Volunteering in an orphanage in Cambodia

Ciara471

Hi,

I'm thinking about volunteering in an orphanage in Cambodia for 2 months early next year. I was wondering if anyone has done this before and has any advice? I was trying to decide what company to go with and I found Projects Abroad. They seem quite good but I also say on boards.ie that they are a profit making company and therefore not the best to go with. While I would prefer to go with a not for profit charity I'm struggling to find one suitable. A lot of them don't do Cambodia and this is where I want to go to volunteer. Also the prices don't seem that much different between the charities and the businesses. What is so bad about going with a profit making company if they are still helping?

dory

How are they helping though? They take your money and you go work for a charity. The poor charity still has to struggle on and could really have done amazing things with the few grand you just gave a company. And they've given you a job instead of a local person.

This is one group that takes volunteers in Cambodia: http://pepytours.com/
It's very difficult to get a position in an orphanage though as the genuine charities don't want people without the language and who don't know the culture coming and working for a while. They prefer to hire local people.
So maybe you will have to go to a business, but it's such a waste when your money could go to a project.

In general, if you're flexible you'll have more options. Being certain about the country and type of work you want to do (unless you speak the language and are trained in that kind of work) makes the whole thing about you, and not the people you want to help. Which I can tell you (as someone who has worked handling volunteers abroad) is pain in the butt. We don't like me me me volunteers.

Ciara471

They're helping by providing the opportunity and making it that bit easier for us to go over and help out. The information seems to be way more readily available for the companies and it's quite difficult to find charities that want help.

I also wouldn't say that someone who knows where they want to work and what type of work they want to do is a 'me me me volunteer' At the end of the day it's 2 months which is a fairly long time. I don't want to be doing work that I don't think I'm able for. It's also a lot of money to be spending and I think it's reasonable that people will have their preferences and not making it about themselves. I know the work is going to be very tough and challenging and I think the fact that someone wants to spend that much money and dedicate their time shows that they're not a selfish person.

I also don't understand why, if the genuine charities don't want people going over without the language and qualifications, it's so easy for the companies to get volunteers in without these requirements. Surely if they're going through the charities then this would still be a requirement.

Thanks for the link though. I'll have a look into that.

dory

Ciara471 wrote: »

They're helping by providing the opportunity and making it that bit easier for us to go over and help out. The information seems to be way more readily available for the companies and it's quite difficult to find charities that want help.

Yes, I realise the companies make it easier for you, I was referring to benefits to the people who you are going to help. The charities have so much going on that they really don't have the time or manpower to be making shiny websites to attract you to their projects. But they are in need of help, so if you want to work with them, then some Google searching will help you. Or contact that person in the link I gave you via her blog (http://lessonsilearned.org/about/) and she can give you names of local places that need an extra pair of hands.

Ciara471 wrote: »

I also wouldn't say that someone who knows where they want to work and what type of work they want to do is a 'me me me volunteer' At the end of the day it's 2 months which is a fairly long time. I don't want to be doing work that I don't think I'm able for. It's also a lot of money to be spending and I think it's reasonable that people will have their preferences and not making it about themselves. I know the work is going to be very tough and challenging and I think the fact that someone wants to spend that much money and dedicate their time shows that they're not a selfish person.

In general, in the aid world you go where there is a need. Not a country you have pre-selected as a place you would like to see. That's all I meant.

Ciara471 wrote: »

I also don't understand why, if the genuine charities don't want people going over without the language and qualifications, it's so easy for the companies to get volunteers in without these requirements. Surely if they're going through the charities then this would still be a requirement.

The charities don't want people going over because they don't need people who can't work! How would a Cambodian with no English do in an Irish children's home? The charities have standards they have to keep. If they bring over a useless white person they become what is known as a 'White in Shining Armor'. Basically a person who is qualified only by having white skin, and it reinforces the colonial idea that whites are best.
I don't think there's anything wrong with charities having these standards.

Companies on the other hand just want your money. They don't care who you are. There are many stories of these companies looking for children to fill orphanages they've built, and they fill them with kids who are not orphans, just don't have wealthy parents.

I'm not trying to be negative, I think it's great that you want to go. I was an unqualified volunteer too once. I just hate these companies who profit from people who want to volunteer abroad. And I think not wanting the hassle of finding a placement, and wanting an exact country/job is not a sufficient reason for supporting these companies.

I've written more about volunteering abroad here and here.

More info on volunteering from a children's home in Cambodia here.

Ciara471

Cheers for your response. A lot of information there to be going through. I get what you mean about not going to a pre-selected place that you want to visit. The reason I picked Cambodia is that I can see a need for people there and I also haven't been there so it seems win-win.

It's just frustrating to want to do something to help but not knowing if you're actually helping or just paying a business. I'll look at those links and at least then I can make a more educated decision. Thanks for your help.

dory

No problem. Here is one other link that offers great advice. Ignore the slightly mean heading. It's written by someone who has worked with charities in Asia for decades. You're better off listening to people like her, even if it's not what you wanted/expected to hear.

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Volunteer, how? I volunteered in an orphanage in Vietnam when I was 18 for 2 months and although it was an absolutely amazing experience and whatnot, I didn't actually do anything beneficial to anyone!? All you do is play with kids basically. What do you think you will be doing? The odd time they let me spoon feed a child but other than that I was literally sitting there playing with kids and their broken toys. The kids weren't even that interested in the volunteers as they had each other, whom they obviously had more fun with. A lot of people go to SEA orphanages expecting to change someone's life. To be blunt, you don't. It's also very expensive and the orphanage personally gets nothing.

In my opinion, the only people who can volunteer in an orphanage are people with healthcare degrees. I would opt for a building project instead perhaps?

Just my 2cents

dory

Just some points on orphanages in Cambodia for anyone interested:


Cambodia

More than three-quarters of children in orphanages have living parents.
The number of orphanages has doubled over the past five years
Only 21 of the 269 orphanages are run by the government. The rest are funded and run by foreign donors and faith-based organizations.
Many orphanages have been set up to make money off of foreign funds, especially volunteers and tourists (voluntourists).
Most orphanages have not yet been inspected
It is cheaper and better to support families in caring for children.

Taken from the wonderful blog, Good Intentions are not enough

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Orphanages run by the Government are often a lot worse than ones not. The conditions can be horrendous.

Also, 99% of orphanages don't really get money from the likes of western 'volunteers'. It is usually the company that sends people there, that gets all the money.