In een oogopslag
Join our Occupational Therapy internship in Vietnam and work with disabled patients at a rehabilitation centre. You can use this experience to help those in need, and add practical work experience to your CV at the same time.
In Vietnam, there is a significant demand for occupational therapists. Agent Orange, a chemical used during the Vietnam War, continues to affect children born decades later. The chemical damages DNA, which leads to children being born with mental and physical disabilities. We need your help to improve the level of care given to patients, and to support their education.
You’ll live and work in one of two locations, and stay in shared accommodation with other Projects Abroad interns and volunteers. Explore as much of this beautiful Southeast Asian country as you can, and feel free to eat as much of the delicious local food as you want!
Startdata:
Altijd
Zie dataMinimumduur:
Een Week
Leeftijd:
18 of ouder
You should have completed at least one year of occupational therapy related studies or training.
Is the Occupational Therapy internship in Vietnam right for me?
Are you interested in getting occupational therapy work experience at a rehabilitation centre? Do you want to help those who need support most? If you answered yes to these questions, our Occupational Therapy internship in Vietnam would be a good fit for you.
This project is perfect for any student looking to put occupational therapy into practice. To join, you must have have completed at least two years of pre-medical or other healthcare related studies. Please be aware that the work you do will depend on your level of experience and training.
This is a unique way to add work experience to your CV, and it will give you interesting points to talk about in applications and interviews.
You can join at any time of the year, and have to commit to a minimum of two weeks. We encourage you stay longer, to ensure you have a bigger impact on the people you work with. It’s also a great opportunity to gain even more occupational therapy work experience while in Vietnam.
What will I do at my Occupational Therapy placement in Vietnam?
During your internship, you’ll gain experience by taking part in various activities relating to occupational therapy. These can include:
- Assist staff at a rehabilitation centre by treating patients with physical and mental disabilities
- Promote educational development through fun activities like arts and crafts, dance, and maths games
- Facilitate vocational lessons for patients to learn skills like embroidery, paper flower making, and cooking
At your Occupational Therapy placement in Vietnam, your work will focus on these main areas:
Assist staff at a rehabilitation centre by treating patients with physical and mental disabilities
The centres we work with have patients with various disabilities. These include autism, Down syndrome, and cerebral palsy. Unfortunately, this is a legacy of the use of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.
The symptoms of some of the disabilities you help treat will vary. They could include:
- Decreased or lack of fine motor precision and integration
- Decreased balance and coordination
- Poor prehension
Your presence at your placement will be extremely beneficial to the patients and staff you work with. Some placements provide equipment like mattresses, balls, and a parallel bar. You can use these during your treatment sessions.
Promote educational development through fun activities
Many of the patients we work with are children who need educational support. You can help run lessons using fun activities like:
- Arts and crafts
- Dance
- Games
- Singing
If you have the relevant experience, you may be able to work independently with groups or individual patients.
We encourage interns with training to use their skills to train local staff. You can also bring any resources you might have, like puzzles, LEGO, games, and other useful tools you’ve acquired during your training.
Facilitate vocational lessons to improve patients’ skills
You can work in vocational training to help teenagers and adults learn skills that would benefit their future careers. You can teach skills such as:
- Embroidery
- Paper flower making
- Cooking
- Weaving
- Making incense and bags, and other crafts
By learning new skills, those with disabilities will develop a way to earn an income in the future.
Where in Vietnam will I work?
Hanoi
You will work at a care centre or hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital. The centres we work with are either understaffed, or the staff are undertrained. In most cases, it is a combination of the two.
Hanoi is the capital and second largest city of Vietnam. Each day, you’ll navigate your way through thousands of motorcycles, Vietnam’s primary mode of transport for most people. You can follow the delicious smells coming from street food vendors at nearly every corner. You can choose to enjoy lunches like Vietnam’s famous pho, a noodle dish with rice, broth, herbs, and chicken or beef.
If you’re placed in a rural setting, you’ll witness a more traditional way of life. You’ll be surrounded by rice paddies where farmers and water buffalo are hard at work.
What will my typical day be like?
You’ll begin each day bright and early, leaving your accommodation at around 7am. You’ll travel by taxi or bus, or walk if it’s close enough to you. On your first day, our staff will accompany you to show you the way.
Your exact daily schedule will depend on where you are placed, as each facility runs according to its own schedule. Work at your placement will generally start at 8am, and your day will end at 4pm.
Your mornings and afternoons will be comprised of you treating patients. You could work in a therapy room helping patients who have decreased fine motor precision and coordination, using games and activities. You could make use of equipment like:
- Exercise mattresses
- Gym balls
- Toys
- Trampolines
In Vietnam, lunch breaks are long and run from about 11am to 1pm. During your lunch breaks, you can do things like play badminton with the children, or teach basic English. After returning to work in the afternoon, you’ll continue working with patients until 4pm.
During your free time, you can explore the city of Hanoi or surrounding rural areas. You can get a taste of Vietnam by trying street foods like spring rolls, sip on cups of sweet Vietnamese coffee, or learn about Vietnam’s history at museums. Over a weekend, you could visit the world-famous Ha Long Bay.
Aims and impact of the Occupational Therapy internship in Vietnam
The aim of this project is to give you the opportunity to learn and develop your skills in occupational therapy.
During the Vietnam War, chemical warfare was used to devastating effect. Agent Orange continues to affect children born decades after the war, because the chemical damaged DNA. This has led to children being born with mental and physical disabilities. There aren’t many qualified occupational therapists working in Vietnam, and there is a significant need at the rehabilitation centres we work with.
Your main focus will be on helping disabled people improve their skills and quality of life through focused therapy. Your efforts will be part of our ongoing work to improve healthcare in Vietnam.
We are working toward five long-term goals through Medicine and Healthcare Management Plan for Vietnam:
- Encourage an understanding of medical practices and promote an exchange of medical knowledge
- Improve the quality of healthcare provided to patients
- Improve the quality of specialised or alternative healthcare provided
- Improve hygiene standards
- Improve access to basic healthcare for disadvantaged groups
Join us as we strive to reach these goals to help people in need, and advance your career in occupational therapy.
Vrijwilligerswerk voor professionals
Dit project is ook geschikt voor getrainde professionals. Ondersteun onze duurzame projecten met jouw ervaring en help om samen een nog groter verschil te maken. We zorgen ervoor dat je terechtkomt op een project dat volledig bij je past.
Je kunt jouw kennis en vaardigheden delen met anderen. Werk samen met partnerorganisaties en lokale gemeenschappen om een duurzame ontwikkeling op te zetten.
Heb je specifieke vaardigheden en kwalificaties, dan kun je meer lezen over het toepassen jouw professionalisme bij Projects Abroad.
Management plans
We hebben onze doelen en belangen van onze projecten uitgeschreven in onze Management Plans. Op deze manier kunnen we uitgebreid plannen welk werk moet gebeuren op elk project. Het helpt ook om het werk te meten en te evalueren wat we elk jaar bereikt hebben.
Het is uiteindelijk de bedoeling dat onze Management Plans de projecten effectiever maken. Je gaat daardoor deel uitmaken van een duurzaam project dat impact heeft waar het echt nodig is. Lees meer over onze Management Plans.
Onze impact
Onze projecten zijn opgesteld voor de lange termijn, en er worden elk jaar specifieke doelen vooropgesteld. Elke vrijwilliger en stagiaire helpt met het behalen van deze doelstellingen, hoe lang ze ook helpen op onze projecten.
Elk jaar evalueren we de voortgang in het behalen van de doelstellingen. Daarom hebben we een Global Impact Report opgesteld waar we al onze verwezenlijkingen verzamelen. Kom meer te weten over de impact die onze internationale groep vrijwilligers, stagiaires en staff hebben gemaakt en lees het laatste nieuwe rapport.
Maaltijden en accommodatie
Je gaat bij een gastgezin verblijven in Hanoi. Zij verwelkomen je met open armen in hun huis en delen graag de lokale gewoontes en cultuur met je. Dit is de beste manier om jezelf volledig onder te dompelen in de Vietnamese cultuur en een unieke ervaring te beleven.
We proberen ervoor te zorgen dat je met minstens een andere Projects Abroad vrijwilliger of stagiaire verblijft bij het lokale gastgezin. Jouw kamer is bescheiden maar comfortabel, proper en veilig.
We hebben ook gedeelde accommodatie beschikbaar waar je samen met andere Projects Abroad vrijwilligers en stagiaires kunt verblijven.
De kostprijs van het project is inclusief drie maaltijden per dag.
Lees meer over onze accommodatie.
Weekend en vrijetijdsactiviteiten
Vietnam is een land met een mix aan steden en serene landschappen. De verschillende bezienswaardigheden maken het een prachtige bestemming om te verkennen in je vrije tijd.
Wil je meer te weten komen over de geschiedenis van het land, bezoek dan het Vietnam Museum Ethnology of het National Museum of Vietnamese History. Je vindt er ook het Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, een grote historische plaats in Hanoi.
Als je op zoek bent naar leuke souvenirs, dan kun je deze gemakkelijk vinden op de lokale marktjes. Tijdens de avond worden de straten gevuld met marktjes en straatartiesten. Probeer ook de lokale delicatessen en breng een avond door op restaurant met de andere vrijwilligers.
Ga zeker een keertje buiten de stad, waar je prachtige rijstvelden vindt en even weg kunt zijn van de stedelijke drukte.
We hebben verschillende projecten in Vietnam waar je als vrijwilliger kunt helpen, en de kans is groot dat er heel wat andere vrijwilligers aan het werk zijn samen met jou. Je kunt er samen op uit gaan tijdens je vrije tijd en Vietnam beter leren kennen.
Veiligheid en ondersteuning
Jouw veiligheid heeft onze hoogste prioriteit. We hebben verschillende procedures opgezet zodat jouw ervaring in het buitenland zorgeloos en veilig verloopt. Onze Projects Abroad staff is 24/7 beschikbaar, zowel door de week als tijdens het weekend, om je te ondersteunen en begeleiden. Zij zorgen ervoor dat jij je altijd veilig en comfortabel voelt. Mocht je ergens tegenaan lopen, dan zijn ze altijd beschikbaar om je te helpen.
Lees meer over veiligheid en ondersteuning.
Meet the team in Vietnam
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