Teach English Abroad in Cambodia - Sustainable Community Development

Join GoEco in Cambodia to help improve the educational experience of underprivileged children, both in and outside the classroom, by teaching English and working on construction projects. A truly worthwhile experience in Samraong.

Program Highlights:

Assist in a province that needs further development and recovering from a civil war
Gain practical experience teaching English and/or assist in construction projects
This school offers free education to those who cannot afford tuition
Volunteer in a sustainable school which was built with the help of volunteers themselves
Participate in environmental education activities
You can enhance your experience by adding our Cambodian Culture Week for an additional cost.

Your Schedule at a Glance:

Day 1, Sunday: Arrive at Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport (SAI). You will be picked up from the airport and taken to settle in to your accommodations in Samraong and meet fellow volunteers.

Day 2, Monday: Volunteers will receive an orientation, complete with a culture lesson, Khmer language lesson, tour of the area and introduction to your placement of choice.

Days 3-6, Tuesday-Friday: Rewarding volunteer work at the school or construction project.

Days 7-8, Saturday-Sunday: The weekend is free for volunteers to relax or travel.

Remaining Weeks: Remaining weeks will follow the pattern of volunteering Monday-Friday and having weekends free. Departures are on a Saturday.

Location of the Project: Samraong, Cambodia

Project length: Minimum 2 weeks (13 days) – Maximum 8 weeks

Arrival Airport: Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport (SAI)

Volunteer Work: Teaching, health education and renovation work

Age: 18-70 (This project may accept volunteers who are 17 years old with a letter of consent from a parent or guardian.)

Number of Volunteers: 5-10 international volunteers

What’s Included

Accommodations: Volunteer house in Samraong

Food: Three meals per day are included during the week and two on weekends

Airport Transfers: Airport pickup is included on arrival day

Orientation: Volunteers will receive an orientation, complete with a culture lesson, Khmer language lesson, tour of the area and introduction to your placement of choice.

Support: Comprehensive and professional pre-departure travel guidance, 24/7 GoEco emergency hotline, experienced local field team.

What’s not Included

Flights, visas (if required), travel health insurance, lunch on the weekends, personal expenses

Location

Samraong is the capital of Oddar Meanchey Province, the newest province in Cambodia, which is on the border with Thailand. To this day, the town is recovering from a long civil war, which resulted in decades of isolation. Most people visit Samraong to do much-needed development work. Samraong is about 120 km away from Siem Reap (about four hours by car).

Volunteer Work

Volunteers will be placed at different project sites, based on the demands and needs of the community at the time of volunteering as well as their preference.

Teaching:

Teaching English informally
Providing workshops for the students about cultural exchange
Conducting street cleanups with local children
Giving lessons on environmental conservation
Helping with arts-and-crafts activities
Organizing games and sport activities after classes
Creating environmental awareness activities
Hosting hygiene and health sessions

Construction:

Painting
Working with the children in their vegetable garden
Building tables and chairs
Constructing and renovating the playground
Making pathways
Building toilets
Repairing the school walls
Building new classrooms

Please note that this placement has a $50 USD supplemental fee per week.

A typical day: After breakfast, you’ll get a head start on your morning activities, which might be teaching English, assisting with renovation tasks or promoting health education. Your afternoon activities will resume after lunch and will typically end around 5:00 PM. After dinner, you can relax, explore, or hang out with fellow volunteers. Saturdays and Sundays are free to spend as you wish.

Holidays: During some holidays, volunteers will be primarily involved in repairs and renovations and other outreach programs, since school will not be in session.

Living Arrangements

Internet icon Internet: Free Wi-Fi is available at the volunteer house.

Laundry icon Laundry: There are limited laundry facilities, so volunteers should expect to wash clothes by hand.

Accommodations icon Accommodations: During your volunteer placement, you will stay in the main volunteer house in Samraong. The house can accommodate up to 28 people with 4 people in each room. All rooms come with a fan, shower (no hot water), mosquito net, and a western toilet. It is about a 10-minute bike ride from the volunteer house to the hospital.

Food icon Food: From Monday-Friday, three meals a day are provided. On the weekends, only brunch and dinner are provided. The food will be Cambodian fare, including plenty of rice dishes.

Requirements

Minimum age of 17
Minimum 2 weeks (13 days) commitment
Families and groups can join for 1 week upon request
Good level of English
Motivation to work with children
Police clearance
Positive and flexible attitude
All participants must bring along with them 4-5 COVID-19 self-test kits (average 1 per week) to cover their stay.

Travel Highlights

Culture Week (highly recommended)

For an additional fee, you can extend your stay for a week with a program designed to introduce you to a great stay in a new country. As part of this week, you will receive basic language classes to help you get around the country without a hassle. You will also take some traditional cooking classes and travel to some of the finest temples in the area, engaging in Q&A sessions with monks to enhance your understanding of Buddhism and its customs. Throughout the week, there will be many opportunities to interact with the residents, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the community.

* You also have the option to exchange your first week of volunteering with the Culture Week for no extra fee.