Volunteer in Phnom Penh

Cambodia is trying to establish itself alongside its ever-developing neighbours Thailand and Vietnam.
In August 2005 The Bangkok Post reported Cambodia to have "the worst English language skills in South East Asia." One of the reasons for this is that there is no English curriculum taught in state schools therefore it is a privilege bestowed only to those who can afford it.

Volunteer Programs in Phnom Penh

Seametrey Montessori School
In Phnom Penh, we work in local Montessori school called Seametrey. Seametrey is a self-sustainable Cambodian NGO whose aim is the moral reconstruction of Cambodia by restoring self-esteem and self-confidence to the Khmer people. The aim is to change the image of Cambodia and make quality education accessible to Khmer children.

Seametrey Children's Village is a Montessori Nursery and Day Care Centre located in the heart of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It is catered to children from 3 months old to six years. There are also several children older than six who go to government school part time and go to Seametrey the rest of the day. The thirty plus students at the school come from three different backgrounds:

• Expatriate parents pay full fees comparable to some international schools in Phnom Penh.
• Khmer wealthy parents pay 50%.
• Economically deprived families contribute what they can, in cash or in kind.
• The rationale of this policy is social integration and self-sustainability. The aim is to have 15 children in each category.

Although the school is not wealthy it is well resourced. They take pride in changing the image of Cambodia. The management invests whatever necessary to make the school environment stimulating, enriching and beautiful. Volunteers who choose to come to Seametrey Children’s Village are not doing relief work but rather participating into a long term rebuilding of Cambodia by providing Khmer children with quality education to enable them to become responsible and competent citizens later.

This school needs English speaking volunteers to interact with children and teach them all sorts of skills, not only the English language but also art, crafts, music, computers, swimming, games and sports, etc. There are also other aspects of Seametrey in which you can take part including administration, IT/website design, and construction.

General Phnom Penh Info

Accomodation
Volunteers will be staying in a lovely flat connected to the school which is located in the city center. The flat is equipped with cooking facilities and a refrigerator. Volunteers will live in shared rooms and share a western style bathroom.

Food and Cooking
The volunteers can use the school kitchen to prepare meals. There are also many wonderful restaurants in Phnom Penh including those with Western, Cambodia, and Thai fare. The riverfront street called Sisowath Quay is located just around the corner from the school and offers a variety of restaurants, shops, and nightclubs. There are also many restaurants in town which double as charity organizations so that you can give back to the community while dining out. Dining out can range in price from $1 up, but you can generally have a nice meal for under $5.

Weather
The weather in Cambodia is hot and humid throughout the year with 2 distinct seasons, hot, from December to April, and rainy (although still hot) from May to November.

Photo Gallery: Images from Phnom Penh