As a Cambodia childcare volunteer with PMGY, you will educate and work with children between the ages of 4-7 years at a time before they begin formal schooling. International volunteers with children in Cambodia help to brighten up the lives of young children in Takeo Province. As a Cambodia childcare volunteer organise educational activities and games that will positively promote stimulation and productivity in young ones.

BACKGROUND TO THE CHILDCARE PROGRAM

The first few years of a child’s life are fundamentally important. This time is critical for forming the foundation that helps shape their future health, happiness and learning achievement. As a Cambodia childcare volunteer, you will have the opportunity to think and act creatively. As a consequence, you have the chance to make a positive impact on the lives of young ones within the local community.

Tourism in Cambodia contributes a tremendous amount to the economy. This means those who can converse in English with foreigners have far more prospects than those who do not. Exposure to the English language at a young age helps initiate the development of this life-long skill of multilingualism. Engagement with native English speakers, therefore, provides a great starting point for this. Our PMGY childcare project in Cambodia helps local children develop skills that they will benefit from for the rest of their lives. This includes an introduction to the fundamentals of the English language, assistance with social integration and the development of motor skills.

Each day as a childcare volunteer in Cambodia is different and you will get out of the project what you put in. It is a good idea to join the project with lots of ideas for activities so that you can get stuck in as soon as possible. Volunteers with children in Cambodia will have the opportunity to think and act creatively. As a consequence, they make a positive impact on the lives of young ones within the local community. If you need motivation for gap year volunteer programs, then our projects in Cambodia provide some fantastic opportunities.

CHILDCARE VOLUNTEER PLACEMENT EXAMPLE

Hope Daycare - Our main program in Cambodia is based in Takeo Province, south of the country’s capital city, Phnom Penh. The kids attending the childcare program are from villages nearby. The childcare centre is located on the same campus as our team’s teaching English program for older children and teenagers. It is hoped that the younger children will continue their journey with our team in the future. The childcare project, therefore, aims to also help with this eventual transition and integration.

The daycare program was founded in 2018. Based in a classroom setting, the project can have up to 50 children between the ages of 4 and 7 attend daily. The opportunity to learn, socialise with other children and improve their early years education has many children prepared to travel 7km daily to be at the project.

This responsible volunteering project focuses on developing core English skills and promoting social interaction and routines from a young age. As a volunteer with children in Cambodia, you will also lead many games and play activities in breaktimes outside of the classroom. There is plenty of open space at the project to enjoy ball games with the children and other outdoor activities.

Our international volunteers will be supported by daily itineraries set from the local staff. For volunteer work in Cambodia, there is an office of resources and textbooks that you can use to assist you. A volunteer with children in Cambodia is encouraged to introduce creative and engaging ways to manage the class.

OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER WORKING WITH CHILDREN IN CAMBODIA

Return Airport Transfer - Your return airport transfer is not included in your Program Fee. Our local team can help arrange onward transfers to the airport or an alternative destination from the volunteer accommodation. Making specific arrangements once in Cambodia provides more flexibility as plans can often change and participants may be on similar flight plans. The costs depend on your method of transport and your final destination. This can often be split across multiple participants if you are travelling with someone else on the program.

Accommodation Setup - Our Cambodia volunteer programs are based in a rural setting in Takeo Province, approximately two hours south of Phnom Penh. The accommodation is very basic, based in a remote location and a dormitory-like form. There is a sense of community in the program, with volunteers responsible for the cleaning and upkeep of the living area. This includes completing morning chores. This can involve tasks such as gardening, cleaning and renovation work. Together, this contribution from volunteers helps to maintain a happy and clean living environment for everyone.

High Impact Volunteer Location - Due to the more rural nature of this program we find the Cambodia volunteer programs to provide a more authentic and impactful experience. In general, volunteers feel they have a clearer role on how they can contribute to the local community and in turn feel more motivated to get involved everyday. This program is perfect for people looking to maximise their volunteer experience away from some of the more touristy distractions present in other destinations.

Placement Settings - PMGY does not provide volunteer opportunities in orphanages in any of our locations. Research and studies have shown that visiting and volunteering in orphanages has the potential to generate an industry that separates children from their families. In turn, putting children at increased risk of neglect and abuse. Therefore, we do not support these institutions with our volunteer network.

Instead, we focus on offering alternative childcare volunteer opportunities whereby children come to and from the placement setting each day. In other words, our local teams collaborate with childcare projects which do not offer any form of residential care. These are safe, responsible, and vetted projects, where participants continue to provide valued assistance supporting local staff.

Weekends - Your project work in Cambodia runs from Monday-Friday and weekends are free. You are welcome to relax and hang out at the volunteer accommodation but most participants will use this time to travel and explore the country. As a result, you can check out our Cambodia Weekend Travel Guide for top tips on how to spend your weekend.