Cambodia Volunteer Reviews

Donna Dowling in Cambodia - Review 2012

Was the experience good value for money?
The experience was remarkable. It was not just about the help you could give to the children, it was also about the insight that they offered to you. It opened your eyes to a whole new world.

Why did you want to volunteer?
I wanted to make a difference. I love children and wanted to help in any way that I could. I am training to be a teacher, and I wanted to gain further understanding of the ways children learn. I felt that teaching in a foreign country could assist me immensely with this

Do you feel you made a difference, how?
I do feel that I made a difference to the children and the project. I bought a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the lessons, which assisted the children with their learning. I was patient and took the time to get to know the children outside of lessons so that I could understand their lifestyles and share my own experiences with them.

What did you do for fun?
We played games such as rounders, balloon races and games with a large parachute. The children were so excited! We seemed to triple our class size -  more and more children came from no where! They were so excited when we got involved too, taking our turns to play the games. It introduced them to another side of us and they found it hilarious but fun when we were running around making fools of ourselves!

When was your most enjoyable experience, do you have an interesting story?
When we found ourselves caught outside under shelter during a thunder storm, the children were scared. Fortunately I had bought with me portable speakers and was able to get them out and play some party music to the children. We had a great time, dancing and playing music games. We all forgot about the thunder storm!

Who did you make friends with and for what reasons?
We made many friends during or trip. Both other volunteers and also the local villagers who really welcomed us into their community. It was very sad to say goodbye, it was like leaving family behind.

What were the names of the best places to hang out and socialise
During the weekends we visited  many places. One of them was Phnom Penn. We stayed as a hostel called Happy  11. It was great there, as there were many travellers to chat with. The atmosphere was brilliant as there is a very cool roof-top bar. It was compfy sofas, pool table, great music and even a cinema section where you could watch food. There was an array of western as well as local foods available for cheap prices.

What were your impressions of the accommodation?
The accommodation was better than I expected. I was aware of the bucket shower and assumed it would be outside, as I didn’t realise there was a wet room. I had visions or showering outside in a bikini while the bugs attacked me, but actually the shower room was clean and private, which was a big relief!
The house where we slept was large and basic. It had a tall ceiling to circulate air and was equipped with fans, which were a Godsend!
There are frequent power cuts but we were always very grateful when the fans came back on!

Would you considering going again or perhaps to another project with Original Volunteers?
I think I would consider another project when the time is right for me. I enjoyed the experience and felt like I was really part of something.

What items would you suggest future volunteers pack?
We took all of the suggested items in the pack and had everything we needed. In addition I would suggest reading books, as you do have quite a bit of free time between lessons.
The pack suggested taking a laptop, but if you have a smart phone you may not need one. I took my laptop as I was planning interactive lessons, however the internet is intermittent so I never ended up using my laptop – it just became a burden in terms of weight and keeping it safe.

How much money would you suggest you take per week?
You need about £27 per week for food. In addition, if you bought yourself a treat of a can of pop and bag of either sweets or crisps from the shop in the village, it would cost no more than 70p per day. On the weekend volunteers usually arranged a trip away. In this instance you would need travel money, accommodation costs, food money and any sight seeing money that you require. This of course varies depending on location. During the three weeks that I was at the school, I spent approximately £200, which included a trip to Kampot and a trip to Phnom Penn.

Could you offer any tips to future volunteers?
A major tip would be to keep the house clean and tidy up after yourself!

Anything else to share?
Just a final note that  might put volunteer’s minds as rest.
The food at hope is basic but very nice. It accommodates vegetarians and meat eaters. There is a variety of simple dishes prepared three times per day. I don’t know of anyone who was ever poorly from the food, so there is not really anything to worry about in that respect.
There are water coolers everywhere at the house and school, so you do not need to worry about whether or not you will have a supply of fresh and hygienic water. You just need a bottle (available from the village if required) and you can then fill it up whenever you need water.
The people in the village are very friendly. I felt completely at ease and free of danger. I felt my belongings were perfectly safe and I happily walked back to the house at night when it was pitch black, with nothing but my torch.
The project leader lives at the school and he and his family are always around to help with anything you need. If you are poorly he will take you to the doctor or if you want shopping advice his sister will assist! Their English is very good and you never feel as though you are alone.
You will be surrounded by very friendly, and extremely lovely people, there really isn’t much to worry about!