GVI, Ethical Impact: Volunteer in Cambodia

I loved spending 2 weeks in Cambodia with GVI. There was so much to see and do in terms of schools and temples to visit, in addition to the off time with an island to explore and old buildings and shops. The crutch of the program currently is teaching English as a second language, but you can also ask to do more data gathering which is what I did and what I enjoyed. I bicycled to a village and met people and got to talk to them about their lives. Because the program is new there is lots to be done. Everyone from the staff to the locals are really lovely. If you have an open mind and want to learn about a culture different that is different from Western culture come and spend time with this program. The support they offer is top notch.

I made the decision that I wanted to volunteer abroad, from London to Cambodia, completely out of my comfort zone and far away from the London office where I have spent the last 10 years of my life. I love working with children, this was not the challenge for me initially, but more so the culture shock that I thought I would experience. I was wrong...the locals that I have spent the last month with, are nothing but lovely people who forever have a smile on their face : ) Teaching children, and watching them grow daily is so rewarding, and the sense of achievement you feel is indescribable. I would recommend anyone to do something like this once in their life - it opens your eyes and you learn so much about yourself which you can use to your advantage moving forward in your career, relationships, personal happiness and so on. Epic experience!

When I was looking around at the millions of volunteering opportunities, I found it really hard to tell the difference between those opportunities where you're just a tourist not really helping, and the projects where I could be of help in a constructive way. Luckily, when I arrived in Cambodia, one of the first things I was taught was what the UN Sustainable Development Goals were, and how GVI has them in mind in everything they do. It was really great to be a part of this project and I'm looking forward to going back next summer once I've saved up!

I had the privilege of working with GVI recently, and had a truly unforgettable time. I have worked with many local partners, students across the province of Kampong Cham and the dedicated GVI field staff.

The programme is sustainable and puts an emphasis on grassroots development as fundamental to sustainable development. I am proud to say that the opportunity to work with GVI has meaningfully contributed to the long term goals of GVI that are in union with the Sustainable Development Goals. This, to me, was very important when choosing who to work with and I am incredibly happy to say that this opportunity was exactly what I hoped for: meaningful, long-term development.

I would urge anyone who finds impact and long term development of primary importance to volunteer with the GVI Cambodia team.