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Hi all I have not left the UK yet, i leave a week today. I thought i would let you all know that i have now got my placement allocation from Global Volunteering Network (GVN) in Vietnam. I will be working in a town called Tam Ky in central Vietnam. A basic outline of the placement from the program guide is below.
TAM KY:Tam Ky is in the Quang Nam Province in Central Vietnam. It is 860km south of Hanoi, 947km north of Ho Chi Minh City, and 70km south of Da Nang City (a 1½ hour drive). National Highway 1A and the North/South Railway run through the province. Tam Ky is the capital of the Quang Nam province with a population of approximately 100,000 people. It is most famous for the nearby Cham Towers. You won't find many westerners in Tam Ky, so it certainly offers a different experience of Vietnam compared to the more touristy areas. There are many internet cafes within 2 minutes walking distance of the house. There are also internet telephone facilities available. Our partner in Vietnam cooperates with local authorities such as the Quang Nam Union of Friendship Organisations and Quang Nam Department of Welfare to place international volunteers to the following placements:
PLACEMENTS:
HOME OF THE AFFECTION:This is the home for 35 orphans and disadvantaged children. The children range from 3-16 years old. During the school semesters, the older children go to school. Classes will change depending on whether school is in or whether it is school holidays - 3 months: Jun/Jul/Aug and 1 week during Tet in February. Volunteers teach the older children English as well as general studies. The younger children are still at a basic English level learning the alphabet, colours, days of the week, etc. The children love doing art lessons and sports. Generally in a 1.5 hour class, the first hour is focused on the core lesson content and the last half an hour is used for games or sports.
THE TAM KY BABY ORPHANAGE:The orphanage is the permanent home for around 30 orphans aged from one month to six years old. Most of the children do not have parents, although some children have poor parents who are unable to provide for them. Fourteen Vietnamese staff (called 'Mothers') care for the babies and children. They are kept busy cleaning, bathing and feeding the children. Volunteers play with and care for the babies and children while the mothers are working. Sometimes assisting the mothers to feed the children. There are some teaching programs, but you will mainly bring games and art/craft activities to do with the children.
TAM THANH:Tam Thanh is a small fishing village 15 km east of Tam Ky. It is an isolated beach area where the families are very poor and is inaccessible during the wet season. Many children leave school because their parents cannot afford the fees, plus there is also a shortage of teachers in the area. Volunteers work with staff teaching English to up to 60 children aged from 10 to 16 years old. Class sizes are variable and the children are very keen to learn. The program aims to improve their English to assist with future job opportunities and to encourage them to stay at school.
TAM KY HOSPITAL:Tam Ky hospital is the largest hospital in the Quang Nam province. It has 500 beds, although there can be 800 patients there at one time, plus their relatives! Foreign medical experts come to work at the hospital and the aim of this program is to improve the English pronunciation, comprehension and conversational skills of the doctors, nurses and technical personnel. It is preferable, although not essential, that lessons are relevant to the medical profession.
ECONOMIC ZONE:Students at the Economic Zone are adults who are business people. They deal with foreigners in their business activities and, like the Hospital class, volunteers work to improve their English pronunciation, comprehension and conversational skills, preferably using relevant business terms.
PHUONG DONG COLLEGE:We began working with this college in June 2007. There are 30 students, aged 19-23, from disadvantaged backgrounds who are training to work in the local hospitality industry. As with the Hospital and Economic Zone classes, volunteers will provide guidance on their English pronunciation, comprehension and conversational skills relevant to the hospitality industry.
DAILY WORK SCHEDULE: A typical day at Tam Ky program would be: · 8:30 am to 10: 00 am: Baby Orphanage or Tam Thanh program · 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm then 3:30 to 5pm: Home of Affection then College/Economic Zone Lessons are planned either at lunch time or in the evening. A weekly schedule is available at the house and volunteers will be allocated across the different centres.
As I said before I will try and update my blog as much as I can. I cannot wait to get there really. Time seems to be going very slow at the moment. I hope everyone is well and you all have a great 2009. SEE YOU ALL 2010. Love Alistair
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