Cambodia is an impoverished country in search of a future, and the volunteers from the first world have a vital role to play. Volunteering in Siem Reap is a worthwhile way to spend your time in Cambodia that will definitely make this your trip of a lifetime. The tourist draw for Siem Reap has long been the Angkor Wat complex of temples. But travellers seeking an alternative have also taken to volunteer work in an effort to improve the lives of rural Cambodians.

Make A Difference For Good (MAD) is a not-for-profit foundation that gives tourists a chance to experience volunteering, even if it’s only for a few days. On the outskirts of Siem Reap, volunteers pay for accommodation and an administration fee for the opportunity to work in remote and semi-remote communities digging water bore holes, farming and building lavatories. There are also small Khmer-run schools looking for teachers.

Most nights students at Jay’s School pore over their notes with Jay Lim Chea, its director and teacher. By day he works for an NGO and is constantly looking for volunteers who’ll stay longer than a couple of weeks and teach English four nights a week.

Several pagodas around town also take on English speakers to assist the monks in teaching adults and children. The Life and Hope Association at the Wat Damnak commune on Wat Bo Road has a sewing centre and a food education project for orphans in nearby communities. The Angkor Hospital for Children takes about 200 volunteers a year from the more than 1,000 applicants. People are taken on to fill specific jobs, whether that is building a shed or working in the biotechnology lab.

There are several environmental NGOs keen to hear from volunteers, though several prefer people with expertise.

For more information on volunteering in Cambodia contact: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from: Cambodia Pocket Guide (June – Aug 08)