Friends for Asia has a variety of different volunteer projects and internships for those interested in contributing in almost any capacity. We have flexible start dates with projects lasting two-weeks or more. We do hope that you are able to assist these communities with your volunteer contribution.
English Education Volunteer Project
Teaching English Volunteer Project
With the onset of the tourism in Bali, English education has become imperative for any person in a professional career. As a volunteer English teacher, you become a catalyst for student development. Regardless of your teaching background, your mere presence in the school gives students and faculty the chance to take their English skills out of the textbook and put them to work in the real world.
Kindergarten Volunteer Project
Kindergarten Volunteer Project
Working with local four- and five-year-olds from Ubud is a great way to go behind the scenes of Balinese culture. Just by interacting with the children, playing games and teaching them tidbits of English, you’ll learn a great deal about Balinese family life and values. Working with kids is one of the most authentic cultural experiences you’ll ever have.
Of course, it’s not all unbridled fun. Children this age have lots of energy, and they have plenty to learn in terms of sharing, playing fair and developing friendships. With that in mind, you’ll have your work cut out for you. The kindergarten volunteer project in Bali is exhausting—but it’s completely worth it.
English Teaching Volunteer Projects
Thailand
English Education Volunteer Project
A lot of Thai students grow up thinking that their English ability is next to nil. But sometimes, a few confidence-boosting classes with a native speaker – where they’re understanding more than they expected to and communicating right back – is all it takes to change their minds. As a volunteer English teacher, you become a catalyst for student development.
Teach English to Buddhist Monks
Of all the opportunities to volunteer in Thailand, teaching English to Buddhist monks commands the strongest following. Each of our volunteers is assigned to a specific Buddhist temple in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where they instruct novice monks in daily English lessons. This sort of candid, behind-the-scenes access to a working Buddhist monastery is difficult to match.
Teacher’s Assistant at International University for Monks
Buddhism has always been a catalyst for higher education across Asia and Thailand, and in this assignment, volunteers step into an authentic university setting. The student body is budding Buddhist monks from across Thailand and Asia, fostering a dynamic international atmosphere. This is an ideal opportunity for candidates with an interest in the higher teachings of Buddhism.
Bali, Indonesia
Teaching English Volunteer Project
With the onset of the tourism in Bali, English education has become imperative for any person in a professional career. As a volunteer English teacher, you become a catalyst for student development. Regardless of your teaching background, your mere presence in the school gives students and faculty the chance to take their English skills out of the textbook and put them to work in the real world.
Nepal
Teaching English in Monasteries Project
Friends for Asia’s Teaching English in Monasteries Project offers volunteers a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in Buddhist monastery life in one of the world’s most spiritual countries. Volunteers contribute to the education and personal development of hundreds of children in Kathmandu and play their part in preserving Tibetan culture and Buddhist practice.
Teaching English in Schools Project
At Friends For Asia we firmly believe that the path to a brighter future for Nepali children lies in education. Volunteers in our Teaching English in Schools Program make a real difference to the lives of Nepalese children by advancing their English language skills, eventually making it easier for them to enter employment and further their education in the future. This project is all about the kids, but make no mistake, this will be a valuable learning experience for volunteers and students alike.
Hanoi, Vietnam
English Teaching Volunteer Project
The Friends for Asia rural schools project offers a candid view of daily life in Vietnam. Ideal candidates will be keen on getting an inside perspective on a side of this country that tourists rarely encounter.
Volunteers applying through Friends for Asia can sign up to assist a newly formed NGO that is poised to assume a leading role in an at-risk community in western Hanoi. This is a critical time in the life of this NGO, as it’s currently operating under a two-year charter. With ample support from volunteers like you, this organization has the potential to set a new standard for community development in Vietnam.
Childcare Volunteer Projects
Thailand
Waking up with a fish pond and rice paddies outside your window, mountains in the distance and more than 50 children waiting for your attention – this is what volunteering in Thailand is all about! Volunteers in this project stay on the project site five days a week, enjoying well-earned rest and relaxation over the weekend in Chiang Mai city.
Aside from assisting with direct childcare and helping the full-time nannies, the orphanage staff asks that volunteers spend individual time with the children, giving hugs, attention and love. An act as simple as holding the hand of a single child and spending time walking with him or her around the grounds of the children’s home is a major contribution to that child’s welfare.
Nepal
Child Care (Orphanage) Project
Friends for Asia’s Child Care (Orphanage) Project places volunteers where they can really make a difference. Through interaction and education our volunteers transform the lives of countless disadvantaged children every year. Enthusiasm and dedication are a must for this challenging role, but for the right person it is a truly profound experience.
Bali, Indonesia
Children with Disabilities Volunteer Project
One of the most important resources for these children is your unwavering support. The realization that others genuinely care about your welfare and future is life-changing. The fact that you’ve flown in from overseas to donate your time and energy only increases the impact.
Vietnam
Victims of Agent Orange Volunteer Project
This is a holistic community that aims to live as self-sufficiently as possible. With that in mind, the range of tasks carried out on site is diverse. Volunteers that have a background in medical work or caring for those with disabilities are highly sought-after. That being said, there are many other ways to get involved in a meaningful way.
Projects for the Empowerment of Women
Thailand
Single Mothers’ Home Building and Gardening Team
The single mothers’ home is in need of more than childcare, and many of our volunteers contribute to the cause by building infrastructure on the compound. Whether its gardening, painting or teaching a special class, your efforts will directly benefit these disadvantaged women and their children.
Nepal
Friends for Asia’s Woman Empowerment Project is ideal for anyone who wants to make a real difference to the lives of women in this beautiful, but impoverished country. Years of political uncertainty and insurgency have seen Nepal fall behind many of its neighbors when it comes to human rights. This is where Friends for Asia comes in. Our volunteers work with disadvantaged women in a number of centers to educate, assist and help them lead their lives with dignity in a male-dominated society.
Health Related Projects
Thailand
Shadow full-time doctors conducting surgeries in the OR and making rounds in Chiang Mai’s and Surat Thani’s private and public hospitals. Thailand is the preeminent medical tourism destination, and for our interns more relevant experience than just about any internship in the West could offer. Return to medical school with a clear-cut advantage over your peers.
Nepal
Despite recent improvements, health care in Nepal remains poor by international standards, especially in rural areas. Inevitably it is the worst off in society that bear the brunt of the poor health care system, but our Nepal volunteers make a significant contribution to changing all that. Following the old adage that ‘prevention is better than a cure’, our health project places volunteers in children’s homes and orphanages around Nepal.
Outdoor, Environmental or Projects with Animals
Thailand
Single Mothers’ Home Building and Gardening Team
The single mothers’ home is in need of more than childcare, and many of our volunteers contribute to the cause by building infrastructure on the compound. Whether its gardening, painting or teaching a special class, your efforts will directly benefit these disadvantaged women and their children.
Nepal
Environmental Awareness Project
Experience the breathtaking beauty of Nepal and help protect its environment with our Environmental Awareness Project. Home to eight of the highest mountains in the world (they’re still growing!), lush forests and abundant wildlife, Nepal is a nature enthusiasts dream. But Nepal’s natural habitats are under threat. Deforestation and soil erosion has destroyed thousands of hectares in the last few years. FFA has teamed up with a village-based conservation project in Chitwan to help reverse this worrying trend.
School and Community Maintenance Project
Friends for Asia’s School and Community Maintenance Project offers volunteers a unique taste of Nepal life while making a real difference to people’s lives at a community level. This is our most varied project with volunteers helping out with all kinds of tasks to help improve and enrich the lives of locals.
Journalism Related Projects
Thailand
Magazine and Multimedia Internship
Interning in Thailand is a relatively unexplored concept, but the opportunities are ripe. Through this assignment, you’ll learn from industry leaders at an English-language entertainment magazine. This publication is well-known and widely circulated in Northern Thailand, so you’ll gleaning on-the-job experience from local leaders in publication.
NGO Projects
Vietnam
Volunteering with a non-governmental organization (NGO) is one of the most exciting ways to get involved in Vietnam. These groups provide highly specialized services that are making a serious impact on local communities. The opportunity to lend a hand and see lives being changed firsthand is something that stays with you for a lifetime.
Volunteers applying through Friends for Asia can sign up to assist a newly formed NGO that is poised to assume a leading role in an at-risk community in western Hanoi. This is a critical time in the life of this NGO, as it’s currently operating under a two-year charter. With ample support from volunteers like you, this organization has the potential to set a new standard for community development in Vietnam.
