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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).

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.

Read more about Top 5 Reasons to Volunteer with Communities Abroad

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

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

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: 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.

• 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

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.