Volunteer in Cambodia List of NGOs, resources and tips

If you want to volunteer in Cambodia while visiting Angkor Wat, you have plenty of opportunity to do so.

There are numerous NGO’s in Siem Reap if you’re interested in doing a volunteer vacation, and most would be glad if you can help them out by volunteering your time, or by giving some donation or contribution.

Many who visit this town realize quickly that although the tourism industry is booming, not everyone is getting the benefit from it.

Volunteering for one day or even a few hours will let you help the less fortunate people (of which most of them are children). Plus, it will also let you see a glimpse of the life behind the tourism world.

But it’s somewhat tricky to find a legitimate organization through online research. How do you determine whether the organization is a valid one, and really benefits the people they claim to help? Should you join a large international organization, or a small local one? If you're volunteering for an extended period of time, should you choose a paid volunteering program, or arrange everything yourself?

To help you answer these questions, there are several resources that you can look into prior to coming to volunteer in Cambodia.

• Ethical Volunteering – a good read for anyone interested in volunteering abroad. It lays out some important questions about volunteering.
  
  
• Women on the Road  – an excellent page about volunteer vacation in general (where you pay money to work), with links to other volunteering resources.
  
  
• Singing Tree Café – a café in Siem Reap that doubles as a community center for volunteering opportunities. They also lists volunteer organizations that they recommend on their website.
  
  

Preparing to volunteer in Cambodia

To get you started, below you'll find some organizations that you can look into. They are all located in Siem Reap or near Siem Reap, so you can be sure to have the best of both worlds: a vacation, and a giving of service to others.

Some of the NGOs below have excellent information about themselves on their website. I recommend future volunteers to read through them in detail, because knowing as much as possible about your organization will only benefit the both of you.

This way, you’ll find out which organizations match your interest the most, and could use your skills most effectively. By ensuring a good fit, you get the satisfaction that you've helped as much as you can, while the NGOs and its people benefit by being helped in the most effective way.

You can contact each organization for possible volunteering opportunities, and details such as whether you’d like to volunteer for a few hours, weeks, or maybe even months.

Volunteer organizations in Siem Reap

Here are some organizations that arrange volunteer programs regularly.

1. Sangkheum Center for Children
   
   
2. Savong School
   
   
3. Green Gecko
   
   
4. Trailblazer Foundation
   
   
5. Angkor Hospital for Children
   
   
6. ACCB (Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity
   
   
7. Pepyride
   
   

While the above are actual organizations that you can volunteer with, there are others whose main function is to allocate volunteers to the appropriate NGOs. If you choose to volunteer through these companies, usually you would have to pay in advance for the whole program, and it usually includes room and board. Cost varies, and they also depend on the length of stay.

Some of the companies that place volunteers in Siem Reap are:

1. Globalteer
2. WLS
3. United Planet
   
   

So in short...

Volunteering can be a life-changing experience, and it usually is, no matter what you end up doing. However, it is still worth it to find NGOs that fit your values and interest the most, so you know that your help is going towards the most appropriate need, and provide benefit to all.

At the very least, it is helpful to know what you’ll be doing when you volunteer, so that you can come prepared, and be ready to contribute as much as you can.