Volunteer in Cambodia: Most Affordable & Real Impact!

I volunteered in Cambodia for 3 months at the end of 2012 in the Advancing Community Rights program. UBELONG was able to provide me with my first experience working with NGOs abroad, which has given me some understanding of how development work functions in other parts of the world. Through my volunteering experience with UBELONG I gained some comfort with the procedures NGOs go through to function, such as surveying the sites of beneficiaries, seeking potential donors, and writing important documents like project proposals and concept notes. Living in Cambodia was also extremely useful for gaining some understanding of what life is like in the culture and country of the beneficiaries. Additionally, UBELONG gave me the opportunity to cultivate relationships with likeminded individuals among other volunteers from around the world.

Deciding to volunteer abroad can be very overwhelming with all the options that are available, but UBELONG was great in helping me make the decision to volunteer in the Advancing Community Rights project in Phnom Penh for five weeks. UBELONG is a reputable organization that will provide you with all the assistance, information and support that you need to have a positive experience.

I was very impressed with UBELONG and can't speak highly enough about my experience in Cambodia. Thank you to my mentor Cedric and the rest of the UBELONG team for helping me have an experience of a lifetime.

I had a very valuable experience in Cambodia. It was a beautiful opportunity to learn about the country and its people. I volunteered with children with disabilities along with a friend from France for 2 weeks. It was a very real chance to work and give back. Difficult at times but we feel that we helped a lot. We saw the project to be very well run and we appreciated the support from the Ubelong team in the US and Cambodia. Especially for the price we think it is a great value and we hope to someday return.

Volunteering abroad was something I'd wanted to do for a while, but I never really thought it would become a reality (I'm not the most adventurous person!) until I stumbled across the Ubelong website. The program was perfect for me in every way. It was affordable, I felt supported at all times by my mentor, the volunteer coordinators in Cambodia and the NGO I was working for, and helping on a women's empowerment project was something I was really keen to do.

I was nervous before I left the UK, but meeting other volunteers at the guest house (many of whom were just as nervous as I was, and were great to hang out with in the evenings/weekends) and having the orientation meeting soon put me at ease. I learned so much from the experience – it gave me an insight into what daily life is like in other parts of the world, and also how an NGO operates and the various challenges it faced. My work included a variety of tasks, including writing up proposals for projects and requests for funding, editing information for the website and facilitating a workshop with other NGOs. I’d recommend Ubelong to anyone considering volunteering - it's a professional organisation, which looks after their volunteers and genuinely works to make a difference

"Willing to do something" It´s not always enough. Sometimes we need tools to do so. Thank you UBELONG for being the tool I needed to achieve the goal of being a Volunteer, and looking after me the 6 amazing weeks I spent in Cambodia! For those who have the will, don't hesitate, I highly recommend you to do it through UBELONG!

I volunteered for 6 weeks in Microfinance in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and honestly it has been one of the best decisions I've made. UBELONG and Raul have been extremely helpful every step of the way, and the placement overall exceeded all my expectations, both in terms of the other volunteers I met at the guesthouse and the work I did in Cambodia.

I had the pleasure of meeting Raul and Cedric on a couple of occasions while in Cambodia and received fantastic advice regarding my future career and academic aspirations for which I am very grateful for. I hope to keep in touch with the UBELONG team in the future and I can honestly say that you will not regret going through UBELONG to do any of the volunteering opportunities you're interested in!

A fantastic organisation!

I couldn't be happier with my decision of volunteering in Cambodia through UBELONG. When you decide to undertake such a journey, you want to feel you're dealing with people who know what they are doing. And UBELONG does. They provided me with the necessary support, advice and enthusiasm during both pre- and post-departure process, allowing me to make the most of my volunteer experience. Before departure, I received a comprehensive Preparation Briefing and had a safety meeting with my mentor, which really helped me prepare for the trip. None of the volunteers from other organizations I met had anything remotely similar to that. I especially like the fact that UBELONG has a philosophy behind its programs. They talk not only about helping others, but also about stepping out of your comfort zone, building emotional strength and achieving personal growth. I think that helped me keep my mind always open and watch out for the changes that this volunteer experience was operating in myself -- when maybe the natural reaction would be staying on the defensive side.

Working with UBELONG was by far the best decision when I wanted to adventure across the world to help others and learn about another culture. The affordability of the projects made it possible to explore this opportunity and then Cedric and Raul helped me choose a project that was going to fit with my skill set and time-frame of travel. Even traveling solo, I felt extremely safe and prepared from my safety briefing and knowing that UBELONG has strong partnerships and makes frequent visits to their placements. UBELONG's passion for helping others, knowledge of travel and development, and care for their volunteers is truly an inspiration for me to continue learning and to strive to make an impact on people across the world.