Experience:
Organisation:
Name: Jo
Hometown: Bristol
Destination: Cambodia
Project type: Teaching English
Organisation: Globalteer
What were your impressions of your destination?
I was amazed to find Siem Reap to be such a happy, fun place to be and was really glad that I'd chosen Globalteer's "Cambodian Kids" project as my volunteer placement. The town itself has a great mix of restaurants/bars etc which are aimed at western visitors but also a huge range of traditional Kyhmer activities to keep you entertained as well as lots of historical and educational sites to help you understand how Cambodia has become what it is today. Then, just a few minutes from town you find yourself surrounded by lush green countryside and people living such a simple existence who are really warm and friendly. The people are among the friendliest I've ever met and always happy to help visitors in need... especially when they know that you are there volunteering!
Was the work interesting and challenging?
Absolutely! I wasn't exactly sure which placement I would be working with and was quite scared when I found that I would be teaching English to around 50 kids a day over four lessons. The kids, who were mainly orphans, were really eager to learn and I learnt a lot too - how to prepare lesson plans, how to teach English as a foreign language and be understood(!) and generally, how to keep the kids entertained and make it fun for them.
What was your accommodation like? Did you feel comfortable and welcome at all times?
The guesthouse was really nice. Each room was en-suite and although the rooms were basic, they were very comfortable and exceeded my expectations. The family who run the guest house were really friendly and were happy to sit and teach us their language etc and recommend places to visit etc.
Were you happy with the organisation and the staff that were responsible for you during your stay?
Globalteer has such a good reputation in Siem Reap. The work that they do reaches further than simply sending volunteers to the various projects in the province as they also work with local organisations who are involved in lots of fund raising ventures, such as pub quizzes, race nights and supporting local families. The staff working for Globalteer are really insightful. I was lucky to spend a day with the guys working on a brainstorming exercise for activities for the kids over the summer holidays and was amazed at the number of initiatives that they came up with. As for supporting the volunteers - I'd now class them as some of my best friends!!!
Do you feel that you got value for money on the project?
Yes!
Would you recommend the project to others?
Yes
