A Day in the Life: Our Volunteers in Cambodia

Meet Alana (from Australia), Elizabeth (from Norway) and Irelyn (from USA). While officially known as volunteers, we call them superheroes. Their commitment to our vision and our team inspired them to relocate their lives all the way to Cambodia for 6 months (or more). Their roles vary based on their expertise but all of the volunteers' priority is to support our local staff.

Living in our volunteer accommodation just over a kilometre (1/2 mile) away from our offices in Phnom Penh, they walk or ride to and from work during the week. They say there is always a warm welcome from the Khmer staff, who will go out of their way to look after volunteers. Our staff appreciate the volunteers and embrace them as friends.

During the week, they work in specific roles aligned to their skillsets, teach the girls and staff English, help out in the Visitor Centre, pack and get products ready for shipment and run after school activities for the girls such as bike riding and crafts.

Recently, the volunteers’ roles have revolved around Christmas preparation. They have wrapped all the presents and decorated the home. On Christmas Day, Alana, Elizabeth and Irelyn will spend the day with the girls at the waterpark and have a pizza party.

Throughout the year, there are parties for girls’ birthdays and reintegrations so the volunteers take on organising these fun activities for the girls. On the weekends, they enjoy exploring the city of Phnom Penh and beyond.

We asked them what they love about their roles as volunteers and what stood out in their answers was the staff they work with. The things they learn from the staff along the way and the friendships they form really make the experience as a volunteer life changing (plus they really enjoy the delicious lunches, made specially by the on-site cook each day).

We are so blessed to have beautiful volunteers who are genuine in their desire to see girls restored and made whole and they are ready to serve in whatever way they can to provide hope and dignity to those brave survivors.