Volunteering in Cambodia

It is easy to make Cambodia your home. It's a warm a friendly place to live and work and most importantly - you are needed.

Cambodia is one of the best performing countries in poverty reduction worldwide. The poverty rate more than halved between 2004 and 2011. But the majority of families who escaped poverty in the past decade were able to do so only by a small margin. One in five Cambodians still live on less than $1.25 and millions more are vulnerable to even the slightest change in circumstances.

VSO has a proud history in Cambodia. Through the work of our volunteers we have helped deliver national policy changes, transformed education for two thirds of all primary students and increased income and food security for thousands of Cambodia's poorest people. But much remains left to do.

The current drought affecting the sub-region is considered the worst in four decades, and has left about two-thirds of the provinces short of drinking water. Food insecurity is likely to increase. Volunteers with business, agriculture and related backgrounds are in urgent need.

Best regards,

Guillaume Sauval, Country Director

Volunteers in Cambodia

Safe deliveries and healthier futures for women in Cambodia

Ans Ohms is a Dutch midwife and volunteer in Cambodia. She is supporting the development of midwife training across six hospitals. Thanks to these improvements, over 10,000 pregnant women have already benefited.

Souy Kran is a primary school teacher in Cambodia

No more missing pay cheques for teachers in Cambodia

Payment system reform by VSO volunteers means teachers can reliably access their hard-earned wages.

VSO volunteer Giovanni Villafuerte is working in Cambodia alongside farmers to help improve their business skills. This is enabling them to better provide for themselves and their families.

Living in Cambodia

Since 1991, a total of 875 long term volunteers have been placed in Cambodia working with about 200 partners. As of March 2016, 33 long term professional volunteers are working alongside 18 volunteer assistants.

In addition, about 120 young people from the UK are joining 120 young people from Cambodia each year, to live, learn and volunteer together on community-based development projects.

Volunteers enjoy a good standard of living and support from VSO and its partners are readily available. Volunteers in Cambodia work hard but also have time to enjoy living in this beautiful country.

Wim Lancsweert from the Netherlands works as VSO volunteer in Kep, Cambodia — Education volunteer Wim getting around Kep

ICS volunteer Ratha Chea sits in a cafe helping a school child with his homework in the village of Banteay Char, near Battambang.

Youth volunteering in Cambodia with ICS

Youth volunteers, through International Citizen Service (ICS), support both education, food and income initiatives. Projects are based in Stung Treng, Modulkiri and Battambang regions.

Under the direction of team leaders, staff and professional volunteers, ICS teams work to establish youth agricultural cooperatives. This is building interest in agriculture and increasing relevant skills.

In education, ICS volunteers are helping develop resources that support peer education, school councils, and infrastructure. Volunteers help to create child-friendly environments and encourage parents to get more involved with decisions related to schools.

We have fully-funded opportunities for young people aged 18-25 to volunteer on projects lasting around 10 weeks on our International Citizen Service (ICS) programme. Find out more about ICS

VSO Cambodia staff photo — VSO Cambodia staff celebrating International Women's Day 2016