📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
Volunteers for Peace Vietnam (VPV) is a no profit NGO who focusing on cultural exchange and volunteering. VPV have exchanged with more than 30 organizations worldwide. Annually there are 500 international volunteers coming to Vietnam to join VPV's project. Also there are 50 Vietnamese are going abroad to do volunteering services.
💼 What the programme involves
Farming is a new yet full of potential project at Leaf pagoda besides taking care of children and renovation works. There are two kinds of farming that can be carried out here: organic vegetable farming & herbal farming.
The project aims at making use of uncultivated land in the pagoda to grow vegetables which are important sources of food for all the monks, children, and people living here. Usually, almost all of their food is donated, and they only buy tofu for the meals. Having an organic vegetable garden, they can provide themselves with healthier and more diverse foods; more importantly, this garden lessens their food expense.
In addition to a stable, cheap, and healthy food supply, the project attempts to accommodate people here with herbals or traditional medicine. Currently, there is a clinic providing free traditional treatment and medication for people in the pagoda and in the neighboring areas who cannot afford health care fee at hospitals. Moreover, in cooperation with Red Cross Organization, the pagoda usually organizes trips to rural provinces to cure diseases for local people. Herbal farming, therefore, is not only helpful for people inside the pagoda but also for the community.
Shortly put, this project is implemented to beautify the pagoda landscape, make good use of land, and supply food and medicine for about 80 people inside the pagoda as well as the local community.
This project requires a lot of time and continuous effort, thus, it cannot be fully accomplished at once. In fact, one group will be in charge of one step of the process only and the next groups to come will continue the work. Gradually, with the contribution of different groups around the world, farming project can be successfully implemented.
This project includes 3 phases with following activities:
Preparation:
a) Cleaning and evening out the ground,
b) Fertilizing
c) Making beds,
d) Building water purification system
ii. Cultivation:
e) Planting
f) Watering and weeding regularly,
g) Harvesting.
iii. Improvement:
h) Developing draining and irrigation system,
i) Expanding the area under crop
j) Building a tool-shed
🏠 Accommodation on site
Volunteers will stay in a dormitory, sharing rooms with volunteers of other nationalities joining the same program. Normally, rooms are arranged with about 2-6 volunteers per room. In the busy time, the number can be maximum 7 or 9 volunteers per room in five bunk beds. Western toilets and showers are available. Air-conditioner at night time (9PM- 6AM); hot water using solar energy is available, but less during the raining season. The house has TV, PC with internet, free WIFI, fridge, cooking facilities, common room and terrace. Laundry service in the house with the cheap cost US$1 for 2 kg.
Breakfast, lunch & dinner are provided at the dorm. Food is local style, cooked by a Vietnamese cook from Monday to Friday. On weekend, our cook will prepare dry food (bread, jam, butter, milk, sausage, eggs, instant noodle, fruits and vegetable) as she is off on Saturday afternoon and Sunday. The main types of food will be rice, meat, fish and vegetables. For vegetarians the choice is usually limited to rice, bread, vegetables, egg & tofu.
During the working day volunteers will stay at the project site to have lunch and take a rest. The luch will be vegetarian food.
📍 About the location
Ho Chi Minh city, other part of Vitenam ( Melkong Delta, Cost and island- Phu Quoc, Mui Ne, Nha Trang, Da Nang, Hoi An), Hanoi and Halong Bay. Visit to Cambodia with 10 hours bus or 1,5 hours flight.
ℹ️ Additional information
280 EUR for first 2 weeks, 400 EUR for 4 weeks, and 80 EUR per extra week