General Impression
Overall Rating: / 10
The volunteer opportunity is great, and good to meet other volunteers from different parts of the world.My only gripe is the very run-down accommodation.
[Thanks for the feedback. Volunteers are now accommodated in a Volunteer House.]
Country
Cambodia is more modern than i thought, most people have smart phone & has grab for calling tuktuk. However, the income disparity in the country is huge.
It's not as dangerous as i initially worried about. But common sense safety and precaution still needed. We were warned that snatch theft of handphones are common.
Children where we taught were very appreciative, warm and welcoming. People are generally helpful when we seek their help to communicate with the driver of exact location.
It's not as dangerous as i initially worried about. But common sense safety and precaution still needed. We were warned that snatch theft of handphones are common.
Children where we taught were very appreciative, warm and welcoming. People are generally helpful when we seek their help to communicate with the driver of exact location.
Project & Staff
It was a good experience volunteering. At the school, it was good to have a foreign long term volunteers to orientate us, and also have a local teacher who can speak English. The staff, with some of the students, brought us for a tour around their community and we can better appreciate the needs there. We understand why these children are not receiving formal education and appreciate what the church is doing for them. There is lack of stationery, teaching facilities, and also shortage of teachers who can speak and teach English and therefore volunteers are important.
I would suggest improvement in their teaching facilities so that foreign volunteers can continue zoom teaching if they wish to after they have left. Another area is to improve the learning environment to provide some shades from the sun where the children are sitting, noting that aircon installation might be a luxury for them.
I would suggest improvement in their teaching facilities so that foreign volunteers can continue zoom teaching if they wish to after they have left. Another area is to improve the learning environment to provide some shades from the sun where the children are sitting, noting that aircon installation might be a luxury for them.
Tips
- Bring laptop or iPad to teach. And if available, also bring mini-projector and speakers.
- Contribute printing papers, art & craft materials(pre-loved ones are ok).
- They all love arts. Some time doing arts will entice them, after all their attention span for study is not long, and arts help to build up their fine motor skills as well as i noticed the younger children are still learning to write and draw properly.
- For younger group (6-10 years old), pre-school/kindergarten materials are appropriate, simple rewards(sweet, crackers) are helpful but to provide only before their break as they would eat immediately and disrupt the class. Fighting and running around are common. The boys need individual attention and rewards to teach them to sit for a while and do work.
- For older group (8-17 years old), they seem to be in elementary 1 standard, we should try to push them to progress further by not repeating what was taught by previous volunteers. A curriculum is needed for continuity when volunteers come and go, so their progress is not thwarted.
- Contribute printing papers, art & craft materials(pre-loved ones are ok).
- They all love arts. Some time doing arts will entice them, after all their attention span for study is not long, and arts help to build up their fine motor skills as well as i noticed the younger children are still learning to write and draw properly.
- For younger group (6-10 years old), pre-school/kindergarten materials are appropriate, simple rewards(sweet, crackers) are helpful but to provide only before their break as they would eat immediately and disrupt the class. Fighting and running around are common. The boys need individual attention and rewards to teach them to sit for a while and do work.
- For older group (8-17 years old), they seem to be in elementary 1 standard, we should try to push them to progress further by not repeating what was taught by previous volunteers. A curriculum is needed for continuity when volunteers come and go, so their progress is not thwarted.