Cambodia: Professional Volunteering Projects

Introduction

Cambodia has one of the fastest growing economies in Asia with growth averaging 6 percent over the last decade and yet it still remains one of the poorest countries in the world. Long-term development remains a daunting challenge with over 2 million people living on less than $2 per day. Cambodia also suffers from a shortage of skilled qualified workers.

Professional Volunteers like you are a great, still mostly untapped resource for tackling this challenge in a sustainable way. Thank you to your professional skills and expertise you will be able to assists local not for profit organizations in addressing their long-term needs and build capacity of their own local staff. For example, an HR professional you could help an organization build an employee handbook, a professional accountant could re-organize budget and expenses.

It is not just the completion of a project. As a Professional Volunteer you can also share your skills and competences onto with the organisation’s staff and help develop and increase their knowledge, so there can be a lasting impact on the staff and beneficiaries.

Daily Life

The Professional Volunteer project will place you with a legally registered Cambodian Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO ) based in Siem Reap province, guided according to Cambodian laws, honoring and respecting the Cambodian culture and its religion. We, therefore, expect the same from you as a volunteer.

As part of the NGO team, you will typically be reporting directly to the Managing Director or an equally senior employee, as well as working with the local team and other volunteers. You will be able to work within a friendly, open, and informal environment.

Working hours are from 08.00 AM until 05.00 PM, 5 days a week from Monday to Friday. You will be based out of the NGO offices in Siem Reap town, and, occasionally, you may be required to visit the local rural communities.

It is also important to remember you are working with a grassroots organization with many daily operations, both large and small. As such, this role calls for a high measure of self-direction and motivation and a good dose of humility and respect.

Projects

IMPORTANT NOTE: We are seeking a broad range of professionals willing to volunteer their expertise and skills across multiple areas – communication, marketing, reporting , accounting and management. Please carefully read the following project descriptions below and find a fit between your experience and expectations and the needs in the field.

Communication

We are seeking a range of professionals able to help us increase awareness and develop an enviable NGO stakeholder’s engagement by designing an effective communication strategy and plan across multiple channels (e.g. social media, website) with a background in any of these areas :

• Communication professional (Content writer, proof reading and copyrighting; Researching and writing articles for brochures, newsletters, web sites)
• Social Media facilitator (publish post and facilitate online chats or newsgroup)
• Graphic Designer
• Web master, Web designer, Web editor, Word press expert
• Videographer, Photographer, Video Editor, Photo editor

Marketing

Marketing is an essential piece to ensuring the NGO has a steady income of funds and revenues to sustain the organizations and benefit the community. We are seeking professional able to assist in developing methods for attracting new individual and corporate donors and retain and further engage the existing ones. Please apply if you have a background in any of these areas:

• Marketing
• Fundraising, Grant Writing
• Business Development
• Corporate partnership
• Digital Marketing (SEO , SMO , Google Ad expert)
• Data analysis and customer/donor insight
• CRM expert (ie. Sales Force)

Reporting

Collating data of local capabilities, demographics and projects for the organization and using it to produce accurate and consistent reports is instrumental to evaluate progress and impact versus the organization efforts for the benefits of the Board, Stakeholders and Donors. We are searching for experts on

• Reporting ( Annual Report, Donor’s report , Performance Report)
• Evaluation and assessment

Accounting

The goal is to contribute to the overall efficient operation of the accounting department and help the organization to maintain order and transparency for the company’s finances and be fully aware of its financial condition. We are looking for experts in the following areas

• Accounting
• Book Keeping (e.g. Quickbooks)
• Budget Review
• Financial Audit
• Yearly Financial Report

Senior Management

Professional consulting expertise (5 years+ experience) are also needed on special projects regarding human resources, legal issues or management.

Travel & Accommodation

You will need to organize and cover your travel & living costs.

·          We invite you to carefully read the travel recommendations to Cambodia issued by your Country and make an informed decision before embarking on your volunteer experience

·         Cambodia’s accommodations and living expenses have substantially changed over the past two years. Due to Covid, many low-cost hostels or restaurants have shut down, and other touristic facilities are no more available.  Prices keep varying as Cambodia is still in the early stages of resuming its touristic activities.

·         The Cambodian Government can change the entry Visa requirements without notice should a pandemic or similar severe issues occur. 

Alternatively, you can use the experienced advice offered by the Premium Support Upgrade by GLOBAL NOMADIC.  To know more, read the Cost section below.

Requirements

This volunteer project is specifically designed for independent, self-reliable, and spirit of adventure-qualified professionals or university students whose priority is to experience an exclusive volunteer project tailored to their skills and background with selected and vetted socially conscious organizations in Cambodia.

You will be matched with a sustainable and meaningful volunteer project, thanks to which you will be able to put all your knowledge and expertise to the service of a good cause while gaining professional experience by volunteering for a non-profit organization or social enterprise in a developing country.

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS

• We require two years of previous experience or expertise for the position you are going to apply
• Minimum 3-month commitment. We are proud to be working with sustainable and responsible projects where volunteers can make a real impact. Volunteering for only a few days will unfortunately not achieve the level of impact we envision for the organization or the communities they serve. In some cases, short-term volunteering may disrupt the schedule and objectives of the project.
• Strong working and personal ethics.
• Self-Motivation, Independence, and confidence
• Resourcefulness
• Flexibility and spirit of adaptation. A sense of humor does help!
• Good spoken English language skills.

MANDATORY DOCUMENTS

• Travel & Medical insurance
• Necessary vaccinations
• References from at least one previous employer (Only if your project requires you to deal directly with minors)
• Criminal record check (Only if your project requires you to deal directly with minors)

Costs

What’s Included:

$200 Placement fee (split $100 to the project + $100 for Global Nomadic) to be paid in full should you be selected, interviewed, and accepted in the volunteer project.

Notice: The placement fee will be refunded except in the case of extenuating circumstances, such as a medical condition that makes you unable to participate in the internship or other such emergencies.  If you must reschedule your internship window for a later date, we will consider your Placement Fee paid.

What’s not included:

You will need to fully cover your travel & living costs. Flights, visas, vaccinations, insurance, accommodation, transportation, and food are not included.  You should budget approximately USD 300 per month for accommodation, approximately $15 per day for food, and an average of $5 per day for transportation with a local tuk-tuk.

 Global Nomadic Premium Support Upgrade:

Assistance will be provided in arranging travel and logistics if you choose Global Nomadic Premium Support. We understand there’s a great deal to plan and organise for your trip. When booking a Placement, many of our participants choose to purchase our Premium Support Upgrade to benefit from the expertise, knowledge and experience of Global Nomadic Project Coordinators.  They  can provide the personal advice you need to ensure your trip is organised with excellence and planned with efficiency, ensuring the very best experience possible. Read more about how we can help you.