Developed Connections

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.