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Have you ever thought about volunteering in Cambodia?

To be honest, if we knew then what we know now, we wouldn’t have volunteered to teach children in Cambodia.

When I graduated from university my feet were itchy to travel and my heart was full of the desire to go out and change the world. A contact from my study abroad program suggested volunteering to teach English at an orphanage they gave financial support to in Cambodia. I packed my bags, put on my rose-colored glasses and hopped on a plane.

I spent six months teaching at an orphanage center in the Cambodian countryside in 2009. It was life-changing, eye-opening, and pushed me far out of my comfort zone. I fell in love with Cambodia and the kids I taught.

Stevo and I went back together to volunteer in 2012 for two months, then again for another month in 2014. Maintaining the relationship with the kids we’d taught was important to me, and I was happy for the chance to check up on them over the course of many years.

Unfortunately, on subsequent trips, armed with more knowledge from age and life experience, I started to question what the organization was doing. The more people I met when we traveled in the region, the more I started to learn about the problems with orphanages in Cambodia.

Stevo and I moved to Phnom Penh in 2015 and no longer visit the orphanage. Many things have come to light for us that we didn’t fully understand when we were in Cambodia in years past, and we feel it is imperative to share what we now know with anyone who may be considering volunteering in Cambodia.

While it’s hard to admit, we now realize that our actions as travelers and volunteers may have caused more harm than good.

What can travelers do both to avoid doing harm and to actively help marginalized children and families in Cambodia?

According to James Sutherland, International Communications Coordinator for Friends International, 95% of tourists coming to Cambodia have interactions with children in some way, but a majority of those travelers felt uncomfortable or sad about those interactions.

If you’ve been to Cambodia, perhaps you’ve experienced some of these yourself:

• Being approached by children selling water bottles or postcards outside of temples at Angkor Wat.
• Being approached by children selling bracelets and flowers while in restaurants and bars at the Riverside in Phnom Penh.
• Being asked to buy milk powder by a woman or child holding a baby on Pub Street in Siem Reap.

These interactions are common for visitors to Cambodia, and often leave travelers feeling accosted, uncomfortable, and at a loss for what to do to help.

Should you give money or buy things from children?

Many well-intentioned travelers want to give money or buy something from children who approach them. In the past, this is a mistake we’ve made ourselves. When you are face to face with another human in need it’s not easy to say ‘No’.

The truth is that giving money or buying things from children is one of the worst things you can do. Although some children may be helping out their parents by selling things after school, which can be perfectly acceptable, many other children are being exploited. In the moment as a traveler passing through you cannot know the child’s true situation.

“When you give money, food or gifts to begging children, or buy something from them, you encourage them to continue begging. This prevents them from going to school and locks them into a cycle of poverty.”-ChildSafe 7 Tips for Travelers by Friends International

Giving money to children encourages their families to keep them out of school. When they are still young and cute children can help earn money for their families, but without an education, these children will face an uncertain future when they are older.

What is Being Done to Help Children in Cambodia?

Fortunately, there are organizations in Cambodia working diligently to address these issues. One of the most effective organizations in Cambodia is the ChildSafe Movement, started through Friends International.

ChildSafe is a global child protection initiative, raising awareness in the global community so locals, travelers, and businesses can work together to protect children.

Friends International employs hundreds of locals as social workers throughout Cambodia. The social workers are out 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, meeting with the families of children on the streets, at dump sites, in prisons, and in areas where drug abusers go. They have a good pulse on the ongoing situation and are equipped to help.

In Cambodia, the ChildSafe Movement has created 7 tips for travelers, covering issues about giving to begging children, child sex tourism, why you shouldn’t visit schools or orphanages, and actions you can take to help. 

What You Can Do If You Suspect Child Labor or Endangerment in Cambodia

If you suspect that a business is employing underage children or that a child is being exploited in any way, call the ChildSafe Child Protection Hotline and a social worker will come to check on the child’s situation.

ChildSafe Hotline in Siem Reap: +855 17 358 758

ChildSafe Hotline in Phnom Penh: +855 12 311 112

This should go without saying, but people have done it: Do not take a child anywhere yourself to try to help them. Although you may have good intentions, this teaches the child that it is okay to go off with strangers. Disturbingly, not every stranger does have good intentions, and setting this precedent could put the child at risk in the future.

Why is volunteering in orphanages harmful to children?

Some travelers want to spend their time giving back in Cambodia by volunteering. It is only natural to want to do something when we see disparity, poverty, and injustice.

Unfortunately, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and this is extremely true when it comes to volunteering in Cambodia. Children are at the biggest risk for exploitation, and as travelers, we often unknowingly contribute to the problem by volunteering, even when we are trying to do good.

Many travelers who want to find volunteer work in Cambodia do not have experience or qualifications to work with children. Would you want strangers without experience or background checks going into schools or centers with children in your home country? 

“Working with children in institutions such as orphanages is a job for local experts, not for travelers who are just passing through. Children deserve more than good intentions, they need experienced and skilled caretakers who know the local culture and language.”-ChildSafe 

In 2011 Friends International launched the “Children are not tourist attractions” campaign.

The campaign is raising awareness for travelers about the dangers of interacting with children in Cambodia or anywhere in the world in this way.

The Sad and Scary Reality of Orphanages in Cambodia

In most western countries orphanages have been closed for decades. There is a reason for this. It has been proven that orphanages are detrimental for a child’s development on a physical, emotional and psychological level.

So why support these institutions in Cambodia or anywhere abroad when we don’t support them in our own countries?

72% of children in orphanages in Cambodia are not orphans according to a UNICEF study. In fact, orphanages only came about in Cambodia in the past 20-30 years, along with the rise of tourism.

At the time when there was the biggest need in the country, there were about 200 orphanage centers. The number of orphaned children has decreased significantly since that then, but the number of orphanages has risen dramatically to over 500 centers!

Why is this? 

Many orphanage centers have been set up in Cambodia for profit, taking in poor children, a majority of whom still have living family members.

How do children in Cambodia end up in orphanages?

One reason many children end up in orphanages and other institutions for children in Cambodia is that their family cannot afford to support them. Parents send their kids to these places out of desperation, believing it is the best thing for their child. They often do not realize the harmful, long term effects these institutions can cause.

What can be done to keep Cambodian parents from sending their children to these centers?

Friends International believes that when you help parents going through a difficult time you can, in turn, support the whole family to stay together.

As an example, a staff member at Friends International told me about a single parent in Siem Reap who works as a fisherman and was in a difficult financial situation. When social workers met with him his boat needed repairs and his fishing net had tears in it and was no longer usable.

He was considering sending his children to an orphanage center where they could get enough food as he wasn’t able to support them. The social workers paid for repairs for his boat and replaced his fishing net so he can continue to support his children on his own. The cost: $80 USD.

There is a hotline Cambodian parents can call who are considering sending their child to an orphanage. Information about the hotline is dispersed through radio, newspapers, and advertisements in cities and many provinces.

Cambodian parents are connected to a social worker who offers solutions including financial support, vocational training, and assistance to start their own micro-enterprises.

Friends International has also started Futures, an employment agency in Phnom Penh where Cambodians can get help with CV and resume writing and utilize the Friends International network to look for jobs.

Why supporting families to stay together is better

According to a study by Friends International, it costs 7-8 times less to keep children with their families than to support them in an orphanage. From the standpoint of a business, it makes economic sense.

Ethically, emotionally and psychologically it is more beneficial for everyone.

Ideally, a child should grow up in a family. Of course, there are instances when the home is not a safe place for a child, such as when alcoholism or abuse takes place. In these instances, the next step for intervention is having the child move in with a relative.  The next alternative would be going to live with a Cambodian foster family. The absolute last resort should be an orphanage.

Should you volunteer in Cambodia?

Volunteering is not a bad thing, but there are some things to consider before you commit yourself.

Volunteering Dos and Don’ts

DON’T: Don’t work directly with children as a volunteer. Children in orphanage centers are exposed to volunteers from around the world who enter and leave their lives in a matter of days or weeks. They form bonds, the volunteers leave, and the cycle continues.

Especially note that if an orphanage or center for poor children in Cambodia does not require a background check for volunteers, they do not have the children’s best interests at heart.

DON’T: Don’t stop in or volunteer at institutions with children. Visits to schools and orphanages are marketed as activities and tours for travelers.

In our home countries, we wouldn’t allow strangers to go into schools or centers with children. Why would we find this acceptable to do when we travel?

DO: Instead of volunteering directly with children, share your professional skills with local staff. There are many ways you can support and volunteer with organizations helping marginalized children without being in direct contact with them.

DO: Give Blood! This may seem off topic, but blood is always needed in Cambodia, especially for children who suffer from Thalassemia, a blood disease that requires a monthly transfusion. The National Blood Transfusion Center in Phnom Penh accepts walk-ins and is open 24/7. The Angkor Hospital in Siem Reap also accepts blood donations.

DO: Read ChildSafe’s Win-Win-Win situation for a thorough look at volunteering in Cambodia.

Make sure you maximize your positive impact in Cambodia by carefully selecting the organization you will offer your time to.

Which organizations should you work with?

Friends International has created the ChildSafe Alliance, a network of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) that are working to protect children and keep kids with their families. These organizations have been vetted by Friends International and have children’s best interests at heart.

You can have the most positive impact when you volunteer to transfer your skills and teach the local staff at these organizations.

Many organizations may need support and additional training for their local staff. Especially if you have skills as a photographer, web developer, fundraiser, graphic designer, database specialist, filmmaker, social worker, in the medical field, or other skills in line with what the organization needs. This is the best way to have an impact. 

Volunteering should not replace jobs for local staff, but instead, help build upon their scope to help them improve sustainably. A minimum volunteer time of three months is ideal, although some organizations may accept shorter stints as well.

You can view the NGOs that are a part of the ChildSafe Alliance here.

ConCERT “Connecting Communities, Environment & Responsible Tourism” is another organization that can help you decide if you can add value through volunteering with their partner organizations at the time of your trip, or whether supporting businesses that support the local community would be more useful.

Before you commit yourself to volunteer with an organization in Cambodia, make sure that:

1. The organization is legally registered.
2. The organization has policies and procedures in place to protect children. Child protection policy should be based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and provide a framework of principles, standards, and guidelines to become aware, prevent and respond to abuse.
3. All staff and volunteers in the organization should be required to agree and abide by a Code of Conduct aimed at safeguarding the physical and mental well being of children.
4. The organization carries out background checks.

What else can you do to help in Cambodia?

Helping with your tourism dollars

There are many businesses in Cambodia that have gone through ChildSafe training and are part of the ChildSafe Alliance.

ChildSafe Alliance businesses demonstrate a commitment to child protection. When you choose to spend your tourism dollars with them you are in turn helping to build a positive, strong community environment for children and their families.

You can also look out for tuk-tuk drivers wearing shirts with the Child Safe logo, indicating they have been through ChildSafe training and are invested in the safety of children in their community.

“When you support existing organizations with proven methods to sustainably improve the lives of marginalized youth and their families, you are making a bigger difference in the long run for children in Cambodia.”-ChildSafe

The Final Takeaway

• DO NOT visit orphanages or other centers with children.
• DO NOT volunteer directly with children
• DO NOT give money or buy things from children.
• DO support organizations with sustainable models to safely help children and their families.
• DO volunteer your time to help local staff at these organizations.
• DO spend your tourism dollars with businesses that are committed to child protection.
• DO give blood.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this article!

There are so many travelers with good hearts who want to give back to the places they visit. We know first hand that it’s hard to know how to do so responsibly in Cambodia! Please pass this article along if you know anyone who is considering volunteering in Cambodia.

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If you have any questions feel free to reach out to Jen (at) twocantravel (dot) com.

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Have you volunteered in Cambodia or elsewhere on your travels? What was your experience like?

Please share in the comments. We can all learn from each other!

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