PROGRAM LENGTH:                                  2 – 10 weeks from March – mid-May

PROJECT LAUNCH DATES:                       The 1^st and 3^rd Monday of March – May

ARRIVAL DATE:                                          3 days prior to your Start Date (Friday)

THOSE WELCOMED:                                   Men or Women over 20

SLEEPING:                                                     All volunteers in this project stay in or near the Friends For Asia Volunteer House.  Friends For Asia operates out of a large teak wood house, located in a quiet, safe neighborhood in Chiang Mai City.  The house is two stories, can accommodate up to 10 volunteers at any one time, has air conditioning, western style toilets and hot water showers.  If room is not available in the Friends For Asia House, volunteers may have to stay in one of the neighborhood apartment buildings.  If this occurs, your project fee will cover your accommodation costs.  If a volunteer decides to stay in a place of their own choosing, then they will have to pay for their own accommodation.  The apartments are nice, but some rooms may not have air conditioning.  Volunteers have to commute daily by public transportation or bicycle.

EATING:                                                         Breakfast is provided for all volunteers at the Friends For Asia House.  Volunteers are on their own for lunch and dinner.  Volunteers will most likely choose to eat lunch at one of the small Thai restaurants near the orphanage.  Special diet requirements or restrictions can easily be accommodated.  Volunteers who decide not to stay in Friends For Asia housing will not have breakfast provided.

PICK-UP INFO:                                             A Friends For Asia representative will be waiting for you at your arrival point and guide you to your accommodation and project location.

TIMETABLE:                                                 Volunteers will work six days a week (Saturday - Thursday).  Fridays are a deserved day off to catch up on some rest.  Volunteers work with the children, supervising and teaching the above activities roughly six hours a day. 

FEES:                                                              Participation in the HIV Orphanage Volunteer Project starts at $695 for two weeks.  Each additional week is $100.

FEE INCLUDES:                                            Airport pick up, accommodation during orientation and entire project time, breakfast every morning, lunch every work day, 2 day orientation, half day city tour, cultural dinner and show, onsite coordinator and 24 hour emergency assistance.

FEE DOES NOT INCLUDE:                          Plane tickets, travel insurance, cost of criminal police background check required for this project, cost of transportation to and from the orphanage and accommodation (roughly $5 per day), ride to the airport after service, dinner.

Your role as a volunteer is not only to make the children’s lives at the orphanage more enjoyable but to educate them through music, sports, computer, English education and art during the Thai summer (March – mid-May). You will pick one, or more, of the above areas and with direction from the full time staff, organize lessons or games with the children to enjoy and take part in.

Aside from organizing activities, the orphanage staff asks that volunteers spend individual time with the children, giving hugs, attention and love. Volunteers are asked to be flexible, for often times last minute changes or events come up which may disrupt a volunteer initiated or planned activity. Although the children at the orphanage are living with HIV, they show just as much excitement, love and life as children anywhere.

The children are at the orphanage because of losing their parents to HIV. In some cases, the orphanage accepts sick parents with HIV, so they can spend their last days with their children. Additionally, this allows an easier transition for the children, after the passing of their parents, considering they are already accustomed to the orphanage and it’s staff.

The orphanage is run by foreigners dedicated to the fight against HIV and AIDS. They ask that volunteers are flexible and patient, as there are many special activities that occur at the orphanage, especially during the Thai New Year (Songkran) which occurs in mid-April.

The orphanage requires an additional application form from all perspective volunteers. After completion of the additional application, orphanage staff will determine acceptance into the volunteer service program.

Friends For Asia additionally requires all volunteers in this project (and all other projects where volunteers work with children directly) to submit a certified police background check before volunteer service begins.

Although it’s not necessary for volunteers to be Christian, the administration of the orphanage would like for all volunteers to be aware and respect that the orphanage functions and was founded under Christian principles.