Details

Volunteer requirements

Every volunteer program starts on the first and third Monday of every month. The duration of each program may be from 2 to 24 weeks. Participants must be at least 18 years old to volunteer, unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian. It is necessary that all volunteers obtain an appropriate volunteer travel insurance  and submit a clean criminal background check to CW’s local staff as soon as they arrive in Cambodia.

Location and orientation

Our programs in Cambodia allow our volunteers to live and participate in the natives’ daily lives and activities, while helping the ones in need achieve a better quality of life.

Our local Cambodian team will host Orientation at the volunteer house in Phnom Penh. This will take place in the morning of the day you wish to start and volunteers will be told everything they should know about their program in Cambodia: an introduction to the country, their culture, customs, rules, social expectations, safety in the village, touristic attractions to visit, and information about the project. This orientation event will also be an opportunity to meet other volunteers and make connections to socialize or travel together on a weekend.

Accommodation and Meals

Accommodation in this project may be in volunteer houses or home-stays with other fellow volunteers. Volunteer houses are equipped with electricity, water and Internet access, and rooms are normally shared with one or two other volunteers. Bedrooms may have single beds or bunk beds, and, because of the warm climate, they will usually include only a bottom bed-sheet and a pillow.

Volunteers may also stay with host families, who have been approved by the CW Abroad’s local team. Most home-stays have electricity, water and western bathrooms. Some rural houses cannot offer electricity or water because of droughts.

As part of their participation in this project in Cambodia, volunteers are offered three meals a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Breakfast normally involves fruit and bread. A typical lunch meal will consist of rice or noodles with meat or fried vegetables. Dinner may be quite diverse at a volunteer house, but if you stay with a host family, a traditional Khmer dinner may include all sorts of salty, sweet, sour and bitter flavors in soup, rice, vegetables and meat. Dessert may consist of fresh fruits with sticky rice. If you have any special dietary requirement, let us know in advance upon application in this program so the meals can be arranged for you.

Volunteer schedule

Depending on each project, volunteer work an average of three to six daily hours from Monday to Friday. Some flexibility is possible and on volunteers request they can negotiate some modifications in their schedules, in order to accommodate their traveling plans.

Evenings and weekends are free and volunteers can use their spare time to socialize and visit some of the cultural attractions available in the city and its surroundings. Just to mention a few options there are the Mela House, a fantastically original Arts, Communications and Media Center near the Phnom Penh’s riverbank and the Royal Palace, both located in the city center and within walking distance from one another.

They can also venture a bit farther away from the buzzle of the city and relax at the beautiful beaches in the Southern Provinces of Sihanouk Ville and Kep or Kep-sur-Mer, as was called during the French Colony.

Orientation

On arrival at the airport volunteers will be received by a member of our local staff and led to their accommodation place.

Before starting the volunteering activities at their respective projects, they will receive a two-days course where they’ll be filled in with all relevant details about the local culture and history, some basic rules and safety tips, a brief introduction to the Khmer language and go on a city tour.