Overview
Soak up jaw-dropping ancient culture, vibrant colours and the many flavours of Asia whilst contributing to life changing community and conservation projects, helping this beautiful country recover from a turbulent past.
Work with Cambodia’s orphans, build much needed wells and water filters and help Buddhist monks to care for families living with AIDS. You‘ll teach disadvantaged children, as well as Tuk Tuk drivers and college students, helping them learn English and I.T. and giving them a much-needed ticket out of poverty.
Explore Cambodia’s fascinating, modern cities and the rustic charm of rural rice paddies where villagers still live in jungle-bound houses on stilts. Your time will be spilt between Cambodia’s hippest towns, Siem Reap and the colourful capital Phnom Penh.
At weekends you’re free to travel and explore, the choice is endless: visit the famous temples of Angkor Wat, trek though ancient jungles or just kick back and relax with bottle of locally brewed ‘Angkor Beer’ on those fabulous palm fringed beaches!
How you help
Helping Who
Communities and orphans around Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.
Helping How
- Community Projects (3 weeks) in Siem Reap
- Teaching Cambodian Orphans
Help teach English, art, dance, sport and handy crafts to children in one of the 4 orphanages around Siem Reap. The classrooms there are very informal and run like kindergartens, with an emphasis on play and creative expression. Learning English provides children with the opportunity to break out of the poverty cycle and ensure themselves a bright future. In addition to the teaching and care roles, you may be able to help with the construction and improvement of their facilities.
- Clean Water Project with the Trailblazer Foundation
In Cambodia 60,000 children die each year due to waterborne illnesses. We are now working with the dynamic Trailblazer Foundation, a local NGO www.thetrailblazerfoundation.org whose main aim is to provide clean water to impoverished areas through bio-sand water filters that remove 98% of the bacteria. You will help build these filters and install into the villages.
- Community Projects (2 weeks) in Phnom Penh
- Teach at the Don Bosco Foundation School for Boys
Help teach vocational skills to students such as English, IT skills (programs such as Word Processing, Spread Sheet and the use of E-mail and the Internet) and music (the school has an organ).
- Healthcare and AIDS awareness with Buddhist monks
Assist the monks with their work to protect and educate orphaned and vulnerable children. Teach kids basic hygiene and give basic IT skills lessons.
- Conservation Projects Udong, near Phnom Penh (1 week)
- Help build a pumping well for a poor community in Udong, where many villagers live far from the nearest pond. The well will benefit 21 families, who usually have to survive on stored water, or walk many miles during the dry season.
- Community and Conservation Projects (4 weeks) in Siem Reap
- Eco-Agriculture at Samrong Village
Work with farmers near the Angkor temple complex. It’s a picturesque Cambodian rural village, with people living in wooden houses on stilts and farming rice in the paddy fields, which surround the village. Assist the community in establishing basic facilities and trade skills, such as basket weaving and making incense sticks - new ideas are always welcome!
- Farming
Also help farmers with their daily activities in the fields, assisting them with improvements to their irrigation system.
- Teaching
Teach tuk-tuk drivers conversational English and writing so that they can communicate with foreign passengers, write emails to previous customers and improve their job prospects.
Your base
Your Team
Maximum of 12 volunteers per team, we can accommodate 2 teams, rotating in turn through the placement phases.
Accommodation and Meals
You will live in basic but comfortable family houses with other volunteers in each location. Rooms can sleep 2 to 3 volunteers with showers, western style lavatories and electricity.
Food
Cambodian food is delicious and make sure you try the fish Amok! Breakfast is usually French bread or toast, omelette (ham or cheese) coffee or tea, fruit.
Lunch and dinner is typical Cambodia food: fried rice with vegetables or with chicken, fish, fried vegetables, soup and sometimes sandwiches for lunch.
There are masses of places to go out for dinner if you choose - great western food is available, including local food of rice, fish, chicken, pork and noodles. Volunteers will have to wash their own clothes or you can pay to have it done.
Wildlife
Cranes, monkeys, snakes, crocodiles, turtles, woodpeckers, kingfishers, and many more variety of birds.
Weather
From November to end of May it will be hot and tropical 38 degrees in the sun and dry and between June and October - normally it rains in the afternoon and lasts for just a few hours but this is a lovely time of year to visit as it is very lush and green and sunny and warm in the mornings.
Transport
Transport to the projects is by tuk tuk or by mountain bike. You'll have your own bike, safety helmet and lock, which you can also use during the weekend.
Communication
You will be able to communicate with the project leader in English. In the communities most people do not speak English, but Socheat or the project coordinator will help to translate. It would be useful to learn some Khmer, basic language tuition will be given on arrival.
Time In/Out
Time In
Generally activities on the projects will take place 5 days per week for 5 - 8 hours each day with weekends free but please remain flexible.
Time Out
Top Trips
- Siem Reap: A great place to stay and very social, lots of tourists visit the famous temples at Angkor Wat $20 for a day pass. It has excellent bars, clubs, internet cafes, banks, shops, markets cafes, karaoke bars, and restaurants. It is cheap to eat out a good meal costs about $3 and a beer $1, massage 1 hour $5.
- Phonm Penh: The capital of Cambodia. Many cultural and historical attractions including: Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda (ticket $3), National Museum (ticket $3), the Killing Fields (ticket $2) and Toul Sleng Geoncide Museum (ticket $2). Phnom Penh has excellent bars, clubs, discos, internet cafes, banks, shops, markets, karaoke bars and restaurants. The meals costs about $3 and a beer $1, massage 1 hour $5.
- Sihanoukville: Cambodia’s most famous beach resort, a beautiful fishing town on the white sandy shores of the Bay of Thailand. It’s on the South coast and accessible in just a few hours by road from Phonm Penh- so perfect for a weekend break. Enjoy the laid back atmosphere and spectacular scenery, swimming, sunbathing, snorkelling and scuba diving if you’re feeling adventurous. Accommodation ranges from backpacker hostels at $2 per night, up to a luxury Island retreat costing thousands!
- Exploring the floating village on Tonle Saap lake, trek through luscious rainforests, fishing, swimming, mountain biking and visiting museums.
Costs/Dates
Dates
2010 for 10 or 6 weeks
January 4th, March 30th, July 5th (6 weeks only), September 2nd
2011 for 10 or 6 weeks
January 4th, March 31st, July 4th (6 weeks only), September 1st
Costs
(Based on a team of 5+ Leapers)
Up until 31st August 2010 Up until 31st August 2011
6 weeks £1865 6 weeks £1865
10 Weeks £2744 10 Weeks £2744
Includes:
Donation to the project currently £80 and you choose how you want this spent. About £12 of this sum will automatically go to the orphanages as they rely on volunteer donations to feed the kids.
Selection and briefing on all aspects of the scheme.
24 hour emergency back-up, management and support by UK team and in-country Placement Manager, with reliable communications and infrastructure.
Safety and induction course on arrival.
Airport pick up and transfer to and from the placement.
Transport to and from the phases and to the project work each day.
Food and accommodation throughout.
Not included:
International flights, internal flights (if applicable), travel insurance, visas, medical expenses, (reclaimable through travel insurance), departure taxes $25, soft drinks/beer etc. Volunteers will be responsible for any independent/weekend travel expenses e.g. food and accommodation whilst away from the placement location and any excursions not listed above. We are happy to arrange flights through STA Travel who are well known for offering good value.
Donation To The Community
A donation of £80 per person is included in the cost of the scheme. We have agreed with the Project Leader that you can choose how, as a group or possible even individually, you want this to be spent ensuring you leave a lasting legacy. As mentioned above, £12 of this donation will automatically go to the Cambodia Orphan Fund, as the orphanages rely entirely on charitable donations to feed and the cloth kids in it’s care. Given the average monthly wage is approximately £30 per month the donations do actually go far and in the past Leapers have paid for a child’s school fees, bought materials to build medical clinics, houses and playground equipment.
Exchange Rates
Unfortunately prices have risen due to the weak pound against the US dollar. Please note that as we are paying the project host in US Dollars to cover all in-country costs, and the cost of the placement is set so far ahead, if there is a big change in the exchange rate then we reserve the right to increase the cost of the scheme, as per our Booking Conditions, but will absorb any minor fluctuations, and will give plenty of warning if we have to raise prices slightly.
