Volunteer Positions:

CHO volunteers are unpaid, and their responsibilities include teaching English, mentoring the children and coordinating games. Volunteers are not required to submit an application. Your time and support will be much appreciated by the staff here at CHO and all the children we serve!

Intern Positions:

CHO’s interns are asked to participate in the structure and decision-making aspects of the organization. CHO believes that it is important to teach its interns about the logistical aspects of running a small NGO such as CHO. Depending on the applicant’s skill sets, they may be asked to assist in grant writing, web design, and other matters (particularly those concerning financial aspects). If there is an area of interest that you would like to focus on, please include this in your application. Interns may also partner with a staff member of CHO to coordinate and lead workshops with the children ranging from art projects to healthcare awareness classes. The Intern position, like the volunteer position, is unpaid; however, it does require an application. Interns must have at least one year of University experience. The Application is to be e-mailed to childhope.org@gmail.com. Please send your application in a Word 2003 document, well in advance of your intended visit. We look forward to hearing from you!

Estimated Costs:
Accommodation:

• Homestay (family of a CHO staff member) $20/week (This includes three meals a day)
• You may also stay at the CHO center for $3/night (meals are not included)
• Rattanak Hotel and Restaurant: rattanak_hotelbb@yahoo.com discount rates for NGO staff:
• $5/night room with 1-2 bed(s) and a fan
• $10/night room with 1-2 bed(s) and air-conditioning
• Asian Hotel:discount rates for NGO staff
• $10/night room with air-conditioning (Discount to $280/month)
• Meals (included in homestay): (breakfast, lunch and dinner) $7-$10 or less

Transportation from Phnom Penh Airport to CHO:

• Airport pick-up/Drop-off by a CHO staff member: $30 (This is subject to change depending on motorbike, rented car or car; please email childhope.org@gmail.com to make arrangements.)
• Alternative option (Bus):
• Taxi from the airport to the city (set rate): $7
• Bus from Phnom Penh to Battambang: approximately $8
• (You may need to get a hotel in Phnom Penh depending on when your flight arrives): $10 - $20
• If you would prefer, there may be other arrangements online.

Transportation around Battambang: provided, but it is recommended that you buy a bike

Suggested Purchases:

• Bike: $30
• Business Cards once in Cambodia: $6
• Travel Expenses to Angkor Wat: ($15 boat/$8 bus) (Hotel and transportation)

Price for CHO: $40/week

If you have a workshop in mind that will require supplies, please calculate this in your cost

If you would like to bring money for toys, school supplies, etc., these items will cost less in Cambodia. This will also save you the trouble of transporting them. These donations are much appreciated! You may also want to ask around in your community for donations (i.e. toothbrushes and toothpaste from your dentist, etc.) before you leave.

Preparation:

Remember to apply for a VISA well in advance of your departure. You may also want to go to your doctor and ask if there are any vaccinations recommended that you have not received yet. Look through CHO’s website to learn as much about the organization as possible before you leave – this will help make your transition easier once you arrive. You may also want to brainstorm a few games to teach and play with the kids. There are around 212 children that attend CHO, but are in shifts. Weekends are when workshops are led, and there are typically around 100 students who attend these programs. If you wish to lead a workshop that requires supplies, plan accordingly.

What to Pack:

• Conservative clothing for the village and everyday work
• Casual business attire for meetings and trips to the Department of Education
• Poncho (can find one in Cambodia)
• Sandals and an extra pair (shoe sizes here tend to run small)
• Shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, bug spray, etc.
• Duffle-bag for short trips to Pailin and traveling
• Notebook and pens (you can find these in Cambodia)
• Supplies for workshops (toothbrushes, crayons, etc.) You may want to get these items in Battambang

Intern Statement:

My name is Rachel, and I am entering my final year of College. I received a scholarship from my school to volunteer with Child Hope Organization (CHO) for the summer of 2010. My time with CHO has been an incredible learning experience. I got to help with fundraising projects, plan and lead workshops with the kids including painting the world map on a classroom wall. I also edited documents, the website and the brochure. I have taught English classes to the kids, and have coordinated and played many games with the children.

My time with my homestay family has given me a firsthand look into Khmer culture! I share traditional dinners with the family every night, play games with the children in the neighborhood (I am first asked to observe and make sure I fully understand the rules and goals of the game; the children are quite competitive, and it is an honor to be asked to join in!!). I help to take care of the baby in the family, teaching her to answer to her name “Lita?”... “jaa?” However, the best part is learning to wash my cloths by hand, jumping around with the kids in the rain, going with the mother to the market to buy vegetables for dinner and feeling warmly included in the everyday activities. I have had to relearn how to dress, eat, wash dishes, wash clothes, speak, bathe, and go to the bathroom, but the challenge is what has paid off the most. I strongly encourage future volunteers to live with a host-family for at least a portion of their stay.

The trip to Pailin taught me about the challenges facing development in the rural areas. I was fortunate enough to meet with village leaders and principals, many of whom had never met a foreigner before. The roads were difficult and after some rain, seemed more like rivers, but this was a telling response to the lack of aide in the region.

Overall, the friendships I formed with the CHO staff helped me to feel integrated into the community. As a CHO volunteer, you are given the unique opportunity in a city filled with foreign volunteers, to live amongst and work alongside your fellow staff members, and the children you teach all within the community you have come to serve. If your experience is at all similar to mine, you will find that no matter how much work you contribute, you will always feel you have gained so much more. It is such a good feeling driving down the street and seeing one of the students who recognizes me yell out “hello teacher!!” I will miss the city, the friends I’ve made, my host-family, and all 212 students I’ve met when I have to go back home. If you have any questions about volunteering or interning, feel free to e-mail me: rdodd@austincollege.edu