We want to know where we can volunteer in Cambodia.
We're planning on being in Cambodia (around Phnom Phen and/or Siem Reap) in mid February 2009 and were wondering if anyone had any suggestions of places to volunteer for 4 or 5 days? We don't believe in having to pay to volunteer as seems the norm in a lot of places we have visited and time constraints don't allow for much time so we may have very limited options. We believe something is better than nothing!!!
Your help is greatly appreciated.
Reply to this When we were in Siem Reap last year there were places advertising for volunteers in some of the bars. You could just turn up and see if anything comes up.
Reply to this I hate to sound like the pessimist but do be aware of fake orphanages in Cambodia. Some people noticed that well-meaning tourists were visiting orphanages and bringing sacks of rice, etc. Orphanages started popping up with some even getting local kids in during the week to act as orphans in front of tourists and then go back to their village for the weekend. The sacks of rice which were taken were also sold back to the rice stockists.
Of course there are many legitimate organisations - just be aware and get as much info from people who've visited real voluntary opportunities in the area. You might be best off getting away from tourist areas for a better chance of finding somewhere legit.
If you're going to Vietnam while you're in the area consider heading to Kon Tum. There is an orphanage there which is run by nuns. The kids are taught English, Maths and have a garden at the back where they learn to grow crops. They all looked happy. We hired the English teacher there to be our guide on his day off. He was really interesting with stories from the war and of life in Vietnam now. He also speaks the tribal dialects and so on visits to local villages with him we could reallly interact with people and ended up joining in a party with a group of people who had just built a new house. If you head in that direction let me know and I'll try and find his email address for you.
Reply to this www.soidngo.com... please go to this website and have a look.. also read our blog from our experiences volunteering.. it was the best place ever..
let me know what you think
good luck
david and lorna
Reply to this When we were in Cambodia last year, we met an Australian woman, Deborah, who's founded the NGO Helping Hands Cambodia, near Siem Reap. We visited the little village where she created a school, built the only flushing toilet in the village, put solar panels up on the school roof so that the children who have to work during the day can study in the evenings, and built the only fresh water pump there. Today there might be more water pumps, I haven't been back yet.
They do volunteering, check out their website http://www.helpinghandscambodia.com/helping_hand.htm
and their volunteering information at http://www.helpinghandscambodia.com/volunteering.htm
Reply to this To the traveling Brits looking for some info ..... here it is and thanks for the beer and say no to fried cockroaches. They only make you sick!
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