Volunteer Skills and Requirements

As a PCL volunteer in Cambodia, you should be genuinely interested in and committed to the Cambodian country and culture.

• The volunteer should have basic skills in the field he/she wants to be placed.
• A special qualification is not necessary.
• The volunteer should be at least 20 years old or be attending an accredited University that sponsors their adventure.

Room/Food/Supervision

During the PCL volunteer’s stay in Cambodia, the volunteer will live in a local guest house. The people of Cambodia (Khmers) are very friendly and hospitable and look forward to learning more about the volunteer’s culture and country. The recommended guest houses are stratically located and offer clean but simple accommodations, with a bed room, bathroom with hot & cold water, A/C and a fan. Most recommended guest houses also include breakfast in their room package.

In the case that the volunteer has special eating requirements (e.g. as a vegetarian or vegan), we would recommend notifying the guest house in advance. (Meat is the basis of most Cambodian food.)

Our C-PCL Director will welcome the volunteer at the airport, take him/her to their guest house, and introduce him/her to the area and the host organization.

A welcome dinner will help the volunteer to get his/her bearings, to meet PCL staff, and other volunteers and/or interns. During the whole stay the volunteer has a staff partner and an emergency number that is available 24 hours per day.

Overview of Volunteer / Non-Government Organization (NGO) Projects

For the last 10 years, committed Cambodians have set up many Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to aid in the reconstruction works of the country, and especially the communities in 23 Cambodian provinces. These organizations that are working as Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) are mainly focusing on issues like income generation, micro-credit programs, land reform, agriculture, animal raising and gender development to uplift their communities.

The CBOs/NGOs are going through various constraints to carry on their programs due to limited and almost non-existing financial resources in many areas. PCL is a fully recognized and authorized NGO in Cambodia and is not exempt to these problems.

CBOs/NGOs often struggle to run their programs and to raise funds from international donors. Many staff members are volunteers who receive no salary for their work and efforts. Often the organizations lack skills and resources to become powerful players at the local level.

Organizations, therefore, like PCL urgently need support, for example, in fundraising and proposal writing, organizational development, administration and community development.

Make a difference and discover significance!