Volunteer Guidebook V2 PDF

VOLUNTEER GUIDEBOOK
COINS FOR CHANGE VIETNAM

A: No 25, Alley 18/163 An Duong Vuong, Tay Ho, Hanoi
T: +8443.9903793
E: contact@c4c.vn
W: www.c4c.vn
F: facebook.com/c4c.vn

T: +8443.9903793
E: contact@c4c.vn
W: www.c4c.vn
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................................................... 2
I. INTRODUCTION TO COINS FOR CHANGE (C4C) ......................................................................... 3
II. VOLUNTEER RELATIONSHIP ....................................................................................................... 5
III. INFORMATION YOU MIGHT NEED .............................................................................................. 6
1. ON YOUR ARRIVAL................................................................................................................... 6
2. TRANSPORTATION.................................................................................................................... 6
3. ACCOMMODATION .................................................................................................................... 7
4. PERSONAL NEEDS .................................................................................................................... 8
5. ORIENTATION DAY .................................................................................................................... 8
IV. GENERAL TRAVELLING INFORMATION ..................................................................................... 9
1. VISA ............................................................................................................................................ 9
2. INSURANCE ............................................................................................................................. 10
3. HEALTH .................................................................................................................................... 10
4. MONEY ..................................................................................................................................... 11
5. TRANSPORTATION.................................................................................................................. 13
6. TRAFFIC ................................................................................................................................... 13
7. TELEPHONE AND INTERNET ACCESS .................................................................................. 14
8. WHAT TO BRING? .................................................................................................................... 14
V. VIETNAM GENERAL INFORMATION .......................................................................................... 16
USEFUL LINKS ................................................................................................................................ 22
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I. INTRODUCTION TO COINS FOR CHANGE (C4C)

Coins for Change (C4C) - Originally known as Marine Gifts, C4C has pivoted from its dual
goals of marine conservation and the womens rights to focus solely on its mission to support
vulnerable single mothers at risk of abuse, disempowerment and displacement within society.
To realise this mission, C4C has a clear vision to serve these women by providing social
services like psychological support, vocational training as tailors and stable employment with
the Elsa & Rose fashion label.
In Vietnam, single mothers are a group that suffers from severe discrimination. In a
traditionally conservative and patriarchal society, single mothers represent a stigmatized
group of people who are often unable to access many kinds of family and government
support, and struggle to find stable jobs. Many also face a range of other severe difficulties
like disability and HIV/AIDS.
Here, we help these women by providing support, training and employment. We provide
women with a range of social services like support groups and online forums, while also
training single mothers as tailors. We then employ these women creating products for our
fashion label, Elsa and Rose, designed for young, professional Vietnamese women.
We reinvest all profits into the organisation and go towards supporting our social service and
vocational training programs. We trained 37 women in 2014-2015, and supported 8
teenagers with hospital fees, food & accommodation in emergency; we supported 7 disable
single mothers with wheelchairs, eyes operation, repair house, and provided scholarship for
30 of their children but this is just the tip of the iceberg.
In order raise awareness for kid, and to better support single mothers with their child
education as well as funding for the organisation, September 2015, C4C is using the concept
of The Global Citizens Initiative (TGCI) to promote the practice of global citizenship and build
a values-based, sustainable world community by its languages school in Dong Anh and Ha
Dong district, Hanoi two of C4C project sites.
The curriculum used is of Longman Pearsons English as second language materials.
Students are grouped as classes depending on their age and English level through a
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placement test. All four skills speaking, listening, reading and writing, are taught to ensure
students English fluency. However, Languages.vn makes sure that whoever comes to the
center will understand that English fluency is not the destination; in fact, it is just the
beginning of the road to global citizenship.
From the reality reading of the education system in Vietnam which pressures students with
competition and academic results, we realize that learners are longing for an environment
where they will be inspired to leave their comfort zone and encouraged to explore the outside
world. Therefore, teachers at Languages.vn, C4Cs volunteers from across the globe, with
their talents, creativity and dedication are bringing fun, excitement and motivation to their
classes. Though each represents a different culture, they are all passionate about creating
changes and contributing to the betterment of the world.
The school provided scholarship for children of single mothers and acting as a place for all
other vocational and soft skills training that C4C is providing them. The fund raised through
the teaching hours of the volunteers (for paid kids) is used for social events and activities that
support single moms and disable women of Coins for Change.
Business model can be summary as follow:
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II. VOLUNTEER RELATIONSHIP

As the C4Cs Volunteer you have the Right to:
To learn about a new culture

To take part in a humanitarian action to help single mother in Vietnam
To receive support and to help others
To work in a dynamic team
To meet young people from all over the world
To learn and exchange about different countries, cultures, backgrounds
And to have a lot of fun!
C4C Expect the volunteer to:

We expect all participants to have read and understood this Handbook and the project and
to have attended the preparation meeting organized by your sending organizations (if
available). Be on time and stay the entire length of the placement, SO PLEASE PLAN ALL
THE PERSONAL TRAVELLING THAT IS LONGER THAN THE WEEKEND AFTER OR
BEFORE YOUR PROJECT. Quitting your project before the end of the program term can
cause a lot of inconvenience to the project and the people involved in it.
All Participants should:
-Cooperate with Volunteer coordinators by adapting to the country culture and for their
security.
-Participate actively to the management of the project. Do not act like consumers but team
players: when there is a problem propose a solution.
-Show interest and responsibility during the program.
-Realize that the living conditions are completely different from the ones they have at home
(no air-conditioning, no easy access to international phone or internet, no easy
transportation, cold shower, mosquitoesetc.).
-Be open minded, flexible, leave prejudice behind, and show initiative.
-Understand that a lot of time will be spent with local people who do not speak English.
-Only English should be spoken when others are around, even if they do not join the
conversation, and some volunteers should speak slowly to English beginners.
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III. INFORMATION YOU MIGHT NEED

1. ON YOUR ARRIVAL
Recommendations before arriving in Vietnam:
-
For all volunteers, at least 1 week before arrival in V Vietnam, give us notice of your
complete arrival details in advance by sending the confirmation slip to
ntpaven@c4c.vn, and lthai@c4c.vn. The most important information we need to
know is the number of your arriving flight in Hanoi or in Ho Chi Minh, the date
and time of arrival. And for people arriving in Hanoi, if you need a taxi pick-up at
the airport or not!
- At least one week before arriving, please send us a scan of your passport and visa,
a colored portrait photo of you to make a bus card (if needed). These things should
be ready when you arrive. If you send those later than 1 week before arriving, we do
not assure everythings ready when you arrive. In this case, you may have to pay
the extra costs yourself.
- Prepare some cash or a bank card to withdraw money from ATM in the airport.
You will need cash to exchange for some Vietnamese Dong right when you
arrive, at the airport. You will need that Vietnamese money to pay the taxi or use in
emergency case. It might be difficult to find an international ATM to withdraw money
and exchange to VND near your place for the first few days.
2. TRANSPORTATION
From the airport to your accommodation
Taxi pick-up at the airport in HANOI
We provide an airport pick-up service for all volunteers at the Noi Bai International Airport
in Hanoi, which means there will be a taxi driver waiting for you and take you to our
Volunteer house.
When arriving at the airport, after taking your luggage and passing the custom control gate,
please find our taxi driver who holds the card Coins for Change and your name. Well
welcome you at the Volunteer house.
The taxi will cost you around 300.000 VND or around 15USD/13 EUR.
For volunteers who do not need taxi pick-up at the airport and are confident to reach the
house on their own, please make sure that you will be at the meeting point on time.
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How to go from the HANOI airport to our Volunteer House accommodation ON YOUR
OWN?
The Volunteer house address:
S nh 25, ngch 163/18 ph An Dng Vng, qun Ty H, H Ni
in thoi: 0912052968
Please print or copy this and give to Taxi driver
You can go from the center of Hanoi in three ways: by taxi, by minibus or by public
bus.
1. By taxi: Cost about 250.000 - 300.000 VND or 15 USD (only by Noi Bai Airport taxi for
the cheapest price and trustable services). Show the taxi driver our address of the
Volunteer House and go directly to there in 20-30 minutes.
2. By mini bus: Cost about 40,000VND. There are minibuses from 8.30 am to 9.30 pm.
You can buy the ticket on the bus from the drivers. Take a mini bus from the airport to go to
downtown of Hanoi. The ticket is 2 USD or 38.000 VND (12 seat car). It is 40 minutes; and
you will stop in No 1 Quang Trung (Vietnam airlines office). Then you can take a
motorbike taxi at around 80,000 VND or taxi about 100,000 120,000 VND to the house.
3. By public bus: Cost only 5,000VND but takes an hour. There is a bus each 30 minutes
from 5.30 am to 10.30 pm from the airport (but the last one from downtown to the airport is
8.30 pm). You can buy the ticket in the bus from the drivers. There are 2 buses number
07 and 17 to go to downtown (we recommend you to take by bus number 17 for a shorter
trip). If travelling by bus, make sure you have with you a map of Hanoi which shows city
buses.
A, The bus number 07: You will stop at highway Bac Thang Long Noi Bai and transit to
bus number 58
B, The bus number 58: You will stop at Phu Gia stop, where youll find the Phu Gia sign
on your right hand side. Show our address to the driver.
3. ACCOMMODATION
Volunteer House: Number 25, Alley 163/18 An Duong Vuong Street, Tay Ho District, Hanoi
You will be staying in our home as one of family members. Volunteers will need to share
bedrooms and bathroom with others. Do not compare our living conditions with any hotel,
or neither expect that we supply you a comfortable stay even though our accommodation is
in Hanoi, one of the richest cities in V Vietnam. You will stay together with other volunteers
both from V Vietnam and abroad.
Your responsibilities in the Volunteer House
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Keeping the houses clean is the responsibility of all. Please respect these few very simple
rules: do the dishes after diner, keep toilets and bathrooms clean after using it, take out the
garbage, and remove your shoes before entering the house. As volunteers, you are
responsible for everyday activities in your house such as: cleaning the house, going to the
market and cooking. You should cook meals together because it would be more
economical and especially, it is much faster and more fun too. In sum, whether the house
is a comfortable clean home or a dark dirty dungeon, whether you have delicious
steaming meals or dry bread and cold rice depends on you all. Make this YOUR house. We
are sure you will do a great job!
4. PERSONAL NEEDS
There is a Supermarket nearby the Volunteer house where you can find essential goods for
your needs. You can go there by walking or motorbike.
Volunteer
house
VinMart
Supermarket
5. ORIENTATION DAY
On your arrival you will meet your Volunteer Coordinator. S/he will explain more precisely
your work, your schedule, and he will give you all the practical information. S/he will be
your reference for the entire time of your project. If you have any question, please feel free
to ask, it is her/his task to help you!
You will start working on your project in the same day of your orientation day or the day
after.
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IV. GENERAL TRAVELLING INFORMATION

1. VISA
A. Upon your arrival:
To enter Vietnam, you must have a valid visa, a visa exemption document or a written
approval letter for a visa on arrival. Your passport must also have at least six months
remaining validity at the time of your arrival.
Vietnam has recently introduced an online information portal containing visa information,
including which type of visa you should apply for. There is also an application form which
you can complete online, print and take to the nearest Embassy or Consulate of Vietnam.
Visa and other entry and exit conditions (such as currency, customs and quarantine
regulations) can change at short notice. Contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate of
Vietnam for the most up to date information.
You should apply for tourist visa at least for the duration of your project in V Vietnam. For
short-term volunteers, it will be difficult for you to extend your visa. Dont think about
extending your visa once in V Vietnam, it also costs much money! Do not complete your
visa application until your travel plans are certain. You are required to state your intended
ports of arrival and departure (for example, arriving in Hanoi and departing from Ho Chi
Minh City). Changing either of these upon or after your arrival could result in a lot of red
tape and extra expense. Submit your application along with two standard passport photos,
your passport and the required fee.
Steps to get a Visa on arrival:
Step 1. Fill out the secure online application form
You are required to enter the exact personal information of the applicant(s)
Full name The same as in passport
Date of birth
Nationality
Passport number
Date of arrival
Type of Visa
Step 2: Confirm and pay for service fee
Please double check to ensure the information is correct, select to use extra services
(Airport Fast Track/Car Pick-Up) if any.
You can make payment with your Credit/ Debit Card via OnePay/PayPal or pay via
Western Union.
Step 3: Get approval letter and prepare for getting visa stamped on arrival
After 1 working day (urgent service) or 2 working days (normal one), YOU WILL:
Get visa approval letter via email (attached with entry-and-exit form)
Print out the letter and the entry-and-exit form
Fill out the entry-and-exit form
Prepare 2 passport sized photos 4x6cm and an amount of USD for stamping fee
($45 for single entry; $65 for multiple entry visa)
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Put all above mentioned things along with your passport in a package, then show
them to Immigration officer at Vietnam arrival airports
Step 4: Get your visa stamped upon arrival
Upon arrival to Vietnam International Airports (Hanoi, Da Nang or Hochiminh), you
present all things in the prepared package (passport, visa approval letter, 2 passport
sized photos 4x6cm, the entry-and-exit form and stamping fee) to the Immigration
officer to get your visa stamped.
(To save your time at the airports, you are recommended to use our airport fast track
service)
b. Passports and visa extensions
In order to obtain a visa extension from the Vietnamese immigration authorities
(including for overstaying your visa), your passport must have at least six months
validity remaining at the time of application. This requirement is subject to change, so
you should confirm with the nearest Embassy or Consulate of Vietnam.
Failure to hold a valid visa in your passport may delay your departure from Vietnam.
For detailed information on passports and visas for Vietnam, including lost or stolen
passports, visa replacements and exit visas, please visit the Australian Embassy or
Consulate-General in Vietnam websites.
You should carry copies of a recent passport photo with you in case you need a
replacement passport while overseas.
2. INSURANCE
Do not travel without insurance: an emergency abroad can be extremely expensive! The
volunteers need to have their own travel insurance and medical insurance. So please make
sure you got adequate insurance coverage.
What should your travel insurance policy cover at least?
- Medical and health cover for an injury or sudden illness abroad
- 24-hour emergency service and
assistance
- Personal liability covers in case you are sued for causing injury or damaging
property
- Lost and stolen possessions cover
- Cancellation and curtailment (cutting short your trip) cover
3. HEALTH
You can find a good quality medicine infrastructure in the big cities and hospitals with
foreign doctors (at the "French Hospital" or "International SOS hospital in Hanoi and
French Vietnamese Hospital or Centre medical international in Ho Chi Minh)
but
these private hospitals are extremely expensive thats why you absolutely need to have
a good travel assurance before to start your trip! We advise you to visit a physician and
your dentist before coming, also to check your vaccination status on time!
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-Check if your TETANUS, DIPHTHERIA, POLIO and HEPATITIS A+B vaccination are updated. Some doctors here, advice to do a preventive vaccine against fuzz (bird-flu).
-DIARRHOEA is a frequent travel problem. Even when traveling is in good conditions, it is
not always possible to avoid it. Ask advice and the correct medications to your pharmacy.
-Vaccination against yellow fever:
* Not compulsory if arriving from Europe, North America, Oceania and Asia
* Compulsory only if arriving or transiting from infected areas
-Additional vaccination(s):
* Japanese encephalitis: vaccination can be justified in case of long-lasting stays in rural
areas
* Hepatitis A: vaccination justified
* Hepatitis B: vaccination justified
* Rabies: vaccination can be justified for long-lasting stays or risky trips
* Tetanus-poliomyelitis: vaccination justified
* Typhoid: vaccination justified
We also suggest you bring a simple medical kit. Your doctor should advise you what to
include AND HOW TO USE IT; however as a minimum we suggest you bring:
* Aspirin or Paracetamol (for pain or fever)
* Cold and flu tablets
* Anti diarrhea medicines
* Medicines against nausea
* Insect repellant
* Antiseptic and bandages
* Sunscreen and lip balm
For extra info about traveling health advice:
http://www.pasteur-lille.fr/fr/sante/vaccin/desc_pays/VIETNAM.htm
You can also download from our web server an extract (163 pages) of the guide published
by the World Health Organization called INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL AND HEALTH 2008
here
4. MONEY
The Vietnamese currency is the "Vietnamese Dong" (VND). The exchange rate depends
on the market but:
1 USD = 22,000 22,545 VND
1 EUR = 24,600 25,000 VND
http://www.xe.com/ucc/convert.cgi
Be sure that you understand how to convert your national money TO and FROM
Vietnamese dong before coming! And count the cash that you receive back when you
change your money. If your currency is Euro or Yen, for sure all the change offices in Hanoi
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will accept to change your money, then you do not need to buy US Dollars before coming
to Vietnam. Do not change money in the street! It is illegal and it is the best way to get fake
money. You can find ATM machines everywhere, which accept a wide variety of
bankcards. The credit cards are not used in the daily life; you can use them only to take
cash at the ATM machines and in expensive hotels and restaurants. In general, avoid
paying in Dollars (especially motorbike and taxi) use Vietnam Dongs instead.
Vietnam Currency:
Small notes:
Higher note in Polymer:
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Cost of living in Hanoi:

As most of the time, youll stay and have meal in the Volunteer house, but in any case that
you go out, youre supposed to know of cost of living in Hanoi, please have a look at
Numbeo for your information.
5. TRANSPORTATION
You can easily circulate in Hanoi by city bus. One bus ticket costs only 3.000 VND. For
long term volunteers we will provide a monthly bus pass. Another way to go around Hanoi
is a motorbike taxi (called Xe om). Depending where you want to go you pay the driver
around 10.000 -40.000 VND. Remember always to negotiate the price. There are of course
taxi in Hanoi. If you go by taxi do not forget to tell the driver to switch on the taxi meter. It is
also possible to discuss the price before you leave.
6. TRAFFIC
Traffic in V Vietnam is VERY chaotic. As you will notice it very quickly when you will arrive
here, the most dangerous thing is to cross the street. Be very careful with the road traffic,
even after a few days. Dont be too confident!
Traffic accidents, mostly involving
motorcycles and often resulting in traumatic head injury, are a very serious danger.
Traffic moves on the right, although drivers frequently cross to the left to pass or turn, and
motorcycles and bicycles often travel (illegally) opposite to the flow of traffic. Horns are
used constantly, often for no apparent reason. Streets in major cities are choked with
motorcycles, cars, buses, trucks, bicycles, pedestrians and cyclos. Outside the cities,
livestock compete with vehicles for road space. Sudden stops by motorcycles and bicycles
make driving dangerous.
The urban speed limit ranges from 35 to 40 km/h. The rural speed limit ranges from 40 to
60 km/h. Pedestrians should be careful, as sidewalks are extremely congested and
uneven, and drivers of bicycles, motorcycles also drive on sidewalks.
For safety,
pedestrians must look carefully in both directions before crossing streets, even when using
a marked crosswalk with a green walk light illuminated.
Motorcyclists and bicyclists, foreign and Vietnamese volunteers, MUST wear HELMETS.
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7. TELEPHONE AND INTERNET ACCESS

Vietnam Emergency Numbers are essential for you to know whether you are a short term
or long term volunteer in Vietnam. In case of an emergency you can call these numbers
and ask for help.
The three main important numbers are the number of the police station: 113, the number of
ambulance: 115 and the number of the fire brigade: 114.
- There is no phone line in the youth house but your friends and family can call you in our
office in the morning or in the evening (GMT +7), our phone number is +84 439903793 (in
emergency) in HANOI.
- You can buy a very cheap Sim-card for your mobile phone with around 75.000VND
($4.5), it is the best solution if you want to stay in touch with your family abroad.
- Furthermore, you will find Internet caf in the city with cheap price (about 3000-9000
VND/hour).
8. WHAT TO BRING?
When thinking about traveling to Vietnam, do not be misled by the cinema images of hot,
steamy jungle. Although the country is located entirely between the Equator and the tropic
of Cancer, Northern Vietnam has a subtropical climate and can be cold in the winter
months. Southern Vietnam is hot all year long with 6 months of monsoon - rainy season.
IN THE NORTH: warm clothes if it is winter, casual light clothes for other seasons,
raincoat.
IN THE SOUTH: light clothes, raincoat and shoes that can resist water during rainy
season
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You should bring
Sun cream, hat

Protective measures against mosquito
Your mobile phone (if you stay here for a long time it is convenient to buy a
Vietnamese Sim-card for your mobile phone)
Some things about your country (posters, music, postcards, map, video, food) and
your family to introduce about you to the children and other volunteers)
Pocket money
Personal pharmacy
Dont bring clothes that will attract attention such as short skirts or shorts,
sleeveless or plunging necklines t-shirts.
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V. VIETNAM GENERAL INFORMATION
Vietnam (Vit Nam), officially named the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, is the
easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China
on the north, Laos on the northwest, and Cambodia on the southwest, and the South China
Sea
On the east. With a population of more than 90 million people, Vietnam is the 13th most
populous country in the world.
Capital: Hanoi
Largest city: Hanoi
Population: more than 90 million
Official languages: Vietnamese
Currency: Vietnam Dong (VND)
Time Zones: GMT/UTC +7
Country Dialing Code: +84
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Electrical Plugs:
220V 50Hz
Weather
With a multitude of altitudes and latitudes there's always somewhere that is pleasantly
sunny and warm if you're prepared to search for it. The weather usually is hot and humid,
around the low 30Cs (high 80Fs), but if you head north and along the coast they cool
down to comfortable temperatures toward January. The weather is determined by two
monsoons; the winter monsoon comes from the northeast between October and
March bringing wet chilly winters to all areas north of Nha Trang, but dry and warm
temperatures to the south. From April or May to October, the southwestern monsoon brings
warm, humid weather and buckets of rain to the whole country except for those areas
sheltered by mountains.
Events
Some of the major religious festivals follow a lunar calendar. They include: Tet (late
January or early February), the most important festival of the year which lasts a week (with
rites beginning a week earlier), marking the new lunar year; Wandering Souls Day (Trung
Nguyen), held on the fifteenth day of the seventh moon (August), the
second-largest festival of the year, when offerings of food and gifts are given to the
wandering souls of the forgotten dead; Summer Solstice Day (Tiet Doan Ngo) in June
which sees the burning of human effigies to satisfy the need for souls to serve in the God
of Death's army; and Holiday of the Dead (Thanh Minh) in April commemorating deceased
relatives.
Facts about Hanoi
Located in the northern part of V Vietnam, Hanoi is the capital of this South-East Asian
country. A thousand year old city, situated at the banks of the Red River, with an estimated
population of about 4 million inhabitants. With many colorful districts including the French
styled Old Quarter near Hoan Kiem Lake, the modern New Quarter, and the touristy Tay
Ho. Altogether,
Hanoi is a buzzing and exciting city with many interesting places to visit, a city never to
forget.
Weather
Hanoi
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In Hanoi there are four distinct seasons: Spring, summer, autumn, and Winter. But it is
possible to divide the climate here into two main seasons: the rainy season from May to
September (its hot, heavy rain), and the dry season is from October to April (it is cold, little
rainfall).
Dos and Donts
Vietnam is a friendly and safe place to travel. With a sprinkling of common sense, your trip
should be smooth and trouble free. Tourists usually complain about over-aggressive street
vendors, tour operators with a bad attitude and dangerous driving. However, with a cool
head and sensible planning, one can avoid these problems.
DOS
Greetings are no different to western countries, there are no cultural formalities that
as a foreigner you would be expected to know or practice.
Vietnamese dress conservatively. Despite the heat, its best not to show off too much
skin. If you do, especially girls, youll only draw stares from the locals.
Dress well when visiting pagodas. No shorts or tatty beer t-shirts. Shoes are fine, and
rarely will you have to remove them. If unsure, just follow what the locals do.
Drink plenty of bottled water, especially when walking around sightseeing. No need to
carry huge bottles around with you, a vendor is never far away and no doubt they will
find you before you find them.
Keep your cash, credit cards, airline tickets and other valuables in a safe place.
Remember that there is no right or wrong in cultural difference: only difference. Talk about
it, laugh about it, and share it with fellow travelers...
DONTS
Dont wear a lot of jewelry or take a bag/purse with you when going out. Violent crime
is highly unusual in Vietnam, but petty crime is common. If you wear a bag, or a
digital camera around your neck, you are a potential target.
When taking a ride by motorbike taxi (Xe Om) make sure your bag, if any, is not on
display or easy to grab. Bag snatches, although still rare, are probably the most likely
crime a tourist would encounter, and this probability gets higher if you are tailing a
camera or a laptop in the wind.
Dont wear shorts, skirts or dresses, or revealing clothes in temples or
pagodas.
Physical displays of affection between lovers in public are frowned upon. Thats why
you may come across couples holding hands but not hugging or kissing.
Losing your temper in Vietnam means a losing your face. Keep a cool head and
remain polite, you will have a greater chance of getting what you want.
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Remember, this is Vietnam, a developing country, and things dont quite work as you
are used to. Dont be paranoid about your safety; just be aware of your surroundings.
Do not try to take photographs of military installations or anything related to the
military. This can be seen as a breach of national security.
Never take video cameras into the ethnic minority villages. They are considered to be
too intrusive by the local people.
Vietnamese food
Famous for its fresh flavors and artfully composed meals, Vietnamese food is the true
Light cuisine of Asia. Many dishes are served with abundant fresh herbs and green
vegetables. Delicate soups and stir-fries, and well-seasoned grilled foods served with rice
or noodles are the main dishes of the Vietnamese delicacies. The sweet dishes for Snacks
or desserts are often a mix of fresh fruits with sweetened rice, tapioca or coconut milk.
Vietnamese cooking also reflects its Chinese and French influences. Vietnamese food has
numerous regional differences; in the south, look for plentiful fresh seafood and
in the colder north, you might find more meals with beef. In central Vietnam, around
the ancient royal capital Hue, the food may contain influences of the former court
cooks.
Rice is the most important ingredient, present in all main meals. Also very typical of
Vietnam is the fish sauce named nuoc mam which is made from salt and fermented fish.
SOME POPULAR VIETNAMESE DISHES

Pho
Pho Hanoi is one of the most famous dish and favorite food of V Vietnamese. It is made
from flat rice noodles, some pieces of beef or chicken, hot soup water and special spices:
onion, garlic and coriander. You can eat Pho everywhere in V Vietnam, but it is said that
the best pho you can get is in Hanoi.
19 | P a g e

T: +8443.9903793
E: contact@c4c.vn
W: www.c4c.vn
Nem or Cha gio, fried spring rolls

Nem in the North and Cha Gio in the South are made with vegetables, meat,
Mushrooms, noodles and some spices. These ingredients are rolled in rice paper and fried.
Vietnamese people dip these delicious rolls usually in homemade fish sauce nuoc mam.
Pho cuon or Goi cuon, fresh spring rolls

Fresh spring rolls are almost the same as Nem but pho cuon is not fried and included
only fresh ingredients, like salad, coriander and shrimps or cooked beef.
Banh Bao
Banh Bao is a dumpling which is usually eaten in the morning or as a snack during
The day. Inside is meat, some special spices and a duck egg.
20 | P a g e

T: +8443.9903793
E: contact@c4c.vn
W: www.c4c.vn
Useful sentences
1
Xin cho
Hello
Cm n
Thank you
Bn tn l g?
What is your name?
Bao nhiu tin?
How much is it?
Bn c khe khng?
How are you?
Ti khe. Cn bn?
I am fine, and you?
Chc ng ngon
Good night
Tm bit
Goodbye
Xin li
Sorry
21 | P a g e

T: +8443.9903793
E: contact@c4c.vn
W: www.c4c.vn
USEFUL LINKS
Our Vietnamese Maps
http://www.vietnamonline.com/maps.html
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/vietnam.html
Hospital and doctors in Hanoi: http://vietnam.usembassy.gov/acs_medinfo.html

Transportation
http://gotohanoi.com
http://www.dulichvietnam.com.vn
Flight Information
http://www.vietnamairlines.com
http://www.pacificairlines.com.vn
http://vemaybay.net
http://www.vr.com.vn/english/
Vietnam railways
Accommodation:
Money Exchange
http://www.travelvietnamhotel.com
http://www.vietnamtripadvisor.com
http://finance.yahoo.com/currency
http://www.xe.com/ucc/convert.cgi
Weather
Time zone
Extra Information
http://weather.noaa.gov/weather/VN_cc.html
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock
http://www.vietnamtourism.com
http://www.footprintsvietnam.com
http://www.vietnamopentour.com.vn
Coins for Change
22 | P a g e
c4c.vn

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VOLUNTEER GUIDEBOOK

COINS FOR CHANGE VIETNAM

COINS FOR CHANGE VIETNAM

COINS FOR CHANGE VIETNAM

I. INTRODUCTION TO COINS FOR CHANGE (C4C)

COINS FOR CHANGE VIETNAM

COINS FOR CHANGE VIETNAM

II. VOLUNTEER RELATIONSHIP

To learn about a new culture

C4C Expect the volunteer to:

COINS FOR CHANGE VIETNAM

III. INFORMATION YOU MIGHT NEED

COINS FOR CHANGE VIETNAM

COINS FOR CHANGE VIETNAM

COINS FOR CHANGE VIETNAM

IV. GENERAL TRAVELLING INFORMATION

COINS FOR CHANGE VIETNAM

COINS FOR CHANGE VIETNAM

COINS FOR CHANGE VIETNAM

Higher note in Polymer:

COINS FOR CHANGE VIETNAM

Cost of living in Hanoi:

COINS FOR CHANGE VIETNAM

7. TELEPHONE AND INTERNET ACCESS

COINS FOR CHANGE VIETNAM

You should bring

Sun cream, hat

COINS FOR CHANGE VIETNAM

V. VIETNAM GENERAL INFORMATION

COINS FOR CHANGE VIETNAM

COINS FOR CHANGE VIETNAM

COINS FOR CHANGE VIETNAM

SOME POPULAR VIETNAMESE DISHES

COINS FOR CHANGE VIETNAM

Nem or Cha gio, fried spring rolls

Pho cuon or Goi cuon, fresh spring rolls

COINS FOR CHANGE VIETNAM

What is your name?

Bao nhiu tin?

How much is it?

How are you?

I am fine, and you?

COINS FOR CHANGE VIETNAM

Hospital and doctors in Hanoi: http://vietnam.usembassy.gov/acs_medinfo.html

Coins for Change

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