Provide essential childcare to vulnerable children of Cambodia and improve their future prospects.
The program
The mission of this program is to care for the orphaned, abandoned and impoverished children of Cambodia. Not all the children housed in orphanages are technically orphans; in some cases, their parents cannot manage to support them due to poverty or illness. Others have been the victims of abuse and as such require a sensitive approach. The children attending these projects require a lot of care, attention and most importantly, companionship. Volunteers spend their time caring for the children, helping with their education, playing games and arranging fun activities during leisure time. Orphanages are reliant on volunteers and donations to keep running, and are extremely grateful for any assistance shown by international volunteers. Volunteers on this program teach these children the basic necessities in life, giving them a good head start to a brighter and better future.
Goals of this Project:
How you can help
Volunteers play an essential role in helping disadvantaged children through this program. Participants will spend their time taking care of children and assisting the local staff as needed. Volunteers, depending on the level of their skills, might lend their assistance by teaching English, mathematics, basic IT, geography or arts, by helping with homework and with personal hygiene, by organizing games and trips, and by carrying out general maintenance and upkeep of the buildings. Volunteers will be busy working with the children and spending quality time with them. This is an extremely beneficial program for both volunteers and the children they work with. The children receive one on one attention from the volunteers, something they crave. They receive additional help with their education, and learn much about the world. The volunteers will find this to be an extremely rewarding program – helping vulnerable children achieve better lives and giving them the attention they deserve.
Volunteers will contribute in a number of ways on this program and can expect to undertake the following tasks:
A volunteer’s work day on this project will generally last between 4 and 6 hours and while we ask all volunteers to be flexible in this regard, a typical daily schedule is likely to go something like this:
7:00am Breakfast at the Volunteer House
7:30am Walk or Tuk-Tuk to the project site
8:00am Pre-start meeting with the project supervisor
8:15am VOLUNTEERING DUTIES START
Lunch is provided at the Volunteer House or can be purchased near the project site
4:00pm VOLUNTEERING DUTIES END
4:15pm De-brief with the project supervisor
6:30pm Dinner at the Volunteer House
Evenings Free time to relax, stay in touch with friends and family and explore Phnom Penh
This project is available year-round and programs start the 1st and 3rd week of every month with volunteers arriving on SUNDAY. Volunteers can choose to participate for periods ranging from 2 weeks to 12 weeks. Spaces on this project are limited and therefore subject to availability. Early booking is recommended.
Volunteers are met on arrival into Phnom Penh and taken to the Volunteer House to meet with the hosts and other volunteers and settle in to the new environment. An orientation session will take place the following day which covers the local area, public transport, amenities, customs, rules and recommendations and of course, what to expect from your volunteering experience. This provides a great opportunity to get to know your hosts and fellow volunteers and ask any last questions you may have.
Volunteers on this program are accommodated in a large, comfortable and well-equipped Volunteer House in central Phnom Penh. A great way to connect with other volunteers in a safe and social environment!
Rooms are shared by up to 4 volunteers, split by gender and each room has its own bathroom with western-style facilities and hot showers. Fans are available for comfort in the summer months and bed linen is provided so volunteers need only bring personal toiletries and towels.
The ground floor of the house has been set up as a spacious communal area volunteers can utilize to relax and socialize. WiFi is available free of charge in all areas of the house and laundry services are available for a small charge. Easy!
Volunteers can also request to stay with a local host family who have been carefully selected and are experienced in caring for international volunteers. Host family members will speak some English and provide comfortable, private rooms. Lockable storage will be available for valuables.
Volunteers on our wonderful programs in Phnom Penh are well catered for with breakfast, lunch and dinner available daily at the Volunteer House. Depending on the placement location, volunteers may opt to take lunch at their project site during the week.
Breakfast will consist of a self-serve offering of coffee, tea and juice, bread, crackers, jam and fruit. Depending on your volunteer schedule you can either eat-in or have items wrapped to take with you.
Lunch is typically eaten at the project site, either provided by the placement or eaten out at any of the affordable and accessible local eateries. A great way to sample delicious local fare! Lunch is also available daily at the Volunteer House.
Dinner is a time to relax and socialize with other volunteers and share experiences in the comfort of the Volunteer House. Meals normally include a soup or salad with a main dish of rice, noodles, fresh vegetables, chicken, beef, fish or pork and a small dessert.
If you have special dietary requirements please let us know ahead of time so that we can advise the local team. Vegetarianism can be a strange concept to people in Cambodia and, although we are happy to host vegetarians, it is difficult to guarantee a completely vegetarian diet. Strict vegetarians and vegans should consider this when preparing and be ready to help with the cooking and shop for additional items if necessary.
Please note that all meals provided in the volunteer house are included in the program fees. When eating out it is the volunteer’s responsibility to cover the costs.