Volunteer in Thailand with Friends for Asia

Children’s Home Volunteer Project

This project is available in Chiang Mai.

It’s hard to think of a worthier cause than supporting underprivileged children. By enlisting in this project, you’ll join forces with one of the most important advocates for child welfare in Northern Thailand. Over the course of your assignment, you’ll measure your success in smiles, laughter and successfully planned activities. Or you can take the long view – work carried out today contributes directly to reshaped futures.

Children’s Home Volunteer Project Video

Volunteering in Thailand – A Day in the Life

Our volunteers collaborate with multiple homes for children in the Chiang Mai area. These organizations are administrated by families, looking to help the lives of underprivileged boys and girls. The number of children at each home varies between 15 – 50.

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Volunteer Tasks

As a Friends for Asia volunteer, you’ll be working with children who range from four to eighteen-year-olds. There’s no single narrative running through the children’s home sites. Some of the children are orphans, whereas most of the kids are living near the city, due to poverty, and their family’s physical location. Most of the children are from at-risk ethnic minority villages, that do not have access to education, or basic sanitation; others are refugees of the turmoil in Myanmar.

Most volunteers’ core responsibility is spending time with the kids, teaching them English, and playing English games, but there’s ample opportunity to diversify your workload. This is a full-on community with a host of peripheral needs. In fact, some of our volunteers devote their entire project to maintenance tasks like painting, tending grounds or fixing appliances. In short, a desire to work with underprivileged children is not a prerequisite for enrollment in this project.

Making a Difference by Volunteering in Thailand

Your contribution resonates on two levels. First, there is a genuine need for on-the-ground assistance with daily tasks. The families that look over the children work long hours, and the facility simply doesn’t have the resources to hire as many employees as are needed.

HIV ORPHANAGE

By helping with childcare and routine tasks like cleaning up, painting and grounds keeping, volunteers ensure that the full time staff have time to fulfill their duties or even take an overdue day off when appropriate.

That translates into better quality of life for the children even after you’ve returned home. Offsetting the task load of these overworked care givers frees them up to spend more quality time with the children. Even the shortest two-week project paves the way to healthier relationships between the kids and those who care for them.

The games and activities you plan can be just as formative. Volunteers are encouraged to organize games and activities, contributing to engaging experiences that the kids will remember for the rest of their lives.

Caregiving at a Home for Single Mothers in Crisis

Volunteer Stories

The kids’ faces and the sound of their laughter will stick with me forever.” – Katie Chapman, Auckland, New Zealand

“There was always a baby or toddler who needed some special attention and the cuddles were a delight. The longer you volunteer there the more responsibility you can take in caring for the children.” – Jo Alcock, Auckland, New Zealand

To view all the Volunteer Stories in the Children’s Home Volunteer Project, Click Here.

Volunteer Project Fees

Participation in the Children’s Home Volunteer Project starts at a minimum of two weeks at $799. Each additional week is $119.

Volunteer Project Fee Includes

  • Comprehensive Pre-Departure Information
  • Visa paperwork (for projects over 8 weeks)
  • Airport pick up
  • Accommodation during orientation and entire project time
  • Breakfast every morning
  • Lunch every work day
  • 2 day Orientation (including half day city tour, cultural dinner and show)
  • Onsite Coordinator
  • 24 hour emergency assistance
  • Written record of service completion (for volunteers that successfully complete their project).

Volunteer Fee Does Not Include

  • Travel to/from Home and Chiang Mai (airfare, train tickets, etc.)
  • Thailand visa costs (if applicable)
  • International Medical Insurance
  • Cost of criminal police background check (required for this project)
  • Cost of transportation to and from Project site and and accommodation (roughly $2 per day)
  • Lunches on weekends.
  • Dinner

View more information about the Children’s Home Volunteer Project

Children’s Home Volunteer Project Start Dates for 2024

  • the 8th of January – arriving on Friday, the 6th of January
  • the 22nd of January – arriving on Friday, the 19th of January
  • the 5th of February – arriving on Friday, the 2nd of February
  • the 19th of February – arriving on Friday, the 16th of February
  • the 4th of March – arriving on Friday, the 1st of March
  • the 18th of March – arriving on Friday, the 15th of March (two week maximum before April break)
  • Closed for the April Break
  • the 6th of May – arriving on Friday, the 3rd of May
  • the 20th of May – arriving on Friday, the 17th of May
  • the 3rd of June – arriving on Friday, the 31st of May
  • the 17th of June – arriving on Friday, the 14th of June
  • the 1st of July – arriving on Friday, the 28th of June
  • the 15th of July – arriving on Friday, the 12th of July
  • the 5th of August – arriving on Friday, the 3rd of August
  • the 19th of August – arriving on Friday, the 16th of August
  • the 2nd of September – arriving on Friday, the 30th of August
  • the 16th of September – arriving on Friday, the 13th of September
  • the 7th of October – arriving on Friday, the 3rd of October
  • the 21st of October – arriving on Friday, the 18th of October
  • the 4th of November – arriving on Friday, the 1st of November
  • the 18th of November – arriving on Friday, the 15th of November
  • the 2nd of December – arriving on Friday, the 29th of November
  • the 16th of December – arriving on Friday, the 13th of December

Children’s Home Volunteer Project Start Dates for 2025

  • the 6th of January – arriving on Friday, the 3rd of January
  • the 20th of January – arriving on Friday, the 17th of January
  • the 3rd of February – arriving on Friday, the 31st of January
  • the 17th of February – arriving on Friday, the 14th of February
  • the 3rd of March – arriving on Friday, the 28th of February
  • the 17th of March – arriving on Friday, the 14th of March (two week maximum before April break)
  • All Projects Closed in April, 2021
  • the 5th of May, – arriving on Friday, the 2nd of May
  • the 19th of May, – arriving on Friday, the 16th of May
  • the 2nd of June, – arriving on Friday, the 30th of May
  • the 16th of June, – arriving on Friday, the 13th of June
  • the 7th of July, – arriving on Friday, the 4th of July
  • the 21st of July, – arriving on Friday, the 18th of July
  • the 4th of August, – arriving on Friday, the 1st of August
  • the 18th of August, – arriving on Friday, the 15th of August
  • the 1st of September, – arriving on Friday, the 29th of August
  • the 15th of September, – arriving on Friday, the 12th of September
  • the 6th of October, – arriving on Friday, the 3rd of October
  • the 20th of October, – arriving on Friday, the 17th of October
  • the 3rd of November, – arriving on Friday, the 31st of October
  • the 17th of November, – arriving on Friday, the 14th of November
  • the 1st of December, – arriving on Friday, the 28th of November
  • the 15th of December, – arriving on Friday, the 12th of December
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