Cambodia

I volunteered as a human rights advisor in Phnom Penh (PP) for 6 weeks in the spring of 2013, as part of Project Abroad's (PA) PRO programme - which is marketed as suitable for professionals in mid or late career, or for those who are retired. I am a lawyer with many years of experience, and was on a sabbatical from work during my volunteer time. My overall impression of PA is that it is organized for gap year young adults, who want short term placements as English teachers and care workers, for which no specific skill set is required. My experience was that PA is ill equipped to assist professionals, or to understand how to match NGO needs with available professionals. At my placement, the PA coordinator seemed uninformed about the work of the NGO, and was very cursory in any follow up with me. Fortunately, I was able to solve issues at my placement, given my years of experience, and my determination to make the most of my time in PP. I was quite comfortable doing that, but question the value that PA brought, given the programme fee that I had paid. On a more general level, PA did not appear to work with the NGO on its needs; there was no planning that I saw. Interns arrived with little notice, and no apparent screening for suitable skills. The work being done by volunteers at this placement requires a high level of professional written English; however, PA did not assess interns for this requirement. The programme fee for human rights is significantly higher than for care workers (as an example); however, as PA gives a very modest amount of that fee to the human rights NGOs, it is unclear to me what justifies this difference in costs. There is nothing obvious that would cost PA more for a human rights volunteer - all volunteers lived in the same accommodation, with food and transportation provided. Another peculiarity with PA is that the costs of programmes varies significantly depending on the currency. Had I paid in Cdn funds, my costs would have been $4750; in pounds, the cost was 1995, which converted to approximately $3100 Cdn. PA was unable to explain such a significant difference in costs; I spoke with other volunteers in PP who had similar experiences. Logically, the costs should be the same using the same base currency, then converting. The local PA office was inefficient and indifferent. Although PA promises that all rooms will be equipped with lock boxes, several of us waited weeks for installation - texts, messages etc. were required. My shower flooded; weeks of messages culminated in the conclusion that it was a construction defect. These are relatively minor issues, which I understand can occur. My observation was that PA brought no value to their resolution - I could have sorted these matters out myself in the same time frame. There were constant attempts to have new volunteers accept transportation by moto, rather than tuk tuk, although the latter is much safer in PP. Motos are often involved in accidents, and passengers must always be alert to attempted bag grabbing. PA seemed so determined to have volunteers use motos that I observed a blatant misrepresentation of previous arrangements for other volunteers as PA tried to convince a new volunteer to accept a moto. I enjoyed my work with the NGO and hope that my contribution was useful and lasting. I plan to return on my own to continue assisting Cambodians.

Arriving in Phnom Penh was crazy. Crazy but exciting! The first thing that hit me was the extreme heat and the hustle and bustle of the city, the complete opposite to where i was going to live for the next 5 weeks. We had to stay a night in Phnom Penh before travelling on to the project location early the next morning. The transport to the coast was by a mini bus which you'd think would fit about 14 people but oh no... they manage to fit about 25 people in with the boot open and luggage, fruit and veg tied on! With that, i'd definitely felt like id begun the adventure. The journey was the first taster of the simplicity of life people live over there, in complete contrast to back at home. My first thoughts arriving on the island was waw this really is a tropical island! The sand was white, the ocean was turquoise and to top it off the sun was just setting. Life on camp was pretty much as basic as it gets. I wasn't sure how i would cope with that but surprisingly, it was a lot easier than i thought and strangely fun. There were no showers so you had to clean in the sea, no toilets, food was cooked over a fire and we slept in hammocks! The food was also a lot better than what i was expecting. Breakfast would consist of 2 small banana's and a packet of coconut flavoured nuts (which i quickly got addicted to!). Lunch and dinner would be a rice or noodle dish with vegetables and bread we made from flour and water. Once a week we would have either pork or beef... which was a luxury! However living on an island did provide the perfect opportunity to catch fish, therefore fish would also be eaten regularly. The project itself involved learning many species of fish and surveying them. For the first week and a half or so we were taught (by Kris who was great!) the fish species and how to carry out the surveys. Being able to snorkel and correctly identify the fish as well as knowing you were helping gather important information was very rewarding. Generally you would do 4-6 surveys a day with a Saturday off. Nights were spent either at the camp table or round the big camp fire on the beach playing games. We would often have visits from the locals at night which was great! Although they could not speak English and we only knew little Cambodian it was always such a great laugh and really interesting getting to see first hand how they live. For me,one of the best parts of the trip was getting to know the locals, they were so friendly, always laughing and making us feel at home. Besides from all of the above, i met some amazing people. Everybody who worked there and the other volunteers were so friendly, a load of fun and really supportive! I definitely miss waking up to and falling asleep to nothing but the sound of the waves and feel exceptionally lucky to have experienced it, so i would 100% recommend this project!

Coming to the end of our time in Thailand, and it's flown by! We've all seen and experienced some amazing things, including the volunteers having just completed their padi open water! Really proud of the guys, have made some really close friendships already, and all in all we're having a fantastic time. In particular, I've loved the elephant riding, and the historical aspects of Kanchanaburi. Koh Tao has been a well deserved break for us all, relaxing on the beach and building up our energy for the next phase... Looking forward to what Cambodia holds for us!

The first step of the Cambodian teaching project was arriving in Cambodia, only logical. Nick, the project coordinator, who was smiling; which is in fact sign of friendliness, greeted me at the Siem Reap airport. We then made our way to the clean and comfortable house that the other volunteers and I were to stay at. After getting settled we all went for a good meal. Now, that’s enough prefacing, let’s get down to business: volunteering at the FKC organization through frontier was an experience that I'll remember for the rest of my life. The kids at the school have infectious spirits that left me feeling energized even after long days of teaching. The students at the school were (and hopefully, after working with me, still are) constantly excited to learn. They are respectful of the teachers, and more than welcoming to the ‘foreign’ volunteers. After school, the other volunteers and I would pair up with a local teacher and talk to different students’ families at their home. This process gave me a real perspective of the children's background and home life; it made it clear how much the kids get out of the free education this program provides. These visits also helped the volunteers dive deeper into the ocean of Cambodian culture. The teaching itself consisted of English, Math, Art, and Music. We'd also play football with the students on Thursdays and Sundays, it was kickin' (feel free to think of a better football pun). Apart from the time spent with the students, "Frontier's" project coordinator Nick (whom I rumored to be friendly earlier) showed all of us volunteers an awesome time. Our constant trips to local restaurants, markets, beaches, etc. always made sure that nobody was feeling bored, and also allowed us as much independence as we wanted. Moreover, Nick had many cambodian friends who we got to hang out with casually, teaching us even more about the life of Cambodian people. Due to the great social vibes from all the people involved in the project and the obvious impact that's being made in the student’s lives, I highly recommend the Siem Reap teaching project. If I had known how great it'd before signing up, I would have planned to stay longer. But alas, I'm off. Do this project if you like kids, making friends, helping out, and/or fun. If you don't like any of those things then obviously steer clear of this great project.

The best way to describe the Frontier Cambodia marine project is unforgettably unique. When arriving on the island of Koh Smach we literally had to set up camp in an untouched peace of jungle by clearing a small area and erecting tarps and hammocks to live in. Myself and one other colleague are the first 2 westerners to live on the island and as a result the local inhabitants were initially fascinated by our appearance, western items and diet. They have however slowly become used to us and accepted us as part of their small island community. The language barrier was at first one of the most challenging aspects of island life although this has become easier over our 8 weeks on the island as our knowledge of the local language (Khmer) has improved dramatically. There is truly no better way to learn a language than being in an environment where no English is spoken whatsoever. During our short stay on the island our base has improved significantly and it is no longer somewhere to sleep but now somewhere to call home. Base is literally a stones throw from the sea and each night we fall to sleep with the soothing sound of the waves on the shoreline in the background. Our cooking facilities are very basic and consist of a little fire powered ceramic stove. Nevertheless our daily menu has slowly evolved from fried vegetables and rice to stir fry's, potato cakes, flat breads, dough balls, and even a little taste of home with chips and onion rings. On rare occasions the locals give us squid and fish and so we have even had battered fish and chips and calamari. Just 10 metres seaward from our own private 300 metre beach is a massive unstudied coral reef system. My colleague and I have spent many hours exploring this system becoming familiar with all the biodiversity to be found there. We are all excited to see the project develop further into a fully fledged marine conservation program. This truly is a rare and treasured opportunity and it is an experience I will never forget. If you want to experience real Cambodia in a 'back to basics lifestyle' then this project is definitely for you.

After arriving in Phenom Penh I was met by the country coordinator Nick and my adventure begin as the new project coordinator for the Marine Research Project. The Bus ride down to the coast was my first real sight of Cambodia and It real opened my eyes to the culture and life style of this beautiful country. After a few hitches on the bus we got to the coast and I got my first glimpse of the island I was about to live on for a year. I was greeted by the rest of the team who had been here already for a few's months and a local villager hired to drive the boat over to the island. The short ride to Koh Smach took about 20 minutes across the crystal clear waters which were full of locals out fishing . When we arrived on the island I was introduced to even more of the ever friendly locals who all offered to help carry my stuff over to the camp. The walk took about 15 minutes through some dense parts of the jungles passing through various villagers houses who all popped out to say hello. We eventually broke through the under growth and arrived on the beach , were I was lead through a small opening to the temporary camp which would be my home. Set right on the edge of the beach my hammock was erected only 2 meters from the tide line. The camp immediately felt homely and the other staff members very welcoming . After a quick tour we decided to cool off in the not so cool waters which were teeming with life. The next few days was spent getting to know the island a bit better and exploring the jungle paths and reefs . Although only being here a few weeks I can say it has been the experience of my life , seeing different cultures, meeting new people and a beautiful remote island far from it all . I hope the next year goes as slow as school days !

My experience in Cambodia on the start of the new Marine Research Project has been unforgettable. Having the chance to go back to basics and live in a bit of paradise on the beautiful island of Koh Smach has been such a unique opportunity and one that I am so grateful for. We have been living in a base camp built by our own hands right on the beach and have really made our own little home from home. I've been able to learn a whole host of new skills I never thought I would; such as de-husking coconuts, raft building and some carpentry! Not least of these skills is my new found language abilities. The local villagers have been so helpful in teaching us the Khmer language. Slowly but surely and with lots of laughs we are learning to converse in Khmer. The area of coral reef, right off our stretch of beach, is relatively unstudied so it has been incredible to collect baseline survey data of a totally new survey site. The reef is beautiful, with a number of associated fish and invertebrate species, including some very sizable parrotfish, nudibranchs and giant clams. It's so great to be part of the beginning of a new frontier in marine conservation! Daily island life is always interesting with our ever expanding and increasingly adventurous cooking attempts. I think we all agreed that if we try vegetable tempura again there are some things we would do differently! And going to sleep every night to the sound of the waves lapping the shore is such a perfect end to the day. A great conservation project to choose if you're interested in the marine environment and want a piece of island life.

In March 2012 I had the pleasure of traveling to the beautiful and unique city of Siem Reap, Cambodia. Meng, the United Planet country coordinator in Cambodia, picked up my friend and I from the airport and drove us to the hotel we would be staying at. Everything about Siem Reap is bustling and hectic, but in a crazy-beautiful way. After a brief rush of anxiety and stress seeing the way the roadways worked, we felt beyond welcome. Meng helped us feel comfortable right away, but also everyone we met went out of their way to make us feel at home. The staff at the hotel patiently helped us with our Khmer (the local language), and we were able to help them with some English pronunciation as well. After our week and a half staying there we felt like family, and had a hard time saying goodbye! During our United Planet trip, we spent about a week and a half volunteering as teachers at the Orphanage in Cambodia. It was quite an experience. My friend and I were assigned to two different sections and we had to "pick up" where the previous volunteer had left off in the lessons. For first-time teachers like my friend and I, this was quite a daunting task, but we definitely got the hang of it after a couple sessions. What we learned was that in Siem Reap there was not enough funding for public school students to attend full class days. Instead, they would either attend a morning or an afternoon session. The kids we taught would go to regular classroom school that day, but we were an additional resource to their English language studies. Knowing that took off a lot of the pressure we initially felt because we realized we were there to hone in on their English language lessons and help them practice practice practice...It was great to be able to work with these kids! They absolutely loved singing us Justin Bieber songs, showing us their drawings, asking us how we were, where we were from etc...they also LOVED games (who would have thought, kids loving games?) and we found ways to incorporate lessons into fun games that all ages enjoyed. In one week I can't begin to quantify the impact we had on the kids; however, I learned that volunteering abroad is NOT about that--we were able to spend quality time helping incredibly bright and enthusiastic children learn pronunciation and basic language techniques. In a city where the economy relies almost solely on tourism, learning how to converse in English is an incredibly important skill for these kids. We hope that we were able to show them in our short time there that we both care about them and believe in them. Overall, I'd recommend United Planet trips because you are able to immerse yourself 100% within a city. Not only are you giving back for the greater good of that place, but you are also able to see a side that many tourists never get to experience. I'd also recommend visiting Siem Reap, Cambodia, for a unique and incredible experience that you will undoubtedly never forget. As volunteer travel becomes more and more popular throughout the world, I find it important to remember that as a volunteer, you are not there to swoop in and save the day. Maybe in some instances you will literally save someone, but for the most part, it is important to remember that you may not have quantifiable results and/or a quantifiable impact. Do not feel like you need to be able to report with numbers or figures on this important act, but rather, take from it as much as you can and try in your every day life to emulate the little acts of kindness that you were a part of. Small changes can make a big difference, like the United Planet logo says..."Individually we are on drop. Together, we are an ocean."

Volunteering in Cambodia, is an all round experience, culturally, environmentally and socially, a real authentic place with a lot to offer but also a lot you can offer Cambodia. Cambodia is a place full of nice people, that are trying to work towards a greater Cambodia and really appreciate outside involvement when introduced in the right way. Teaching and environmental programmes in Cambodia help to address to the two main issues in Cambodia, educating young people and helping the local people understand and protect environment around them. Cambodia really is amazing and you will not regret it here or regret working with Frontiers projects.

I can honestly say this was the best experience of my entire life. Projects Abroad made it so easy for me to feel comfortable and confident with my decision to go through their program. They answered every question and concern I had right away and were happy to do so. While in Cambodia, the Projects Abroad team made sure that everyone was happy and comfortable not only with their accommodation but also with their food, placement, driver, etc. I genuinely felt like they cared about me and even more so about their purpose as being a Projects Abroad staff member. I volunteered doing physical therapy at an orphanage with all disabled children. It was the most rewarding experience and I truly fell in love with the kids. They were the happiest/ cutest kids I have ever met and their appreciation for my help was astonishing. I had a member of the Projects Abroad staff drive me to and from the orphanage everyday and had an in-home cook that made us the best meals. Projects Abroad member Seang planned group events for the volunteers every week and made the experience outside of the orphanage fun as well. I am so grateful for choosing Projects Abroad and can't wait to go back to Cambodia next year!