Coins for Change Vietnam is the name many older listings use, but the group now presents itself publicly as Catalyst for Change Vietnam (C4C). They describe themselves as a nonprofit social enterprise focused on supporting disadvantaged women and children in Vietnam, with a big emphasis on education and womenโs empowerment.
The volunteer offer most people mean is Teach for Change. In their own description, the idea is to reduce the gap between rural and urban education by placing international volunteers with women-led language centers around Vietnam, so the centers and their students benefit, and some of the program revenue helps fund their wider womenโs empowerment work. They also state that volunteers receive two free meals per day and accommodation, plus training and a certificate or recommendation letter.
Alongside that, they also run a newer Community Engagement Program (CEP) in Central Vietnam that mixes education, conservation, and womenโs empowerment activities, and it is described as short-term and paid/self-funded. Their FAQ is pretty explicit that CEP volunteers cover their own costs for food, accommodation, and activities, and that CEP is meant for shorter stays (minimum two weeks).
On practical details, C4C says they can support your visa during your stay if you join Teach for Change, while CEP participants handle visas themselves.
Teach for Change is roughly around 20 hours a week and may include extras like online TEFL and visa support, but treat those as โcheck with C4C directlyโ details because they can change.
If youโre evaluating them, two things are worth paying attention to. First, they publish a child protection policy and describe training and reporting procedures, which is a good sign for any program involving kids. Reviews and testimonials online are positive but itโs always smart to ask for everything in writing (what is included, exact placement, weekly schedule, refund policy, who pays what, and what support exists on the ground) and to speak with a couple of recent volunteers before committing.
For more details about this volunteer program and how to apply, check out the link below: ๐๐ป
