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Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Childcare Volunteer Program in Cambodia

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Trip Highlights

Opportunity to do volunteer work for Cambodian Children
Work for local NGOs/Childcare centers
Responsibilities entail teaching children, take care of them, assisting local staff in the upkeep of the center and carrying out day-to-day activities
An important contribution is to make the children feel comfortable and deeply engage with you
Opportunity to meet fellow volunteers and do-gooders from all over the world
Weekends free to explore the Cambodia and Visit Angkor Wat

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Overview Program Requirements Volunteer Roles & Responsibilities Volunteer Work Schedule Living Costs Dates Reviews

Overview

Participants joining the Child Care Volunteering Project in Cambodia will be placed at local centers for children from the slums of Phnom Penh, the capital city. Most of these kids are in the age group of 3 - 16 years, and they belong to underprivileged backgrounds, such that they often don't get the basic requirements as well.

This project will not only give you an opportunity of working with children, but it'll also get you closer to the Cambodian culture and lifestyle. You'll be interacting with the local staff at the centers, and look deeper into the problems that persist in the developing society. These centers warmly welcome all the volunteers and for the kids, it's the time to love and be loved. You'll feel the bliss of being surrounded by the warmth while working with these little ones.

Note: Volunteers joining this Child Care Project in Cambodia will have to devote a minimum of 2 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, your major role would be to care for these little ones, provide them the necessary comfort that any child would need for a proper growth, teach them basic lessons and also make the older ones aware about health and hygiene.
You'll also have to help in the daily tasks at the Childcare Centers such as washing clothes, feeding the children and making suggestions to the staff for improvement, help in administrative work etc.
In case you are a creative person, you can try your hands in adding some more colors to the entire environment, by renovating the center, along with your peers.
Focus on teaching the English Language to the older kids (10 - 16 years). This would help them in the days ahead. You can also engage the kids in activity-based learning.
Most importantly, ensure that the kids are drenched in love and care because that's what they need the most.

Volunteer Work Schedule

As a volunteer for the Child Care Program in Cambodia, your general schedule would be:

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 accommodation in the volunteer house or in a family operated and centrally located guesthouse in Phnom Penh.

The volunteer house is conveniently located in the centre of Phnom Penh City near the Russian Market and Boeung Trabek market. The house provides volunteers with a comfortable, simple and relaxing place to live. Presently, the volunteer house can accommodate more than twenty volunteers in five rooms.Rooms in the house are on shared basis.Rooms have fans and AC. If the volunteers need any help or assistance they can always come to the local team office, which is in the same building and literally right next door. Wifi Internet is available at the volunteer house.

Participants also have the option to choose to upgrade to single private room at an additional charge at the guesthouse accommodation. In case of non availability at the volunteer house during busy periods, participants are provided accommodation in a guesthouse.

For those participants wishing to stay at a homestay, host family accommodation is also available.

Orientation

An 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

Cambodian cuisine is a fusion of cuisines from other countries in South East Asia such as Vietnam and Thailand.Cambodian food is light and healthy and is not very spicy and hot. During your stay at the volunteer house, food will be provided at a restaurant which is 3 minutes walk from the house.

The menu will offer for selection of the foods you prefer :-

Breakfast: start from 6:10 AM -7: 30 AM, foods such as Baguette or slide bread with Butter jam or honey, peanut butter, fried eggs, scrambled eggs, scramble eggs tomato onion, omelette or fruit plate.
Lunch: start from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM, foods such as soup or stir-fried with a main dish consisting of rice, noodles, fresh vegetables, chicken, beef, or pork, volunteers eat with the other volunteers at the Den Angkor restaurant. It’s near the Volunteer house all of you can work within 3 to 5 minutes will arrive.
Dinner: start from 5:40 PM – 7:00 PM, food is similar to lunch, so you typically come together to eat with others.

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.

Dates

2023

2024

January

February

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November

December

Past Date

Available

Unavailable

Filling Fast

Costs

2 Weeks £484

3 Weeks £624

4 Weeks £763

5 Weeks £856

6 Weeks £921

7 Weeks £1061

8 Weeks £1126

Extra Week £140

Please Note: -An application fee of £179 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
Orientation and Welcome lunch/dinner
Food
Accommodation in volunteer house, 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

Reviews

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Frequently asked questions

: There is no deadline for registering your program. However, as we have limited spots available in our programs and we usually facilitate on first come first serve basis, we strongly recommend all volunteers to book their programs well in advance. We have volunteers booking their programs even one year in advance. So, it is a good idea to book the program as early as possible and reserve your spot. We also allow volunteers to change their program dates if they inform us before 45 days of program’s commencement.
: After you complete your application, your personalized ‘My Account’ will be activated.You will need to upload your CV/Resume along with your photo in the same. Our backend team and the placement site takes around 10-12 days to review your application. After we review your CV and documents, your booking is confirmed and updated in your ‘My Account’. Some projects need a mandatory criminal background check and the same is mentioned in the project info of your program. Approval of your application depends on your qualification and eligibility criteria for each project.
: In Cambodia, the minimum duration of our programs is 2 weeks. Volunteers who choose the NGO Support Program need to participate for a minimum duration of 5 weeks.

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.
: The programs in Cambodia start on 1st and 3rd Monday of every month and participants need to arrive on the Sunday prior to that.

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.
: Yes, we will provide you with the Certificate after successful completion of your program. The certificate is provided on request.
: 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.
: VolSol volunteers usually work for 5 to 6 hours a day, however, it is dependent on your program type. You will have the weekends to travel and explore the country.

Our in-country coordinator will guide you about the nearby places which you can explore during the weekday evenings as well.
: 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.
: Phnom Penh International Airport (Airport Code: PNH) is well connected with flights from major Asian and Middle Eastern destinations.
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.
: Cambodia as a whole is a safe place for tourists in general. Our volunteer accommodation and placements are located in a safe and friendly neighborhood in Phnom Penh. However, as in any other big city, you need to be vigilant when venturing out alone and drinking with strangers and also take general safety measures. All volunteers are recommended to follow safety procedures and guidelines provided by the in-country coordinator in the orientation session.
: If you are traveling from a country with a risk of Yellow Fever Virus (YFV) transmission, you are required to show proof of Yellow Fever vaccination.
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.
: Yes, for all participants it is mandatory to have a travel medical insurance. To provide the best option to our participants, we offer comprehensive insurance coverage in collaboration with a leading insurance provider at a very nominal price.
: In Cambodia, accommodation is provided in a family run guest house in central Phnom Penh 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 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.

At guest house accommodation, 2-3 volunteers share a room, on same gender basis. Each room has its own bathroom with western-style facilities and showers. All rooms have fans and a separate bathroom is attached to every room. Air-conditioning is also available for an additional cost.Volunteers can have the opportunity to relax, to eat and to socialize with other volunteers on the second floor of the guest house.

The communal area for the volunteers is set up there.The guest house has a very family friendly atmosphere and participants enjoy their stay there.The house is a great place to meet and interact with other like-minded volunteers from different parts of the world. The accommodation has Wifi service available and laundry service is also available at an additional charge.

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.
: Yes – please do ensure that you inform the local team about your food preference and they can ensure that you are able to order the best food! Also, please do mention your specific food preference in the application form as well.
: Your weekends and evenings will be free for you to indulge in some sightseeing and explore in and around Phnom Penh. You can visit the temples of Angkor near Siem Reap city in the west, the beaches of Sihanoukville and coastal towns along the southern coast and also the jungle villages along the countryside. (Of course, one just can’t afford to miss visiting the ruins of Angkor Wat when in Cambodia!)

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.
: Your program fee covers everything - from your food, accommodation, airport pick-up, orientation, pre-departure information, and in-country staff support. You will need to cover your personal expenses, such as traveling, telephone, shopping, sightseeing etc.

Local Transportation to the projects is not included in the program fee. You can expect to spend around $5 to $12 per day for the transport. On an average, we recommend around $100 per week for your personal expenses.
: You can change money at any bank or at the airport by showing your passport. There are ATM's located all around the capital city of Phnom Penh. It is recommended to check and keep yourself updated with the current exchange rates.
: We encourage volunteers to get in touch with former Volunteering Solutions participants and also other program participants joining our projects. You are recommended to join the Volunteering Solutions Facebook Page or Facebook Group and connect with other participants and our team.

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.