Project summary

Volunteers are needed to help at an orphanage in a small rural town in Cambodia. 

The orphanage currently cares for around 55 children, aged between 6 and 18 years. Many of these children come from very difficult backgrounds. Often, their parents have either passed away, or are unable to care for their children due either to poverty or to their own ill health.

The orphanage provides an alternative for the children, one where they can grow up in a safe, supportive and happy environment.

A typical day

Each day will differ but volunteer tasks include:

• Teaching - English, computer skills, cooking, sewing, drawing, many other life skills
• Helping to develop and maintain the buildings and the grounds

Volunteers help expose the children to a whole range of skills and knowledge and help widen their horizons.

It's not all hard work though and the orphanage is a fun environment as happiness of the kids is very important to the way the orphanage is run.

The orphanage is always open so there is as much work as you would like to do but it's also very flexible and understood that you will want to have time off to relax and to visit some of the sights of Cambodia.

The location

The orphanage is based in a rural town about 1.5 hours south of Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.  It's a great location and an opportunity to see the real culture of Cambodia.

How you can make a difference

By volunteering at the orphanage you will help children who have had an incredibly tough life. Education can mean the difference between a life of absolute poverty and a life of opportunity and freedom, especially for the girls. 

Part of the fee you pay goes to the orphanage you will work with and this is an essential source of funding to keep the orphanage running.

What's included

• A comprehensive information booklet
• Travel advice and assistance
• Being met on arrival at Phnom Penh airport
  
• Accommodation (a basic shared room)
• All meals
• Ongoing support, help and advice from our local team

What else to budget for

The following estimates are given as a guide for your budgeting: flights to Cambodia (£600), visa ($20-25 USD), travel insurance, general living costs (£25-£50 per week).

Other projects you might also be interested in....

* Orphanage in Thailand

* Street children and orphan schools in Vietnam

* Child care & teaching in Nepal

* Orphanages & care homes in Peru

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More details

Background information about the project

The orphanage is situated in a medium-sized house with the children split into dorm rooms by sex and age group.  The children have breakfast, lunch and dinner every day and attend the local school, in addition to getting extra classes and English tuition at the orphanage. 

The goal is basically to give the children a 'new future' through a formal education, building up their self-confidence, teaching them English, getting them to college or training them with a vocational skill, while at the same time enjoying life to the full.  Volunteers play a big part in this.

No government funding is available so the orphanage is reliant on its own income generating projects and support from donors and volunteers.

Volunteer accommodation and food

Accommodation is provided at the ‘Volunteer Centre’ in town. The centre is based in a large house, located a 5 minute walk from the orphanage. The large rooms can sleep between one to four people, and all are equipped with en-suite bathroom and shower facilities. There are communal lounge areas on each floor and the first floor balcony contains comfortable chairs and couches, and a selection of books, games, DVDs and videos to help make your stay more enjoyable. Internet access is provided in the downstairs lobby.

All meals are provided at the volunteer house, cooked by the local housekeeping staff. Alternatively there are a number of cheap local restaurants in the town.  Several shops nearby sell water, soft drinks, beer, snacks and other essentials.

Freetime and travel opportunities

When you are not working, you can explore the local town, including a beautiful lake area.  The town has quite a few restaurants, a burger bar, basic shops and a fascinating morning market.  There is even a karaoke bar for some interesting entertainment!

The capital of Phnom Penh, which is about an hour and a half away, is a great place to visit on days off. It is an exciting city, growing fast and becoming more geared up to tourism. There is lots to do and there are many bars and restaurants catering to different tastes. It's very easy for anyone wishing to travel into Phnom Penh using local buses.

Cambodia itself is a beautiful country with breathtaking scenery and warm, friendly, welcoming people. There are many places of interest including the world heritage site of Angkor Wat.

Challenges

As this is a short project it's important to be open minded and flexible. Like in many developing countries, plans can change regularly and it can seem disorganised at times! The day to day nature of the orphanage can also be a bit chaotic, so we encourage volunteers to just get stuck in and enjoy it!

It is not the type of environment where you will be given direction all the time so this placement suits volunteers who have lots of initiative, drive and creativity.

It's important to be realistic how much benefit you can bring in a short period, but recognise that you are part of a bigger picture of ongoing volunteer support and development.

Finally, you may well find it emotional as you form friendships with the children and learn about their lives.  It is likely this will leave a lasting impression on you.

Where does your money go

PoD is run as a non-profit organisation and does not receive any external funding. We charge a fee for all our placements to cover the overseas costs of volunteering and the costs of running our organisation in the UK. 

For this project approximately 40% of the fee for the first 2 weeks is passed to the orphanage and the orphanage then receives 100% of all ongoing fees.

Volunteer reviews

Click here to read volunteer reviews for our Cambodia orphanage volunteer project.