REACH OUT VOLUNTEERS

CAMBODIA PROGRAM BOOK

Reach Out VolunteersEverything+you+need+to+know+about+the+Cambodia:+Village+Immersion+Program

The answer is always yes, you can make a difference. Every person has the ability to make a difference and everybody should try. Between 2011-2013 volunteers with Reach Out Volunteers have been able to build 18 houses for impoverished families or at risk adolescents, create sources of local food such as fishing ponds, build animal enclosures and plant sustainable vegetable gardens which benefit entire villages.

Every child that receives an education from volunteers, medication from programs and access to water and food, is a step in the right direction.

CAN YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

1. More than one third of Cambodians live below the poverty line, earning less than $1 per day

2. Only 24% of Cambodian children eat an appropriate diet with many at risk of malnutrition

3. Malnutrition in the main cause of child mortality and morbidity in Cambodia

4. Only 15% of rural Cambodians have access to adequate sanitation and 65% to safe water

5. 23% of young women are illiterate, 16% of young men are illiterate

Reasons for Volunteering

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WHERE IN CAMBODIA WILL I BE?

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Volunteers will be based in Siem Reap, working in a village about 30 minutes from the city, near the remains of ancient Angkor. A thousand years ago, Angkor was the world's largest city, with 750,000 people, ten times the size of the largest European city, Paris. Now only the stunning temples of this city, the UNESCO listed Angkor Wat complex, remain in the jungle near Siem Reap.

Siem Reap is a small city with Khmer and Chinese-influenced ar-chitecture, an Old French Quarter with local and internationals res-taurants and cafes, as well as a vibrant Old Market. In the city there are traditional Apsara dance performances, craft shops, silk farms, and nearby rice-paddy countryside, fishing villages and a bird sanctuary near the Tonle Sap lake.

Weeks 1& 2

Village Project:

Every day you will be transported from your accommodation in Siem Reap to a village about half an hour away, travelling on the one dirt access road into the village. There you will be working side by side with the vil-lagers as they share their daily routine. Tra-ditional Khmer house construction will oc-cur under the guidance of local craftsmen. You’ll also be shopping in the local market and preparing lunch in village homes, en-joying the hospitality and gratitude of these Khmer villagers as you provide opportuni-ties for shelter and education for those in need. We follow priorities set by the village elders to improve the facilities and life en-hancing skills to disadvantaged rural chil-dren and orphans.

You will also be working at the local village school, interacting with the children, play-ing sports, helping them improve their vital english skills. Depending on the needs the community set, you might also be building new pig pens or student shelters.

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What will I be doing?

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Weeks 1 & 2 cont.

Once the construction phase of the building is com-pleted you may work on other projects according to local needs, for instance digging and installing a fish pond where local fish are cultivated and devel-oped as a future food source; or digging, planting and fencing a vegetable area for sustainable crops; or panting and harvesting rice from the vil-lage paddies.

The work is not gender based, everyone is treated as a tradesman. But you’ll need strong working gloves as western hands can be soft and prone to blisters in no time at all.

You will really become a part of this vibrant commu-nity, and at the end of two weeks you will share a celebration with the village as they thank you for your time, your contribution and for really making a difference to the quality of their lives. It will be time for partying and dancing - Khmer style.

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ACTIVITIES:

Your program is full of activities to ensure you are immersed in Khmer culture.

Siem Reap is home to the incredible Angkor Wat temple complex, the most important archeologi-cal site in Southeast Asia. Built by Indian and Khmer artisans, these temples are an incredible mix of Hindu and Buddhist motifs. Your itinerary includes the chance to view many temples, for example Ta Prohm (featured in Tomb Raider) and Bayon with its many free-standing towers and massive carvings of serene faces .

Additional activities include Khmer language classes, Apsara dancing, a history lesson on Khmer people and their fascinating past, temple blessings and much more!

To really immerse yourself in the daily routine of Siem Reap we have organised walks and bike rides. The flat landscape of the low lying central plain makes it an ideal place to explore. You’ll get to take your time moving through the villages and outlying areas of the city. Children will run out to meet you on the village roads and parents will take pride in practising their English.

An optional early morning hot air ballon ride over the temples of Angkor Wat is also offered for around US$35.

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ACTIVITIES:

You will also visit the great lake of Tonlé Sap, the largest freshwater lake in South-east Asia and is an ecological hot spot des-ignated as a UNESCO biosphere in 1997. In fact, 16% of Cambodia’s GDP comes from fishing in this lake, and it is home to a vibrant mix of floating villages, inhabited by Khmer, Vietnamese and Cham ethnic groups. Tonlé Sap is unusual for two rea-sons: its flow changes direction twice a year, and the portion that forms the lake ex-pands and shrinks dramatically with the seasons. From November to May, Cambo-dia's dry season, Tonlé Sap drains its wa-ters collected from the Himalayas into the Mekong River at Phnom Penh. When the rains begin in June, the Tonlé Sap backs up to form an enormous lake.

You will visit the floating villages at the edge of the lake and have an optional choice of al canoe ride through the floating forests.

Did you know that fried Tarantula is a spe-cialty of Cambodia! Will you be game to try one? When in Cambodia.....

Are you excited about your upcoming program? Did you know that Reach Out Volunteers creates Facebook groups for every program that volunteers can choose. That way you can get to know who is in your group several months before leaving!

How to meet other volunteers:

1. ‘Like’ Reach Out Volunteers Facebook page. www.facebook.com/reachoutvolunteers

2. ‘Add’ ROV Adm as a friend.

3. Email info@rovolunteers.com or private message us via Facebook with you full name and program that you’re joining us on. We will then add you to the private Facebook group.

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Meet your group

PAST EXPERIENCES & BLOGS

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To see exactly how a Cambodian Adventure program operates, you can visit past program blogs.

The blogs are updated daily while you’re in Cambodia so that your friends and family can see what you’re up to. To view the Cambodia Siem Reap blog, visit the Reach Out Volunteer website: www.rovolunteers.com and choose the Cambodia: Village immer-sion Program, at the top right hand corner you will see a tab ‘Live from Cambodia’ that will take you to the program blog.http://rovolunteers.com/Volunteer-Cambodia-Village.htm

Below is what just a handful of past volunteers have said about their Cambodian experience with Reach Out Volunteers:

“This&entire&experience&here&was&simply&amazing,&i&will&recommend&this&to&all&my&friends,&yes&we&had&to&work&hard,&but&seeing&the&<inished&products&made&it&all&abso=lutely&worth&it.&its&hard&to&say&what&is&my&favourite&thing&about&this&program,&possi=bly&the&<loating&village...&the&entire&program&was&was&well&structured&and&ben&and&scott&and&sheryl&did&such&an&amazing&job,&were&so&supportive&and&fun.”&Ross

“For&me,&this&program&has&been&an&absolutely&amazing&experience&and&something&I&will&never&forget...&In&terms&of&memorable&moments,&i&think&looking&at&the&house&we&were&building&at&the&end&of&our&time&in&the&village&and&knowing&we&had&made&a&differ=ence&for&someone&was&the&most&memorable&moment&for&me.”&Jordan

“The&thing&I&enjoyed&the&most&was&being&immersed&in&a&culture&completely&different&from&my&own.&It&was&a&bit&different&than&I&expected,&but&in&a&good&way.&I&also&enjoyed&meeting&other&people&from&around&the&world&and&meeting&people&in&Cambodia.&The&

most&memorable!part&of&the&program&for&me&was&getting&to&know&some&of&the&people&in&the&village,&especially&a&few&of&the&girls&my&own&age.”&Robin

HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHYCambodia is a beautiful country emerging from the shroud of the Killing Fields

THE PEOPLE AND LOCATIONMost Cambodians are Khmers, descendants of the Angkor Em-pire that extended over much of Southeast Asia and reached its peak between the 10th and 13th centuries, when Angkor be-came the world’s largest city. Attacks by the Thai and Cham (from present-day Vietnam) weakened the empire, ushering in a long period of decline. Cambodia became a French protectorate in 1863, and it was part of French Indochina after 1887. Follow-ing Japanese occupation in World War II, Cambodia gained full independence from France in 1953.

The Killing Fields

In April 1975, after a five-year struggle, Communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh and evacuated all cities and towns. At least 1.5 million Cambodians (an eighth of the population) died from execution, forced hardships, or starvation during the Khmer Rouge regime under dictator, Pol Pot.

In December 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the jungle. A 10-year Vietnamese occupation was followed by 13 years of civil war. The 1991 Paris Peace Accords man-dated democratic elections and a ceasefire, which was not fully respected by the Khmer Rouge. UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some semblance of normality under a coalition government. Factional fighting in 1997 ended the first govern-ment, but a second round of elections in 1998 led to political sta-bility. The remaining elements of the Khmer Rouge surrendered in early 1999, and several high ranking people from the regime have been tried for genocide.

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Weather

November to January are dry months in Cambodia. Humidity lev-els are low and there is little rainfall. Daytime temperatures are mild, nights cool. The hot months are April - May, with tempera-tures around 30°C (86°F ) and often 40°C (104°F). In July, mon-soons bring rain and humidity until October. All this water means Angkor is surrounded by fertile land and lush foliage, but rain can cause problems for access to the villages in which we work.Flights

For flight and airport information don’t forget to check your Get Ready page which will be provided when you pay your deposit.Insurance

Although our programs are safe, take the stress out of your trip by making sure you are fully covered for any unexpected health or travel problems that might arise, including cover for emergency flights and hospital visits.Visas

A Cambodian visa is purchased on arrival for around US$25 - make sure you have an extra passport photo in your hand lug-gage. A departure tax of around US$40 applies for those depart-ing Phnom Penh.

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WEATHER, FLIGHTS, INSURANCE, VISAS

WHAT WILL I NEED TO BRING ON THE PROGRAM???

Think about your favourite clothes, shoes and technical gadgets and then discard those thoughts.

Think practical, comfortable and easy to wash. Think working clothes and working gloves, hats and sunscreen.

Your program will involve lots of hard, practical work and you don’t require precious garments or flashy jewelry. After all you don’t want any light to reflect from the glitter of gold into an ele-phant’s eye!

A very practical and thorough list will be provided to you once you’re ready to start packing. It’s about sun protection, easy wear and no hassle.

And donations are welcome:

• Sports equipment,

• runners / joggers / clothes

• educational books

• crayons / pencils

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FUNDRAISING!

It is because of volunteers like you, we can provide employment to local tradespeople, medication to children, materials for building projects, do-nations for anti-poaching committees, and money for local infrastructure, like accommodation providers, activities, transport. Every cent helps the local people. We need your help to make a difference. Many volunteers fundraise every cent of their Reach Out Volunteer program. That means not one cent has come out of their pocket. We send a fundraising kit link once you submit a deposit.

We also recommend using a crowdfunding site like Go Fund Me. Be sure to embed Reach Out videos and links to our website to give people an idea of what they’re contributing to! As you can see on the image at the right, Valerie has raised $2,970 and still has months to go until her pro-gram starts! People will want to help you and get behind you, all you have to do is put yourself out there!

Will I be safe??

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EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR PROGRAM HAS SAFETY AS ITS HIGHEST PRIORITY.

1. We organize your program from start to finish.

2. If you arrive at the airport on the day the program commences, there will be a Reach Out Volunteer representative to meet you.

3. The Reach Out Volunteer Team Leader will be with your group for the entire duration of the program, and will be available 24/7 to help in any given situation.

4. You will be living in a shared, same sex room (whenever it is available), in clean, hygienic and safe accommodation.

5. You will have constant access to safe drinking water.

6. If you choose an extension (with the exception of Laos), Reach Out Volunteers will provide on ground transport to the next program location, where you will be met by a Reach Out Volunteer representative

QUESTIONS? -FAQ’S

• will there be mosquito nets? In Siem reap you will be in air condi-tioned rooms• can you wear singlets (tank tops) shorts, bikinis? No!• can we bring toys and other small gifts? Yes!• do we need bedding? No!• do we need vaccinations? Ask your doctor• do we need to arrange transport for departing flights? No!• can I bring a suitcase? We recommend a backpack• do I need insurance? Yes!• what things / clothing should I bring with me to donate in the vil-lage? Children’s clothes and shoes are always welcome along with early childhood development educational materials • Isn’t Cambodia dangerous? Cambodia is predominantly bud-dhist with very little civil unrest.

• Will I be met at the airport? We will collect you on the day you arrive, and drop you off at the airport on the day of departure.• will I have electricity / adaptors? Not all the time, but often enough to charge your cameras, phones and iPods.• will there be wifi? Not all the time•Will there be big insects / dangerous animals? Not in Siem Reap

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HOW TO JOIN REACH OUT VOLUNTEERS:

If you haven’t already applied for the program, you can do so through our website:

www.rovolunteers.com/volunteer_programs.htm

If you have already applied and been accepted for our programs you will need to pay the deposit to confirm your place.

We’re waiting to welcome you to our team!

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