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Volunteer Abroad in Phnom Penh, Cambodia: Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering abroad in Phnom Penh, Cambodia: Phnom Penh, once considered to be the loveliest of Indochina's French-built cities, was called the "Pearl of Asia". The city has a mix of French colonial and Khmer architecture, and sits at the base of the Mekong, Bassac and Tonlé Sap Rivers. Phnom Penh has a number of Wats (temple-monasteries), museums and other places of interest in and around the city. These can be found in the heart of the city where French villas and street-side cafes border the tree-lined boulevards and outdoor market stands.

For some, the capital city can be quite a shock. Phnom Penh can be a very hot and dusty, the streets are busy with cars, people, motorbikes and street children begging for hand outs. In the past 30 years the country has undergone extreme challenges, war and destruction.

But things are changing, and improvements are growing. The infrastructure is improving rapidly - fewer power outages, streets are paved, traffic is flowing and rubbish is collected more frequently. There are beautiful wide boulevards, fine colonial architecture and a park like riverfront with cafés and restaurants that make Phnom Penh a unique destination.

There is real poverty in Cambodia, especially on the streets of Phnom Penh, where many wary countryside villagers end up in search of a better life. Rural poor people generally have small plots of low-quality land or are landless, and opportunities for off-farm employment are scarce. As the came into the city looking for opportunities they end of living on the streets, begging to make a living and supporting their families. Poor households tend to include more dependants, especially children. Among age groups, poverty disproportionately affects children. Poor people, particularly ethnic minorities, are often uninformed about their rights and lack access to legal assistance, health care and especially education.

Our programs focus on orphan children, rescued from a life on the streets.

Providing a home based, love and support, and some education will help break the vicious poverty cycle that these kids would otherwise be destined for.

 

 

We offer the following programs in Phnom Penh:

Orphanage / Child Care Assistance

Volunteer in a children’s orphanage, a safe haven for abused, often neglected children. The orphanages vary in size, some with as many as 100 children. All these children are orphans, rescued from the streets or have been abandoned by their families. The children at the orphanage thrive on the attention and love our volunteers can share with them. Children range from infants to teenagers.

Volunteers are free to tutor the children, organize arts and crafts or sports activities, and help out with basic chores such as feeding the kids, and folding laundry. This is a meaningful way to learn first hand the hardship most children in the world face, and give back to the underprivileged children growing up in a Third World country. Prior experience not necessary, volunteers should have a lot of patience and come prepared with creative ideas and games to share with the kids.

Depending on the volunteer's skills he/she can help with:

• Teaching English in the morning or in the afternoon for 3- 6 hours a day or longer
• Helping the children to do their homework and make sure that they do it completely
• Helping the children with personal hygiene
• Singing and learning songs with the kids
• Drawing pictures and playing games
• Helping the teachers learning English
• Teaching mathematics
• Teaching Computer Skills
• Teaching geography
• Helping with general work which comes up (building a fence, organizing a trip…)

Teaching / Education

Volunteering in Cambodia benefits both the volunteer and the students, and it will be an unforgettable experience. Teaching English and helping in a school will not only give the Cambodian people opportunities that they may not have normally, but it will also give the volunteer a taste of Cambodian culture and Cambodian life.

To work in the industries in the town areas, English language and basic computer skills proficiency is now a requirement. But in Cambodia the opportunity to learn and study is not available for everybody. So as a result many people are jobless. As a volunteer in Cambodia, you will teach English and/or computer skills to support the poor people, mostly in schools, thus improving the employment prospects of these future generations.

Volunteer English teachers are a precious resource and always welcome. Usually they work along side the staff English teachers, sometimes monks, or even lead the classes in improving the pronunciation and conversational skills. Bring in your own ideas! You will have a Country Coordinator who will supervise you throughout your stay. Furthermore you will have a mentor within your Host organization. You may teach together with a Monk as one of our 3 placements is workplaces is a Buddhist education center.

The Volunteer will work daily 6 to 9 hours. We will prepare the lesson plan as soon as the Volunteer arrived in Phnom Penh. The school is open from 6:30 am until 8:00 pm. There is a break from 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm. Teachers of English, Computers, basic economics, translations, test preparations and implementing new teaching methods.

Law / Human Rights Program

This is a unique possibility to gain deep insight the Cambodian culture and its problems. Helping in an NGO to support projects in the field of human rights will not only give the Cambodian people opportunities that they may not have normally, but it will also give the volunteer an opportunity to experience human rights conditions in a developing nation.

In the program, Volunteers support communities who have to face evictions, help with the Investigation/ Monitoring on human rights violation, protect the rights of factory workers and minorities, support women and children and strengthen their rights, help to organize advocacy workshops and forums and always be sure, that you can join all field visits. Help support people connected and affected by the Khmer Rouge Tribunal like the Khmer Kampuchea Krom (or other minorities), HIV infected or disabled Cambodians or even Cambodians who just experienced an eviction Organize public trainings and forums or even help to develop alternative laws for provincial politicians.

You will have a Country Coordinator who will supervise you throughout your stay. Furthermore you will have a mentor within your Host organization. We also need Volunteers in Cambodia to work with our partners in order to assist the work in the field of report and proposal writing, legal service (working like consultant), human rights and democracy, etc. Depending on the volunteer's skills he/she can help with:

• Assisting in arranging public forums/ workshops/ trainings throughout Cambodia, where the NGO educates participants and initiates discussion on human rights and democracy in Cambodia
• Assisting in implementing new structures and Human Rights Projects
• Researching and report writing on human rights in Cambodia and the success of the projects
• Developing ideas for new initiatives, in terms of programs, projects (including campaigns), and fundraising
• Developing internal structures, strategy and communication methods

Program Includes:

Accommodation with a local English speaking host family, private bedroom with ceiling fan, shared bathroom, 2 meals a day provided. Welcome Dinner on arrival. Airport pick up and drop off in Phnom Penh. Our local Project Coordinators will provide welcome orientation including city tour, project introduction and placement and supervision in the program. The project coordinator is available 24/7 in case of emergency, health-related or otherwise. They can assist in arranging sightseeing excursion before, during or after the volunteer program.

Application Form!

 

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