Overview
Cambodia has seen a long phase of destruction and war, which heavily impacted the social and economic balance of the country. There still remains the effects from the past, daunting the weaker section of the society as people suffer from poverty and problems such as domestic violence, lack of human rights and proper education, environmental degradation, poor healthcare, and several other issues. Volunteering Solutions, in association with local NGOs in the city of Phnom Penh, aims to help the weaker sections of the society by providing them scopes to earn their livelihood and have a better life.
Volunteers joining the NGO Support Program in Cambodia can commit their time for these people and provide the necessary support required, matching their skills, qualifications, and interests. For example, A waiter or a hairdresser will be able to support at a vocational training center. Someone who has worked in the area of tourism will support an ecological tourism project to develop its structure. A lawyer may support a Human Rights Organization with the development or get involved in programs (such as creating awareness). Someone who has studied art or music will focus on imparting these skills to women or children who are supported by local organizations working in this area. A finance professional or student can volunteer for a Microfinance Project, so on and so forth.
Note: Volunteers joining the NGO Support Project in Cambodia will have to devote a minimum of 5 weeks for the program.
Program Requirements
Volunteers must be 18 years or older at the beginning of the program.Volunteers need to have an open mind and flexible attitude for working in a new and different environment.The volunteer should bring energy and enthusiasm to make a difference. Participants must be physically fit and in good health at the time of joining the program. Participants should have no criminal convictions and should provide a clean criminal background check before joining the project.
Volunteer Roles & Responsibilities
Being a volunteer for the NGO Support Program in Cambodia, you major tasks would be:
- Providing support to the NGO Center where you'll be placed.
- Conducting social awareness sessions.
- Using your skills to bring some positive changes in the required areas.
- Helping with the administrative work at the NGO Center.
- Conceptualize and strategize ideas for improvement in the Programs at the Centers.
- Prepare assessment sheets and keep records of the growth.
- Aim at sustainable development.
Volunteer Work Schedule
Sunday - Arrival at the destination (Phnom Penh)
Monday - Orientation + welcome Dinner.
An orientation session will be conducted by the local coordinator, covering the major topics such as safety, culture, language, places to visit, behavior, food, and other suggestions for things to do in Cambodia.
Tuesday - A fully guided city tour of Phnom Penh covering some of the best spots.
Wed to Fri - Volunteer work.
Weekends - Free to explore the city / Head out to discover Siem Reap.
Breakfast - 06:30 am onwards.
Working hours at the placement - 09:30 am to 11:00 pm and 01:00 pm to 04:00 pm.
Lunch - volunteers get two hours break in between work hours. You can either choose to return to the accommodation for lunch or you can carry packed lunch to the placement.
Dinner - 07:00 pm onwards.
The same work schedule continues from the second week onwards (Monday - Friday).
Note: Please note, the schedule may vary depending on the particular project the volunteer is participating on.
Living
Volunteering Solutions is an international volunteer placement match organization and hence all our living arrangements meet international standards. Our Volunteers have to literally arrive with their bags packed and that is it. We provide the best possible stay for our volunteers.
Airport Transfer
Volunteers are picked up from the Phnom Penh International Airport by the local coordinator or representative. Those volunteers who are arriving overland or are already in Cambodia will be picked up from the bus station or at a meeting point decided beforehand.
Accommodation
Volunteers are provided with an option to live with a host family or in a volunteer house. You can let us know about your preference and requirements in the application form and we will try our best to accommodate your needs.
Staying with a local host family is exciting and a very good opportunity for the volunteers to get to know the traditional customs, culture and ‘way of living’ of Cambodians. Our volunteers usually stay with middle-class families. All volunteers are provided with separate rooms in most cases. However, in a rare case, you would be sharing the room with a fellow volunteer. All host families are carefully selected and approved by the local staff and have past experience of hosting international volunteers. All accommodations have running water and electricity available.
The Volunteer house accommodation is centrally located and close to most of the popular tourist sites in Phnom Penh. Volunteers share a room with other volunteers. The house is a great place to meet and interact with other like-minded volunteers from different parts of the world. Internet facility is available for volunteers use and laundry facility is also available at extra cost.
Orientation
A two-day intensive orientation will be provided by the local staff. Areas like culture, greetings, locations, transportation, safety, volunteer placements are explained during the orientation. Volunteers are given a local tour of Phnom Penh city as well as welcome dinner.
Meals
Three meals per day are provided to the volunteers. Lunch and dinner will be rice, a bowl of soup, fried meat (chicken, beef. pork or fish) and a lot of vegetables. Breakfast usually comprises of Tea, Bread, Coffee, Jam and fruits. Cambodian food is light and healthy and is not very spicy and hot. Cambodian cuisine is a fusion of cuisines from other countries in South East Asia such as Vietnam and Thailand.
Weekends
Phnom Penh has a lot to offer and you will always find something of interest to do and see during your free time. There are a lot of temples, museums, and historic sites to visit such as Toul Sleng Genocide Museum, Royal Palace, National Museum and Wat Phnom. You can also join the local Khmer cuisine cooking classes if that interests you! You will have longer free time available on the weekends where you can visit the nearby beaches and the zoo.
Program Cost
Please Note: -An application fee of $199 is charged over and above the program fee as an application payment. (A 4% international banking fee is charged at the time of payment)
What are you Paying for?
- 24 hrs Assistance and support from staff
- Comprehensive Pre- Departure Information
- Pick up from the airport
- 2 day intensive orientation
- Food
- Accommodation in a host family or guesthouse
- Travel & Medical Insurance (Available at an extra cost)
- Certificate Of Completion (Upon Request)
What's NOT included?
- Airfare
- Return Trip to Airport
- Local Transportation
- Visa Fees
- Vaccinations
Program Dates
| Months | 2021 | 2022 |
| January | - | 0216 |
| February | - | 0620 |
| March | - | 0620 |
| April | - | 0317 |
| May | - | 0115 |
| June | 0620 | 0519 |
| July | 0418 | 031731 |
| August | 0115 | 14 |
| September | 0519 | 0418 |
| October | 031731 | 0216 |
| November | 14 | 0620 |
| December | 0519 | 0418 |
FAQ's
FAQ's Application and Program Details
You must be 18 years and above when you arrive at your project placement in Cambodia.
Participants enrolled in the Orphanage and Teaching Project need to provide a Criminal Background Check Report as well.
Volunteers need to have an open mind and flexible attitude for working in a new and different environment. Cambodia is a country of different culture and traditions, though it is modernized but the cultural sensitivities need to be kept in mind before volunteering here.
Volunteers should be energetic and enthusiastic to make a difference.
Must be in good health.
Volunteering in a group is always a good idea and it’s highly encouraged. We recommend our volunteers to come with their colleagues, friends or families.
Volunteering in a group improves productivity and it’s also safe when you venture out for sightseeing after your work. Also, we can design special group programs for groups of 5 or more. Our programs are designed to be safe, affordable and offer a great group volunteering experience to the volunteers.
In our experience of more than 12+ years we have enabled and facilitated volunteer program placements for student groups- college groups, university groups, high school groups, group of families, group of couples as well as a group of colleagues.
Volunteers are picked up from the Phnom Penh International Airport (PNH) by the in-country coordinator or representative. Those volunteers who are arriving overland or are already in Cambodia will be picked up from the bus station or at a meeting point decided beforehand. Please do inform the in-country coordinator if your? flight is arriving late.
If you are planning to come for multiple programs during your trip, you will have to pay the application fee just once. Your application fee is valid for a year's time (from the date of application). You will not have to pay the application fees again if you come within the mentioned time frame.
For our returning volunteers, $50 discount is provided for the application fee for their next VolSol program.
Flights and Visa
Citizens of most countries can receive a 30-day tourist Visa on arrival. You can apply for an E-Visa before going to Cambodia. For volunteers planning to stay in Cambodia for more than 30 days, business Visa is recommended.
Most volunteers coming from Europe and North America have a layover in South Korea, Qatar, Vietnam or Thailand and then take a connecting flight to Phnom Penh.
The following carriers operate regular flights to Phnom Penh –
Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, Tigerair, Dragon Air, Bangkok Airways, Korean Air, Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Air China flights, Thai AirAsia and SilkAir.
Health and Safety
Apart from that, travelers are recommended to take the following vaccinations:
Hepatitis A and B
Typhoid
Tetanus
We would also request you to consult your travel doctor before going to Cambodia.
Accommodation and Living
In Cambodia, accommodation is provided in the volunteer house or with a Cambodian host family depending on your preference, availability and the final project allocation.
Staying with a local host family is exciting and a very good opportunity for the volunteers to get to know the traditional customs, culture and ‘way of living’ of Cambodians. Our volunteers usually stay with middle-class families.
All volunteers are provided with separate rooms in most cases. However, in a rare case, you would be sharing the room with a fellow volunteer.
All host families are carefully selected and approved by the local staff and have past experience of hosting international volunteers. All accommodations have running water and electricity available.
The volunteer house is centrally located and the local staff office is also there. The coordinators are available to assist the volunteers in case of any need. Rooms are shared with usually 2-4 other volunteers. The house has wireless internet available for volunteers use as well as a common area where you can socialize with other volunteers.
Volunteers are provided with three meals a day. Cambodian food is light and healthy and is not very spicy and hot. It is a fusion of different Southeast Asian cuisines and meals usually comprise of Rice, Vegetables, Chicken, Beef, and noodles.
We encourage our volunteers to travel. We have designed various weekend tours which can be booked under the Add-on Tours section in your ‘My Account’.
Your in-country coordinator will also help you book and organize the tours once you are in the country.
Traveling within Cambodia is cheap; however, you should carry around $50 - 60 per week for your basic personal expenses, such as snacks, water, local transport, phone etc.
Connect with Past Volunteers
To read alumni interviews from past participants, visit the Meet a Volunteer section on our website.
To view feedback reports and testimonials from Volunteering Solutions Cambodia program participants, click here.
