Cambodia has a population of nearly 14 million and is situated in the South East Asian Mekong region, bordered by Vietnam, Laos and Thailand. This country has been at the centre of war, oppression and desperate poverty for three decades, and is still recovering from the genocide of the Pol Pot regime who seized power in 1975 after years of guerrilla warfare and the bloody civil war that followed. And estimated 1.7 million people died from execution, forced hardships and starvation during this time. Subsequent years of neglect to the social services sector has also forced Cambodia into poverty. Cambodians are among the poorest people in the world, with capita annual incomes under US$ 300. 40% of the population live on less than US$ 1. 85% of the population live in rural areas where access to basic services is almost non-existent. Corruption in Cambodia is endemic, with every level of bureaucracy including the state teachers accepting or expecting bribes for their services. 

• Full name: Kingdom of Cambodia
• Population: 14.7 million (UN, 2008)
• Capital and largest city: Phnom Penh
• Area: 181,035 sq km (69,898 sq miles)
• Major language: Khmer, (English is widely spoken where tourists are common like in Siem Reap)
• Major religion: Buddhism
• Life expectancy: 57 years (men), 62 years (women) (UN)
• Monetary unit: 1 riel = 100 sen, US$ is also widely used and sometimes expected in restaurants and hostels.
• Main exports: Clothing, timber, rubber
• GNI per capita: US $540 (World Bank, 2007)
• Internet domain: .kh
• International dialling code: +855

This Life Cambodia is based in Siem Reap, Cambodia. They work directly with established grassroots non governmental rural organisations.

They are focused on developing educational programs and support that directly benefit the lives of children and their communities in rural Cambodia. 

Their main project is the Self Help Community Centre, (SHCC). Which was established in 2007 by Chourn Sambath who is a native to the area.

The centre provides educational and vocational opportunities as well as recreational activities to 350 disadvantaged rural children and young adults in the Puok District, Siem Reap, Cambodia. SHCC is about empowering the community with skills, education, care and support to enable them to break the poverty cycle and live to their highest potential. It provides Spanish and English classes as well as the national Cambodian curriculum.

They are also teaching the students organic farming skills. Incorporating environment awareness programs as well as concentrating on fostering traditional skills such as basket weaving and shadow puppetry.

SHCC’s main goal is to improve both the access to and the quality of basic education as well as provide extra curricular activities for the local rural communities of Puok District.  

To date the SHCC project in association with this life Cambodia have managed to:

• Secure a long term lease on their land
• Build a school building.
• Build a Library/Office/Computer Secure Building.
• Install Solar Power at the School.
• Insert a Well with clean drinking water.
• Install an organic vegetable and fruit garden.
• Install a fish farm.
• Install a sustainable odour free pig farm.

With all these advances the school is edging closer to becoming 100% sustainable, selling fruit, veg and fish at the local market to pay their teachers while also teaching the students valuable life skills. 
 

Activities 

The finalised plan for this project has not yet been confirmed, but the main activities we will be taking part in are listed below but this is not an exhausted list and will be subject to change or omission of some tasks. 

These tasks include:

• Teaching: English, P.E, Music, Maths and Crafts.
• Construction or painting work: This will depend on the SHCC’s needs at the time.
• Helping out in the organic garden, with the raising of pigs and fish!: simple hands on work, will be shown what to do, no experience required.
• Setting up and running a summer camp: This will run for the second half of the project and must be set up in a way that it is sustainable when we leave.
• Possible extra construction of a new school in a nearby village: This is subject to the securing of funding and may not be at the construction stage when we get there, but if it is then some or all of us will have the opportunity to work as general labourers.

 A specific project will be organized pre-departure. 

Dates

This D.A.R.E. project runs for around 4-6 weeks and takes place during the summer vacation. Dates will be provided by D.A.R.E. after consulting with This Life Cambodia to see when they foresee they will be most in need of volunteers, but provisional dates discussed are 10^th of July until the 21^st of August 

Cost

This is dependant on a few things.  

Flights: Dependant on when and with whom you book: Based on the dates above, and on the STA website checked on 25^th of Jan 09: Flights from London Heathrow.

£541 Return to Bangkok and you can make your way to Siem Reap by bus or by plane. This will be discussed with the group once it has been finalised to help them avoid common scams that run on the Bangkok to Siem Reap route.

Direct flights to Siem Reap are about £600 

Visas for Cambodia are US$ 25. Available at the border or airport.

If you fly to other countries first make sure you check if you need extra visas, e.g. Vietnam is $US 50 and needs to be pre booked.  

Accommodation: In Siem Reap a single bed in a pretty decent hostel in the centre of town is about $US 6 but cheaper is available.

We may also be able do a home stay for a few weeks in the village itself during the week while we are working at the school. Which will be about US$40 for the five nights including meals. 

Food itself is cheep; you can have an evening meal for about US$ 2 to 5. Because Siem Reap is the gateway to the temples of Cambodia there are many western restaurants as well as local food, but western food is more towards the US$ 5 end of the scale for an evening meal. 

Vaccinations: Need to speak to your doctor for advice on what you need, but a rough guide to price would be anything from £60 to £100. 
 
 

Volunteer Qualities

This project is good for people who: 

• Would like teaching experience and for anyone who likes working with children. 
• Also for anyone who likes working outdoors and has an interest in working with sustainable community projects.
• The children at the SHCC have a keen interest in Music, especially playing the guitar and would benefit for anyone who can teach guitar lessons at both beginner and advanced levels.
• Anyone who has worked with summer camps in the past or has experience organising such events.
• The kids at SHCC are amazing and, as most of the work you are doing will be with them, volunteers must be happy to spend lots of time working with children, whether it be teaching, organising sporting events or helping them with the garden and farm.
• There are many different things to do at the school and it is up to the group to be pro-active and work with other volunteers and staff at the school and get involved. 

e-mail daredundee@gmail.com with any questions, or visit www.dusa.co.uk/dare