnam every 3 months . You can get more information about this card by reading this article http://www.visaforvietnam.org/permanent-residence-card.html