Volunteer Cambodia
| Duration | 1 to 12 weeks |
| Hours |
Mon to Fri, 6hrs per day |
| Activities | Help in day centres, orphanages, teach English, sports and arts, general project support, community visits |
| Location | Siem Reap, town with all amenities |
| Accommodation | Private room, Globalteer House |
| Requirements | Aged 18+ |
| Donation | From UK£530 / US$850 |
The Cambodia project is located in the town of Siem Reap near the UNESCO designated World Heritage Site of the Angkor temples.
The project supports a free education programme for the children, homes for orphans and vulnerable children, vocational training, day centres for street kids, community support, sports and arts.
The project focuses on the young and vulnerable to assist them and their families in finding a way out of the trap of poverty through education, health care, nutrition and income generation.
Free Education Programme - Provides local children that are unable to afford the government school fees with the opportunity of a free education. Classes in both the Khmer language and English are provided to more than 650 children. The children are also taught arts, music, computer skills as well as fun general education classes. Due to the local tourist industry, 90% of the jobs available in Siem Reap require English to be spoken. The children are very enthusiastic about learning and very much appreciate hearing good English being taught and spoken by the volunteers.
Volunteers - Assist the local teaching staff as well as teaching English, general education, arts, music and sports.
Street Kids Day Centres - Provides local street kids with a safe environment for the children to play, learn, rest, wash and eat. The children registered to attend the centres are amongst the poorest and the most vulnerable, previously spending their days on the streets, begging and selling trinkets. Those attending the centre can spend part of their day in a safe environment and have the opportunity to escape their desperate situation to play and act like children once more. On Saturday the centre is open to all the local children who cannot be accommodated during the week. The centres also include night shelters to provide a safe place for the children to sleep. The activities include games with the children, assisting the teachers, helping the older children gain the skills for later in their lives and providing hugs as and when required!
Volunteers - Assist the local staff, play games, sing songs, draw pictures and become a mentor to the children.
Homes for Orphans and Vulnerable Children - The project supports centres that provide a safe home for more than 80 children as well as supporting the poorer children in the local community. At one centre, the children live in ''family'' groups of five or more. They live in individual houses with a stable carer, while they attend school and receive agricultural and vocational training. An emphasis is put on teaching traditional Khmer dance, music and handicraft arts, which were repressed during the Khmer Rouge regime. The children, some of whom are HIV+, also receive regular health checks from the Angkor Children's hospital. Relationships with friends and relatives are nurtured by regular trips for the children to their home villages.
Volunteers - Assist the local staff, teach English, play games, sing songs, draw pictures and provide individual skills to the project. During school holidays, sports days, art days and fun excursions are arranged.
Community Projects – One of the community projects provides food and education to children in a village near Siem Reap. The children were previously working or begging to be able to feed themselves and their families. The children range from 5 to 14 years old and most had never previously attended any school. Globalteer built a centre to provide both Khmer and English classes as well as food to allow them to give up working or begging. The classroom is a focal point for children to gain access to medical care, social and family support as well as fun activities. It is hoped that the project will expand rapidly to support and educate more children once the funds are available.
Volunteers – Assist with food programmes, teaching English, sports, arts and supporting the local staff.
Fun days are organised at the various projects including visits to Temples, swimming pool, mountains and lakes. The biggest event for the children is the “Giant Puppet Parade” which is three weeks of building huge puppets culminating in an amazing day for the children dancing and singing through the streets with their creations. This is the one time when the focus changes from the children selling or begging from the tourists to the whole town focusing on them. The children of Cambodia rarely get the opportunity of self expression or recognition, the parade allows them this on one rare night every year.
To learn more click below:
What we do and why we need your help
Despite the wealth of tourist money that enters Cambodia, very little of this money filters down to the average Cambodian.
Malnutrition is common among Cambodian children – 45% are moderately or severely underweight. Only 41% of the population has access to safe drinking water, only Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Somalia have less access to clean water. Cambodia has the highest under 5 mortality rate in the East Asia and Pacific region. Some 61,000 Cambodian children died in 2005 before reaching their fifth birthday.
Vaccine preventable diseases, diarrhea and respiratory infections are among the leading causes of childhood death.
Cambodia is among the poorest countries in the world. An estimated 36% of the population lives below the basic needs poverty line. Poverty in Cambodia is characterized by low income and consumption, poor nutritional status, low educational attainment, less access to public services including school and health services, less access to economic opportunities, vulnerability to external shocks, and exclusion from economic, social and political processes.
With the support of volunteers and your donations, Globalteer is working hard to help the least fortunate live healthily, with dignity and with a future.
Funds are used to:
Help fund the building of schools, community classes and homes for orphans and vulnerable children.
Provide meals for the children to allow them to attend school instead of working or begging.
Sponsor older children leaving the projects to assist them in their adult lives.
Purchase school uniforms, educational equipment, bicycles, hygiene packs and mosquito nets.
Purchase water filters and distribute to projects and communities.
Pay rents and local staff wages.
Our work is not possible without the invaluable assistance of volunteers and the donations generously provided.
Accommodation
Volunteers will stay in the Globalteer House close to shops and restaurants in the town of Siem Reap. Rooms are single occupancy or can be shared if volunteers are travelling together. The rooms are clean and comfortable, each with hot water, private toilet and shower. The rooms have fans but can be upgraded to air conditioning for a small fee. Cable TV is available in all rooms with channels in English. The 26 rooms are used exclusively for volunteers, Globalteer staff and an office. A well stocked resource library of teaching aids and craft materials is available for volunteer use. The rooftop lounge and restaurant with beautiful views of Siem Reap can be used to watch DVD's, relax and socialise with other volunteers. Globalteer House provides a friendly and social environment for volunteers and staff making it possible to offer unparalleled support, resources and guidance for volunteers.
Globalteer House and office, TheaChamrat Road, Wat Bo Village, Salakamroeuk Commune, Siem Reap, Kingdom of Cambodia.
Tel: (+855) (0)63 761 802
When it is finally time for me to leave, I say good-bye to all the kids and pull my finger gently from my little friend's palm. She followed me outside for a while, and I wonder if she'll cry as I walk away. But she just waves goodbye and grins wide with that smile... you know, the kind of smile that makes smiling back the only thing I want to do in the whole world.
Mat, Hong Kong
The location
The project is based in Siem Reap, Cambodia, South East Asia. Cambodia has a population of 13 million, 90% of its people are ethnic Khmer, the predominant religion is Buddhism. English is widely spoken, as well as some French and Japanese. Siem Reap is just a few kilometres from the spectacular Angkor Wat complex of temples. The town attracts many tourists and therefore has many restaurants, bars internet cafes as well as museums and cultural activities.
Extra activities
Visitors come to Siem Reap to visit the temples of Angkor. There are over 100 temples scattered in the area in various states of decay, some in overgrown jungle, some on lakes. Rest assured everyone leaves with their own personal favourite temple! Some people visit for one day to see the main attractions but we would recommend 3 days exploring the temples to get a much better overview of this incredible period in Cambodian history. On arrival in Siem Reap our project co-ordinator will advise the best ways and times to visit the temples.
The town has many museums and cultural activities for you to visit including…
The land mine museum - which displays the many mines, weapons and bombs from Cambodia’s turbulent past.
Tonle Sap Lake - visit this huge lake which is home to thousands of refugees whose entire community has grown on the lake from floating schools, shops and houses. Also venture further to see the wildlife sanctuary which is home to several species of endangered birds.
Cambodia living arts - experience the enchanting music of Cambodia, lose yourself watching the spectacular shadow puppetry or relax and watch the colourful Khmer dancing.
For the more adventurous there is quad biking, horse riding, hot air ballooning, dirt bike riding, helicopter rides and paintballing.
The town has many markets and shops catering to a variety of needs and also over 200 restaurants and bars.
You may have the opportunity to spend time with the Monks and gain a unique insight into their lives and the Buddhist religion.
Find out more from our Cambodia fact file.
Daily schedule
You can join the project for a minimum of one week up to twelve weeks (extensions are sometimes possible). Volunteers take part in various activities from teaching, assisting local staff, sports, games, arts and vocational training. You will be required to be available for 6 hours per day with 2 days free time per week on Saturday and Sunday. Your specific placement will be decided shortly before arrival at the project, depending upon the needs at the time and your relevant abilities. We aim to keep volunteers at the same location throughout their placement to provide stability and consistency for the children. Your free time can be spent relaxing, exploring the temples and the sites of Siem Reap or socializing with the other volunteers.
*A typical day may be:
Morning - preparing activities or lesson plans at Globalteer House.
2pm to 6pm - Teaching English, sports, arts, music at a community centre.
or
9am to 4pm assisting at a centre for children, teaching English, organising games, arts and sports (including a two hour lunch break).
Globalteer are looking for volunteers for a variety of skills at this project. Although the project focuses mainly on working with children we also require people who just want to help, this would include general maintenance of the projects such as painting, organising resources, and everything that needs to be done to keep these projects running. The projects also carry out community work where volunteers can visit the villages and the families of the children. The skills listed below are also required to support the projects:
Doctors, Nurses, Dentists, Opticians, IT specialists
*These are only examples of what your days activities may be, the projects are continually evolving and their requirements of volunteers may change before your arrival. Rest assured we are very flexible with volunteer’s personal needs and expect the same flexibility in return.
Required donation
The required donation to the project is stated in UK £pounds and US $dollars.
Why is a donation required to volunteer?
*1 week will be
£530
$850
*2 weeks will be
£620
$990
*3 weeks will be
£705
$1125
*4 weeks will be
£780
$1250
*5 weeks will be
£845
$1350
*6 weeks will be
£905
$1450
*7 weeks will be
£970
$1550
*8 weeks will be
£1030
$1650
*9 weeks will be
£1095
$1750
*10 weeks will be
£1150
$1840
*11 weeks will be
£1205
$1925
*12 weeks will be
£1245
$1995
Long term placements are available for this project and family groups are welcome. Retuning volunteers are subject to a reduced donation. Please advice on your application form.
The donation includes -
Airport pick up from Siem Reap international airport.
Other pick ups possible upon request.
Project and Cambodia orientation induction on arrival.
Town tour.
Accommodation for the duration of your stay at the project.
Free bicycles for all volunteers.
Free drinking water.
In country support from our volunteer co-ordinator, project manager and Cambodian staff.
The donation does not include flights, visas or insurance although we can provide information as required. Air conditioning and extra nights are not included. The volunteers are required to pay for their own daily transportation to the projects. Free bicycles are provided although with distances and climate it may not be possible for all volunteers to cycle on a daily basis.
A quote from a child at an orphanage:
“Before my parents died, my brothers and I could not go to school,” “Now that we go to school, my parents’ spirits can watch us and be happy, and they will go on to paradise.”
Local expenses
The official currency is the Riel although $US dollars are used in most transactions and the Riel is used as small change.
4000 Riel = $1 US dollar.
Local transport in a tuk tuk (motorcycle with carriage) will cost approximately US$1 for a short journey or US$13 for all day.
Return transportation to the projects by tuk-tuk can cost between US$4 and US$8, this cost is often shared with volunteers travelling together.
Meal at the local market costs less than US$1. Meal in restaurant costs US$2 to $20.
Further information
Application process & requirements
- Click on the link below to fill out an application form.
- Add "@globalteer.org" to your E-mail safe list to ensure that you receive a response.
- Your application will be reviewed and if accepted you will be notified via E-mail within one week.
- Pay your deposit to secure your placement within one week of acceptance.
- Research your destination, book your flight, inoculations and ask us any questions you may have.
- Full amount is to be paid 10 weeks before the start of your project.
- A comprehensive information folder will be sent to you with all information including a packing list, Cambodia cultural differences, Buddhist Monk etiquette, useful Khmer language phrases, project rules, useful phone contacts and full project information.
A background check of applicants may be carried out. This is solely to ensure the safety of the children. Volunteers are also required to read and sign Globalteer's Child Protection Policy before working with the children.