Community Development Volunteering in Siem Reap, Cambodia

I was incredibly impressed by the speed and efficiency of the team when I submitted my application. I signed up for the IVHQ program just over a month before my departure, yet everything was organized smoothly and efficiently from the very beginning. The organization was excellent, and the people on site were incredibly kind. Cambodian people are genuinely warm, welcoming, and friendly. The staff and teachers at the school where I volunteered gave me a wonderful welcome and made me feel comfortable from the start. Neth, who showed us around Siem Reap on our first day, was incredibly kind, attentive, and always willing to help. Our host, Lin, was also absolutely wonderful—always cheerful, smiling, and taking great care of us. She prepared our meals and cleaned our rooms once a week. The food was always delicious, generous, and filling. Lin paid close attention to everyone’s preferences and dietary requirements, including vegetarian diets, which was greatly appreciated. It was also a wonderful experience to share meals and spend evenings out with the other volunteers. There were around six of us living in the house: two people from New Zealand, one from the UK, two from the US, and me, from France. It was a great opportunity to meet people from different backgrounds and share this experience together. That being said, I was also very happy that I had chosen a private room with air conditioning—which I definitely made good use of in the Cambodian heat! Siem Reap itself was absolutely beautiful, and there is so much to see and do in and around the city. I was lucky enough to experience the Bon Om Touk Water Festival during my stay, which made the trip even more special. There are also many amazing places to visit, such as Tonlé Sap and its floating villages, the Angkor National Museum, the incredible Angkor temples, and the famous Cambodian circus, Phare. There are plenty of activities and excursions to enjoy during your free time, making Siem Reap a fantastic place to combine volunteering with discovering the local culture, history, and surroundings. The volunteer house was also very comfortable and pleasant, and conveniently located just a 10-minute tuk-tuk ride from the school. Overall, I had an amazing experience and would highly recommend it to anyone considering volunteering in Cambodia. Everything—from the organization and accommodation to the people I met and the work at the school—made this an unforgettable experience.

It was my first time as volunteer for the program of child care . It was a great experience.All was well explained in advance and everything went well. I really recommend this experience not only to young people.

I first volunteered with CVF Cambodia in Battambang, and the experience stayed with me so much that I decided to come back again the following year, this time to Siem Reap. For me, that already says a lot about the organization. What makes CVF Cambodia special is the genuine community feeling. It never felt like a typical volunteer program, but much more personal and authentic. The local team is incredibly welcoming, and you quickly become part of everyday life in the community. I mainly supported teaching activities at the school, and the students were honestly amazing. So motivated, curious, and happy to learn. Even simple moments in the classroom became memories I’ll probably keep for a very long time. The volunteer house was simple, but comfortable and always very clean. The air conditioning worked really well, which honestly made a huge difference in the Cambodian heat 😄 Living together with other volunteers and sharing meals made the whole experience feel even more personal and authentic. Before coming to Cambodia for the first time, I didn’t really know what to expect, but the country completely surprised me. The people are some of the warmest and kindest I’ve ever met, and during both of my stays I always felt safe and welcomed. Cambodia already has a special place in my heart, and CVF Cambodia became a big part of that experience. I’m very grateful for both of my stays and would definitely love to come back again one day.

Had a great trip to Italy. I met a ton of people from all over the world and we worked together educating about issues around refugees. We worked during the day and had fun at night and on the weekends. I am still in touch with many of the people I volunteered with. Thanks

This is my second time volunteering via IVHQ. The first time was teaching English in Thailand and just now it was teaching English in Cambodia. The application process is very straightforward. IVHQ provides a good level of information to set you up. The volunteering was satisfying and I hope my little time helps makes an accumulative difference. The Cambodian people are so friendly and the country is great to visit.

I initially chose to volunteer with IVHQ because they are a certified B Corporation, which resonated deeply with me, especially since I work for a B Corp myself. Being part of a B Corp, I understand first-hand the commitment required to meet the high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. B Corporations prioritize people and the planet alongside profit, and I knew that IVHQ would not only have a meaningful impact on the communities they serve but also operate with the highest level of integrity and responsibility. From August to September 2023, I had the incredible opportunity to spend five weeks volunteering with a local NGO in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It was an unforgettable experience. My primary role was assisting the organization in developing a proposal for the ‘KIX-call for proposals.’ The work was both challenging and immensely rewarding, providing me with invaluable insight into proposal writing and the NGO's mission. Throughout those five weeks, I gained much more than technical skills. I learned about Cambodian culture, the daily challenges faced by the NGO, and the resilience and strength of the communities they support. The project was highly collaborative, and I truly appreciated how my input was welcomed and valued at every stage of the process. Seeing our collective efforts come together, knowing that it could potentially secure much-needed funding for future initiatives, was incredibly fulfilling. Beyond the professional experience, Phnom Penh is a vibrant city full of life. The warmth and friendliness of the people, the incredible food, and the rich cultural heritage made every moment outside of work just as memorable. I highly recommend this volunteering opportunity to anyone looking to make a meaningful impact while gaining valuable experience. It was an eye-opening journey that left me with a deep appreciation for the critical work being done in Cambodia, as well as lifelong memories and friendships.

I love helping the old people , and I love those who do this because it gives them a spirit of life and enhances their psychology for the better. I also love animals and playing with them gently and I hope that I will enjoy this volunteering because it will have a great impact on my psychological state

The training and the meeting pre-departure were really helpful and gave me great confidence to hop on the trip without worry. Everything was clear and very informative! After staying 7 weeks at the school, I had strong ties with the students and the teachers. Everyone was crying when I left and I wished I could have stayed longer, but sadly, I also have my life to continue... I believe I made a great impact and helped the students a lot! They were all very happy with my teaching approach, the activities I organized and the support I provided. As a 19 years old volunteer, I taught 16-18 years old students. Beyond teaching them English, I also had the opportunity to teach them more life skills such as public speaking, confidence, effective study habits and more. As a university student studying International Development and Philosophy, I gained profound insights. From studying the inequalities in the Western world and in the world of development, I came to appreciate learning directly at the source. It was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. The people I met were so kind, caring, and friendly to me that I still can't believe it. I learned to listen more, to be more tolerant, and to approach situations without judgment, with a fresh perspective. If I had advice to give to future volunteers, it would be to stay, at minimum, more than a month in one place to get to know people in depth and form strong bonds. They should go with an open mind, without judgment, and without trying to find what they are used to at home. They should challenge their norms and conventions, come with a clear slate to write a new story, immerse themselves fully, and learn from others because we have much more to learn than to teach.

My experience with VFP way back in 2009 was remarkable. Living in Germany and building a labyrinth at a World Heritage Site as the only native English speaker in my group was a truly immersive experience. I didn't feel like I was coming into a place from the outside so much as I felt part of a community. Our group really bonded and while we had a primary task, many of the day to day decisions were made by the group, one of my first experiences with really being responsible for myself.

I gained gratitude for my own life, as well as feelings of amazement for this country’s resilience, respect for their culture, self confidence, excitement for the potential far reaching impact my work will have in changing lives, self pride around my independence, adaptability, resilience and resourcefulness.

Great communication and guidance throughout the entire process. Raksmey and his team was phenomenal. He was present and informative in every capacity imaginable. When not physically present, he would stay in constant contact and provide consistent updates concerning matters related to the program or guesthouse. On a scale of 1-10 I would rate the local team a 100. The food was great throughout my time in Cambodia. The cook at the Phnom Penh guesthouse was phenomenal. Very kind and understanding. I have never had as much fun as I experienced during the 4 months I spent in Cambodia.

As some who needed a year off between high school and college, Carpe Diem was the best fit for me. As part of the Southeast Asia gap year program one of my favorite things was our partners and host families. At Punpun, a greenhouse building and seed saving organization, I’ve never felt more exhausted, but loved. The people there were so kind and caring as well as invested in educational and experiential learning. While there, I met people with similar interests who showed me that I can do exactly what I want to do in life.

If you’re thinking of taking a gap year, this gap year semester is amazing! I really got to develop as a person and had incredible experiences (and food). I also met really kind and down to earth people on this program, made such great memories, and friends! You really get the best of both worlds on this program - rugged nature adventures and city life activities, which I didn’t know about prior. My favorite part of the trip was going to IWP, which was a Buddhist feminist retreat. 10/10, would recommend this trip.

Carpe Diem is 100% an experience I would recommend to others. The mix of volunteer service work with explorative more touristy activities was excellent. A highlight of my trip was our experience at Pun Pun farm in northern Thailand. We spent a day helping build mud bricks for a community member’s house. The work was tiring but extremely rewarding. Tiring but very rewarding sums up the whole of my semester perfectly. I now have built great friendships with my fellow group members and wonderfully relationships with our various host families and organizations.

I had the absolute best time in Cambodia. I have only been outside of Europe once before this in my life and Cambodia was definitely the best choice. I loved all of the other volunteers and all the kids at the school were amazing. We had really good staff there that really cared about the well-being of us volunteers. Truly the best trip of my life.

The staff and team there were amazing and always so welcoming and kind. The food was amazing and always something different. The cook was also very friendly and accommodating. The experience I gained from taking part in this volunteering has been invaluable to me. It has shown me that where I want to work is within the charity sector in order to make a real impact to peoples lives. It has also shown me that I want to live for part of my life in Asia as I have always loved the culture but living in Cambodia for almost 2 months showed me I could really live long-term there. By the end of my time there I could measurably see the difference I had made for the local NGO and the gratefulness of my colleagues for the help I was able to provide gave me real motivation to continue to do work like this in the future. It's a daunting process to start off with, but also one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had and I have no regrets about deciding to do this experience and would highly recommend to anyone.

My week spent in Cambodia was a hugely eye opening experience and allowed me to gain a real life insight into how clothes are made on a fast fashion and slow fashion scale. As a consumer, it has further encouraged me to make more conscious decisions about buying clothes after seeing for myself the conditions factory workers live in and having conversations with them about their work environment. I would recommend this to anyone - it is a great way to educate yourself and others on sustainable fashion.

Going into the school and meeting the kids was incredible. everyone there was so friendly, kind and would go out of their way to help you. seeing how different the kids classrooms and schooling environment to mine was eye opening. for anyone who has a passion for helping kids, or is happy to make a change for the better, i can’t recommend my experience more.

My Projects Abroad experience was such a well-organised, enlightening trip where I not only got to make a genuine impact on the local community but also got to meet other volunteers from around the world. There was a perfect balance of construction work, teaching, and even tourism, definitely something for everyone! I also loved Cambodia as a place. The culture and history there were amazing to be immersed in. Even if you go into the program with no prior knowledge of the location, I can assure you will go home begging to go back.

The experience I gained from taking part in this volunteering has been invaluable to me. It has shown me that where I want to work is within the charity sector in order to make a real impact to peoples lives. It has also shown me that I want to live for part of my life in Asia as I have always loved the culture but living in Cambodia for almost 2 months showed me I could really live long-term there. By the end of my time there I could measurably see the difference I had made for the local NGO and the gratefulness of my colleagues for the help I was able to provide gave me real motivation to continue to do work like this in the future. The staff and team there were amazing and always so welcoming and kind. The food was amazing and always something different. The cook was also very friendly and accommodating. It's a daunting process to start off with, but also one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had and I have no regrets about deciding to do this experience and would highly recommend to anyone.