Developing World Connections - Volunteering in Cambodia

I organized and led an institutionally sponsored service trip to Cambodia for future US Air Force officers and was looking for an organization to help find the right project for us and provide support. Developing World Connections was outstanding throughout the process. I heavily researched them and found that what they were doing with Equitable Cambodia was a close match to what we expected. Throughout the eight months from initial contact through program completion, DWC was responsive, open, honest, and delivered exactly what they promised. Once we got to Cambodia, the team leads were friendly, professional, and just became part of our team. Our cadet learned so much and all five have praised this experience as truly life-changing. We had the right mix of free time and hard work, too. I will definitely recommend DWC to my colleagues and others for future trips and would someday like to be a DWC trip leader.

The trip to Cambodia was an incredibly gratifying experience. Both on the work level and the social fun aspect of this trip. The work did show (to me) how getting involved can help a persons level of life for oneself can be improved. The building of the latrines was an example of this as near the end the community came out to help finish the project. Wit everyone laughimng an dsmiling that they now had a private bathroom and a place to have a bath. Something which is taken for granted in western society. The social aspect was alot of fun as we had wonderful food, the odd beverage and great tours. Any difficulties were handled professionally by our team leader.

My 1st highlight long with so many others had to be when I was introduced to one of my sponsored children and her mother. During the meal the mother reached across the table to grasp my hands with hers in gratefulness and prayer. PS family is Buddhist.

The next highlight I'd like to mention is when I met the other 3 sponsored children with their siblings and their mothers. I think it was best expressed by one of the world vision people during lunch. When he said you have a large family and this is exactly how I felt with my sponsored children their siblings and the mothers.

There are many other highlights too many to mention in a short review comments nevertheless one that will always be close to my heart was when I visited the school and was allowed speak to the children and they responded.

Last but not least important was when I was returning to the hotel one of the world vision supervisor said to me. You're not like the rest of the people we meet from other countries who looked down at us you treat us equal.

Volunteering in Cambodia in the rural village of Chamcar Bei was the best experience I have ever had. I have travelled around the world quite a bit and this trip was nothing like I had done before. Being an International Development student it really opened my eyes to what a developing country needs in the way of infrastructure, economy and the preservation of their history. When you go on a trip with Developing World Connections you learn a lot about the country, the people, the village you stay in and their rich history, but I also learned A LOT about myself. How strong I was, not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally, and also how to deal with life's bumps and bruises and how you can't just give up and go home when you have had a bad day. I always felt safe in the country, including the major cities as well as in the rural villages, never worried about stolen passports or crimes. Volunteering in Cambodia, a country with such a horrific past, shows you how willing the country is for change, to stand up and rebuild their country. Living in the village was an eye opener, I definitely had some ups and downs (I missed running water and electricity), but the silences at night were beautiful, even though you couldn't see, you could feel the beauty of the silence. We had the most amazing house mother Pha and even though she didn't speak english she knew exactly the right time to give you a loving look or hug or just make some tea. Since I got back I have encouraged everyone to volunteer, whether it be locally or internationally, because no matter what the scale, knowing that you have irrevocably changed someones life is the best feeling in the world.

I travelled to Cambodia with Developing World Connections in December of 2009. Our two week trip started with a weekend in Phnom Penh, where we had a chance to meet our team leader and the rest of the volunteers. The accommodation was straightforward, but still clean, comfortable and in a safe part of the city. Our team leader was very flexible and accommodating. He had group activities planned if you were interested, but was happy to let people explore on their own as well.

We travelled as a group from Phnom Penh to Kep, where we would spend the remainder of the trip. We worked Monday to Friday and had the weekends to take in local attractions. Work days started around 8am and finished by 5 or 6pm. Given the heat and humidity, we also were given a long lunch break (over an hour) each day. Our work included thatch home construction, latrine construction, and building sections of a community garden.

The accommodations in Kep were beautiful. They were just off the beach with a nice pool, which was such a treat at the end of each day. They weren’t luxurious, but were definitely first class by North American standards. There were tons of good dining options in Kep for dinners. The team leader was a great resource for information on where to go and what to see in the area.

Developing World Connections partners with ‘Bridges Across Borders South East Asia’ for their trips to Cambodia. Both organizations have worked to ensure that projects completed by volunteers are ones that the community wants and needs. They also ensure that projects and initiatives can be sustained by the community members once the volunteers have gone.

For me, it was definitely the perfect blend between volunteer experience and vacation. I loved working with the locals and I will never forget the two families that we built homes with. The team atmosphere was fantastic and I left the trip with two dozen new friends.

I would highly recommend Developing World Connections to anyone looking for short-term volunteering opportunities in the developing world.

The one month was definitely not enough. The country was so beautiful and full of life. Our group I feel made a great impact in the village of Chamcar Bei. Everyone had a blast and we all made friends! And of course we all became friends within the group! I would love to go again. More young people should be travelling the world not only through the tourist regions but the rest as well. That way you know what life is really like for people around the world.

My Developing World Connections trip to Cambodia was such an amazing and eye-opening experience that I will always remember. The first day we touched down in the capital city, Phnom Penh, everyones jaws hit the floor. We were a group of 9 university students, some of us never stepped a foot outside of our province. It was a whole different world-the streets were overflowing with hustle and bustle, cars and moto cycles swerving and dodging faster than ever, people yelling,crying,laughing,eating, bathing, cooking, sleeping,praying.. you name it, it was happeining right in front of our eyes, all at once. Within minutes, I was in love- with it all. Our DWC trip started out with a few days in Phnom Penh. What the DWC trip let us experience was so much more than the average traveller. Not only did we get to visit the poorest areas in the city, we were able to bond with these families. We were informed about the whats going on in the areas, what the families struggles were, and what goes on everyday for these people to survive. Aside from the visits to the local areas, we also had the opportunity visit the tourist areas of town and learn about the history of the Khmer and the recent genocide.

The best part of the whole trip would be the time we spent in the village. We stayed in a perfectly rustic wooden house. It wasn't your average house, but it suited the village perfectly. We had the most amazing local cook on-site for us for all our meals. We got to our jobsites each day by bicycle. In only 3 short weeks we were able to build a dream home made of wood, thatch and sheet metal, 2 lantrines made of brick and mortar, planted over 5000 trees, planted 2 peanut fields, and taught numerous hours of English at the local school. The host partner also gave us the opportunity to make cococut jewlery and scarves (looming). I think what made the village work so memorable was the fact that we were working alongside the locals. While building the house, the family that was recieving the house helped us the whole time. This allowed us to bond with the family, and made it so much more special when we handed the house over.

The host partner that DWC works with was absolutely amazing. They were so accomodating and caring. The gave us so many opportunities that we would of never been able to experience withut them. They were always there for answers, and always made us feel safe.

Overall, I really enjoyed myself. It was one of the best trips I have ever been on, and really came home feeling as if I accomplished something, and really helped someone- in fact a whole village. I would most definately go back, and planning on going in the near future. The food throughout the whole trip was delicious. As I mentioned earlier, we had a cook in the village who made amazing authentic khmer dishes. She was also very accomodating to vegetarians and celiacs. Throughout the whole trip I felt safe and looked after. I never came across a point during the trip that i felt I was ever in danger or uncomfortable. I felt the program cost was extremely reasonable. The trip in cost around $1900 + airfare for 4 weeks. This included everything, from accomodation to transportation, food to working supplies and equiptment. The one thing I would of done differently was pack lighter. I slightly over packed, and really what was needed was only the essential items, and a few change of clothes. The one thing I wish I had packed would be more bug spray. The bug spray in Cambodia isnt as strong as the potent stuff we can get in Canada.

This trip has showed me how amazing and beautiful people are. How resilient and strong the Khmer are. How one can be so happy and peacefull with so little.

It's not the history, the beautiful country, delicious food or the hot weather thats bringing me back to Cambodia. Its the people who live there.

The trip to Cambodia was one of the best experiences in my life. Developing World Connections focuses on the experience and making strong bonds between the volunteers and the communities while providing aid to the in country projects.
The people of Cambodia were very friendly, and I felt safer in that country than I did back home. I made many friends in the village we worked in, where we built a home, a few latrines and helped out in the village while learning the khmer language and culture from the students we taught and the people we worked with.
The trip had the right balance of work and play, as the first week was spent touring phnom phen and learning about khmer rouge and recent evictions. We got a weekend in sihanoukville to lounge around on the beach and every weekend took different trips around the kampot province.
We spent our weeks in the village living in a house with electricty for 3 hours a day and no running water, which was a perspective-altering experience. The people of the village were very warm and welcoming, and it wasn't uncommon for us to be offered fresh fruits from neighbours while we were working.
This is a trip that showed me people that were born into nothing, and fought tooth and nail to make a place in the world. It's a trip that was life-changing and wonderful, but it's not a trip for those who can't handle getting a little dirty.