What motivated you to do a Volunteer project abroad?
I have done volunteering within Malaysia so I wanted to experience something new like volunteering abroad. Two things I enjoy doing the most are volunteering and travelling. Both made possible if I volunteer abroad. Its like travelling with a cause. You get to help people and at the same time travel around. In fact, its better as you stay there and you really experience the culture because you interact directly with the people there.
Why did you decide to volunteer in Cambodia with Volunteering Solutions?
I was looking for somewhere close to home to volunteer. After much research, I decided to go to Cambodia because I think the country is really in need of volunteers and Volunteering Solutions was my first choice because of their prompt reply to my emails and flexibilities to my requests. They made it really easy for me.
How has the experience been ?
It was something really wonderful. I was assigned to teach English at a school, morning and afternoon for a group of kids age between 5 to 15 years old. It felt really good to teach them and even better when they understand it. And the genuine love you get from the kids is what made this experience a really special one.
Has this experience impacted your future ?
Yes, it definitely impacted my future. I went there to make a difference in their life but what happened was that they made a difference to mine. This experience has made me realize a lot of important things in our daily life that we failed to see. The little things that matters the most. I have realized that we, the privileged ones must always make an effort to help the needy in every way we can. Because by doing so, we're not only helping them but in fact we're helping ourselves to be a better individual.
Any advise or recommendations for the future volunteers looking to come to Cambodia.
I had an amazing time in Cambodia. My only regret is that I did it for 2 weeks which I feel is really short. So my advise for future volunteers would be to do it for a longer period, maybe a month or more for you to truly enjoy and experience the trip.
What was the most amazing highlight of your trip ?
I had many amazing moments during this trip. Every moment was fun and special, like how every morning and afternoon the kids would be waiting outside the school for my arrival and then hold my hand and walk me to the class. They got really attached to me and on the the last day of my program at the school, the kids that I were teaching made some drawings for me to take it back with me. I felt really special with them.
Another amazing moment would be when I traveled to Siem Reap with the other volunteers and spent the weekend there exploring the enchanting temples of Angkor.