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Tag: Cambodia

Siem Reap is still the same…stunning peaceful and a vibrant culture

Siem Reap is still the same…stunning peaceful and a vibrant culture

As many of you will be aware there has been unrest on the Thai Cambodian border – but Siem Reap is safe and we are confidently sending volunteers as I type this. This from our partners “We are pleased and relieved to confirm that the ceasefire agreed between Cambodia and Thailand on the 27th of December is still in place.  A key Cambodian demand was the release of 18 soldiers who’d been detained since July.  These were returned on the…

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‘It was awesome!’ – Volunteer Mateo reports on his volunteer experience in Cambodia

‘It was awesome!’ – Volunteer Mateo reports on his volunteer experience in Cambodia

Mateo is a young Romanian student, just finishing his first year at university in Italy.  He heard about the possibility of international volunteering from a fellow student and approached us about organising a placement during the summer vacation.  He is a keen and able sportsman, and told us that ‘engaging in a practical project, deepening my abilities and doing it at the benefit of a company with a focus on social issues is the dream for me.’  We matched Mateo…

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Volunteer Helen helps launch important new initiative in Cambodia

Volunteer Helen helps launch important new initiative in Cambodia

Treak Creations is a social enterprise run by Salin, manager of Treak Community Centre (TCC), to support the work of the Centre and provide work for local women.  Salin is a skilled seamstress and runs a well equipped sewing centre at TCC, making a variety of items to sell to local people and tourists.  Recently they were able to acquire a site for a shop, located just 400 metres from Treak Community Centre, along the main road to Tonle Sap…

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people and places volunteers in Cambodia

people and places volunteers in Cambodia

Cambodia is always a popular destination for our volunteers and our partners working at Treak Community Centre (TCC) are able to provide a welcoming and worthwhile volunteering experience for people with a wide range of skills. In the spring of 2024 we set up a group placement at TCC for 6 ladies from Kindness Adventures, an organisation from USA and Canada.  They wanted a placement to make use of their practical and artistic skills, and were also able to provide…

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The Year That Changed My Life – thanks to people and places!

The Year That Changed My Life – thanks to people and places!

by volunteer Zoe File In July 2023, I walked away from a secure and much-loved job as a primary school teacher to pursue a long-cherished dream of working as a volunteer teacher overseas. For years this had been nothing more than a pipe-dream, but at the age of fifty-five it finally felt that the time was right. I was motivated by two things – the opportunity to cash in a small pension which would fund a year out of full-time…

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Goodbye, good luck and thank you to Dara

Goodbye, good luck and thank you to Dara

Everyone who has volunteered at Treak Community Centre in Cambodia will know the headteacher, Mr Dara.  After 14 years at Treak, at the end of February Dara moved on from Treak to start an exciting new teaching job at Westgate International School in Siem Reap. Dara started working at Treak straight after school and his first role was as a volunteer in the nursery.  This was in 2010 and over the years he rose through the ranks to become head…

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What have some of our volunteers been up to in the last few months?

What have some of our volunteers been up to in the last few months?

Nicola in Cambodia Working in a busy NHS department, with the additional pressures of Covid I was at a point where I was losing my enthusiasm and enjoyment in my role as an A&E nurse. I knew I needed a ‘refresh’ and felt it was a good time to stop and reflect.  I volunteered at Treak Community Centre – my brief was to provide support to teachers with an emphasis on providing practical guidance for health and hygiene for both…

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Congratulations to our partners in Cambodia – 540.6 km cycled to raise funds for the centre

Congratulations to our partners in Cambodia – 540.6 km cycled to raise funds for the centre

2023 was the fourth occurrence of the Treak Trek – an annual sponsored bike ride around Cambodia which raises money for the school, is a fantastic team-building experience for the staff, and a great opportunity for international cooperation as they are joined on the ride by friends and supporters from various countries around the world. ‘2023 was by far the best Treak Trek yet: financially undoubtedly, but also for the friendships forged, for the messages of encouragement we received, and…

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“Reassuring, informative…part of a special club” – good reasons to come to our next volunteer meeting

“Reassuring, informative…part of a special club” – good reasons to come to our next volunteer meeting

Our November social is filling up – if you would like to come please let us know ASAP “I just wanted to drop you a line to thankyou for arranging the volunteer on line meetings. The first meeting I attended was before I volunteered with you and I found it so reassuring to be able to hear from previous volunteers and local partners before I travelled. A few months after my return I attended another meeting and it was great…

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The best placements are when one friend introduces another

The best placements are when one friend introduces another

In November 2022 volunteer Zara went to Cambodia to volunteer at Treak Community Centre. Zara works in the publishing industry so her placement focused on reading – the activities she did were based on instilling a love of books in the children and she ran a parents’ workshop on helping your child to read at home. On her return to the UK Zara talked to her friend Aimee, who also works in the publishing industry, about what she had been…

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