S.C.A.O. & C.O.S.O.

For all it's beauty and growing tourism industry, Cambodia is still one of the poorest countries in Asia. Signs of poverty are everywhere and we found it impossible to spend a month here without using some of our time and experience to make at least a small contribution to those in need. Given that we'd both spent a year in Korea teaching English, we figured that some voluntary teaching time was the best way that we could help, so while planning our trip a few months ago, we allocated some extra time to spend at a few orphanages along the way.

The first orphanage we went to was S.C.A.O. in Phnom Penh. We'd heard about this organisation through 2 lovely friends of ours (Patty and Janine), who had visited S.C.A.O. on their travels through South-East Asia. S.C.A.O. is open to visitors who email or call ahead and welcome volunteers who are available for anything from a day to a few months. On the days we spent at S.C.A.O., there were enough volunteers to cover the English classes run by the orphanage, so we didn't end up teaching any classes, however, even just hanging out and playing games with the kids is something the organisation encourages...the kids loved it... and so did we! There are currently about 20 kids living at S.C.A.O. and dozens of others from poor neighbouring areas who attend daily English classes run by the orphanage. If you want to learn more about S.C.A.O., or would like to help, see their website; http://www.savechildreninasia.org

Save Children in Asia Organisation

The second orphanage we visited was in Siem Reap, in Northern Cambodia. Despite being home to Angkor Wat and the large number of tourists this site attracts, Siem Reap province is one of the poorest provinces in the country. The NGO presence in Siem Reap is large and there are ample opportunities for people wanting to make a contribution - be it financial, material or through volunteering time. Through some people we met in our guest house, we were introduced to C.O.S.O. an orphanage housing over 50 kids on the outskirts of Siem Reap city (http://www.cosocambodia.org/ this is an old website and is expected to be updated soon). As the branch of C.O.S.O. that we visited is relatively new and still trying to get on it's feet, it doesn't receive the number of volunteers that other organisations do, therefore we were given the opportunity to teach full days of classes to children of all different ages and English levels. We were inspired by their tenacity and eagerness to learn... it certainly showed us a different side to teaching when compared with our experiences in private schools in Korea, where kids are comparatively well off and not so keen to learn (for a number of understandable reasons, mind you). Between classes, we spent our time hanging out with these amazing kids who showed us so much love it was incredible.

Cambodia Orphan Save Organisation

While we were considering volunteering at orphanages, we were, at times, a little conflicted as to the best course of action, given the potential negative effects that a changing flow of volunteers could have on the kids. Continuity is important, however, the message we got from the organisations we contacted was that without volunteers (even those who are only able to stay around for a few days) many organisations wouldn't have the support they need to meet the daily needs of the children... basically, any time you can give is greatly appreciated. The whole experience was very eye-opening and moving, and we'd personally recommend it to anyone going to Cambodia.