Volunteering abroad will add meaning and make a difference during your travels while equipping you with valuable skills that can be utilized back home.
If music, dance or theater are areas in which you excel, consider volunteering at an organization that allows you to share your passion. Just be prepared for some hard physical labor!
Healthcare Program
The government has taken several significant initiatives to enhance healthcare delivery. They include increasing health financing through multiple channels to expand access to equipment and services for their populations, training more medical personnel so there are enough doctors and nurses in the country, conducting disease surveillance to respond to potential threats like cholera outbreaks as well as increasing disease prevention through effective disease surveillance measures.
Cambodia is a developing nation with a rapidly-expanding young and expanding population. Unfortunately, Cambodia’s current health care system cannot keep up with demand; most hospitals must turn away patients due to insufficient resources or beds; this problem is especially acute in rural areas where most of Cambodians reside.
Agencys working in Cambodia report major health issues are diarrheal diseases, malnutrition, malaria and tuberculosis as the top three. With such high birth rates across Cambodia’s cities and rural communities, overcrowding is also an issue.
There is also an acute shortage of vaccines and other essential medicines in Cambodia’s more remote provinces, leading to medical shortages that must be filled. While most Cambodians have private health insurance which covers some hospital expenses, public healthcare services are provided through 24 provincial health departments and 81 health Operational Districts that each operate a handful of provincial hospitals and manage dozens of Health Centers.
While Cambodia’s national treatment program for tuberculosis (TB) has proven effective at lowering mortality rates, many TB patients fail to complete their antibiotic course, thus necessitating additional investments into healthcare infrastructure across Cambodia.
Other health challenges facing Cambodians include increasing access to HIV prevention and treatment services. While Cambodia has one of the lowest AIDS mortality rates in Asia, most victims remain poor and marginalized populations.
Education Program
Volunteers in education are needed to support the growth and development of children, adults and community members alike. This may involve helping with various tasks like building classrooms or running workshops as well as offering teaching and learning support services. Furthermore, this program gives volunteers an opportunity to gain more insight into Cambodian culture and history as well as offering free accommodation with meals – not to mention meeting other international volunteers!
Volunteering in Cambodia can be an amazing life-altering experience that will open your eyes to another culture while giving you a renewed sense of purpose. However, it’s essential that you choose an organization which prioritizes impactful volunteering programmes to maximize its positive results and maximize its effects.
Teaching English in an orphanage may be a worthwhile venture, but before taking this path it’s essential that you conduct sufficient research. According to estimates, as many as 76% of children living in orphanages don’t need their services at all; rather they are often there due to foreign tourists wanting to visit and volunteer alongside them.
As such, organizations running orphanages tend not to prioritize the needs and interests of these children in mind when hiring staff; furthermore, such positions take jobs away from Cambodian workers who could do just as well if not better jobs in Cambodia itself.
As Indonesia is home to a tropical climate, volunteers should come prepared with sun protection during monsoon season (from May-November). A rain jacket or umbrella, comfortable walking shoes and sun protection may all come in handy for volunteering efforts in Indonesia.
Though most Cambodians speak English, it is always wise to keep a Cambodian dictionary handy just in case someone can’t. Additionally, some areas like slums or rural villages might make it harder than expected for you to find people who speak your native tongue, in which case learning basic Khmer phrases ahead of time would be useful.
IT Support Program
Cambodia is home to over 1,000 Red Cross volunteers providing IT support across all branches. Additionally, Red Cross volunteers collaborate with partners and local communities to deliver IT training courses to other members of their community. This program’s aim is to increase the number of Cambodians equipped with skills necessary to use IT and digital tools to accomplish their goals, advance their careers, and become leaders within their community.
In 1979, shortly after the Khmer Rouge took control of Phnom Penh, Francois Bugnion headed out for his inaugural mission in Cambodia as an ICRC delegate. Cambodia had only recently come out from centuries-long period when outside forces interfered in its affairs and caused destruction – so trust between outside organizations and Cambodia had yet to fully develop.
At that time, the ICRC was present in Cambodia with large relief and medical programs, family reunification services and other activities. When Khmer Rouge closed off borders to all foreign organizations prior to taking control in April 1975, only two organizations managed to escape; among these two was the ICRC which left by then (It would only return later that month under new rules of People’s Republic of Kampuchea (PRK). Their new government refused any humanitarian organization access beyond limited areas such as hospitals.
Today, the Angkor Hospital for Children – led by Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk as its honorary president and First Lady Bun Rany Hun Sen as its president – is an active facility, seeing 400 or more children every day for checkups, treatment for general diseases, surgery procedures, eye problems or other care. All of its funding comes from domestic philanthropists, partners and fundraisers who donate generously.
Community Development Program
Community development programs aim to strengthen communities, increase their capacities, and elevate other members of society through various initiatives such as educational support, social work and economic empowerment. By creating an environment in which every individual can flourish – a crucial element in sustainable development that has positive repercussions for all of society – community development programs are an essential component in reaching sustainable development.
This program’s mission is to empower communities in overcoming poverty and social disadvantage through sustainable development initiatives, with emphasis placed on self-reliance. This goal can be reached through education, employment opportunities, infrastructure projects, healthcare access and social care services; additionally assistance such as food or living commodities is given directly to vulnerable individuals who may need extra support in meeting their basic needs.
Cambodia has long been plagued with socioeconomic disparities and persistent challenges in terms of health, education and income generation. Despite economic growth, significant gaps remain in delivering care and services; most households live below poverty line without access to basic amenities like water, sanitation facilities or electricity, malnutrition rates remain high while access to education remains limited resulting in access to services not meeting demand.
This study investigated the influence of social determinants on children’s health in two rural Cambodian districts – Cheung Prey and Thong Ruek – through interviews with provincial and district officials, health district managers, commune council members, and village volunteers.
Commune council members were clear in their belief that health providers must address social issues as these have a direct effect on public health. Thus, health issues like diarrheal disease, drug abuse and child illnesses are related to household hygiene and sanitation issues; an absence of knowledge surrounding consequences associated with drug abuse; as well as vaccination.
Village volunteers were in agreement that all aspects of child health must be considered holistically. Interventions must not only focus on providing healthcare or educational opportunities but should include creating safe spaces for kids as well.