General Impression
Overall Rating: / 10
My experience of volunteering in a human rights NGO in Cambodia is definitely rewarding and unforgettable. Volunteering in Cambodia is one of the best decisions I've made for myself. I would strongly recommend anyone who is hesitating to go ahead and do it.The NGO I worked with a coalition of numerous domestic human rights NGOs, it is responsible for the networking among all the NGOs, organising human rights conferences and workshops. The NGO has two main programs, one works on the Khmer Rouge Trial, the other one works on human rights as in general. I worked with the latter. My duties included drafting the speech which was to be delivered at a UN forum in Geneva that my co-ordinator was attending, observing human rights advocacy conferences/workshops/protests which I needed to write comprehensive reports on, conducting research on various international legal instruments and communicating the significant of which by way of making representations to my colleagues. One of the amazing things that came with volunteering was that my NGO offered me the chance to see what was really going on in Cambodia in human rights field from different perspectives-- I attended various events ranging from conferences which invited high profile governmental officials, to protests which were carried out by victims, who had been subject to human rights violations.Accommodation: I was very surprised that the three girls of my host family all spoke excellent English and we could communicated without much difficulty. The place I stayed was a two-storey unit which was well-kept. The family was warm and friendly. The food they served, which was a combination of Khmer (Cambodian) and Chinese, was so delicious that I gained 2.5kg from overeating. I would recommend volunteers stay with local family. I learnt more about Cambodia from the authentic Cambodian cultural facts and tales the family told on the dinner table than any travel guide. Now that I had to leave and continue my traveling. I truly miss my time in Cambodia and feel that it is a shame that I could only stay for such a short time. Visiting Cambodia and working there as a volunteer is plainly one of the best decisions I've ever made, and I believe it would be yours as well if you decide to go a head.