The Peace Village was established in 1991 and provides a home and education for over 100 children and young people (ages 2 to 22) who suffer from the effects of Agent Orange. It serves as part hospital, part orphanage, part nursery and elementary school. The aim of the village is to care for these children and help them integrate into society. They are educated in 4 special classes where they receive primary lessons and vocational training, guided by the staff of 38. The children form friendships as healthy children do, and can usually respond to teachers and family members. The Village relies on charitable donations. Thanh Xuan Peace Village is located on the outskirts of Hanoi."Agent Orange" is the American code name for an herbicide called dioxin which was sprayed from American planes to clear enemy forests in the Vietnam War. The effects of dioxin on human beings is both physical and men-tal, but worst of all, transgenerational. Once in the human bloodstream and environmental air supply of an affected region, dioxin can affect children born generations from now. Victims of Agent Orange suffer from a tremendous range of defects; it is common to be born without eyes, limbs, organs. Other victims suffer from nervous/spinal disorders or mental disorders comparable to severe retardation or autism. Due to the damaged genetic structure, such defects cannot be reversed or avoided, only cared for and nurtured. There are about 8 million victims of Agent Orange in Vietnam.

Volunteer tasks include:

• Organise games and other activities with the children.
• Join daily activities including helping with rehabilitation exercise.
• Teach English.
• Help staff with general housework.
• Help with fund raising.

Fee Includes:

• Airport pick-up from Hanoi or Ho-Chi-Minh-City and transportation to the guesthouse
• 1 to 5 days language and cultural orientation (duration and content of the on-arrival orientation depend on the number of volunteer weeks)
• Dormitory style accommodation at the guesthouse, triple/quadruple bedroom, shared bathroom
• Free use of internet at the guesthouse (limited access due to power shortage or great demand)
• Three Vietnamese meals a day for the whole programme period
• Counseling and support during your entire stay
• Free bus ticket if project site is far from guesthouse/host family.

Fee Excludes:

• Travel to and from Vietnam,
• Visa fees,
• vaccinations,
• Personal expenses,
• Pocket money,
• Airport transfer after the programme,
• Costs for extra activities,
• Surcharge for host family accommodation,
• Insurance.

Volunteers with a medical background or experience working with the handicapped are preferred.

Food: The project cost bears the main meals and for further other additional food the volunteer has to pay through his own pocket.

Accommodation: The EXIS manages the entire accommodation and supervision during the project period. The volunteer will be entitled to a room in host family/hostel/hotel with normal standards depending upon the project and it location.

Enrollment: You enrol by sending the enclosed enrolment form to info@exis.org , in which you inform us about which program you prefer, as well as how long you wish to work.Please add a letter of motivation in English, in which you explain why you wish or work as a volunteer and describe yourself. When we receive your enrolment, we will send confirmation and more details.

Cancellation: If you cancel your application before receiving information about your host family you will be able to have your deposit refunded less a deduction of 200 € for administration expenses.If your application is cancelled after receiving the address of your host family, your deposit will not be refunded whilst the balance will be refunded in full. Once the language course has commenced, no refunds will be made.