Cambodia Food and Farming

Volunteer at the Cambodia Food and Farming Project

The Cambodia Food & Farming Project works with projects on their sustainable farming programmes to provide cheap and nutritious food to children and communities. Volunteers work alongside local staff to produce a variety of food and make a real difference to those living in poverty. Volunteer in the friendly town of Siem Reap and visit the amazing Angkor Wat Temples!

Project Overview

Immerse yourself in the Cambodian culture while working with Globalteer's international and local staff in the beautiful town of Siem Reap. Volunteers work at sustainable local projects like Globalteer's own rural programme, Helping Hands Cambodia.

Assist the local staff in producing healthy nutritious food for the children and community. Support the development of the children by providing nutritious food. Volunteer and live in the friendly town of Siem Reap, for a life changing experience!

Volunteer at a farm in Cambodia and make a real difference

This volunteer programme allows you to make a real difference working with a with a UK Charity. Gain new skills whilst working at amazing local projects in Cambodia.

You will have the opportunity to learn about a different culture and visit the incredible temples of Angkor Wat. Join us at our most popular community volunteer programme in Siem Reap!

Summary

The Project: The Cambodia Food and Farming Project offers volunteers the chance to work at one of our carefully selected partner projects on their innovative sustainable food programmes.  In addition to providing food for impoverished families, these exciting projects also teach villagers valuable and practical new skills as well as being a means of generating income for the projects’ other programmes.

Project Location: In and around the charming town of Siem Reap in Northern Cambodia, home to the incomparable UNESCO world heritage-listed Angkor Wat temple complex. There is an international airport with good connections to the capital Phnom Penh and further afield throughout Asia. Siem Reap has good range of facilities for visitors including a variety of shops, excellent restaurants, lively and traditional bars and plenty of unique sightseeing opportunities. There are also good medical facilities in the town should you need them.

Volunteers

Main Volunteer Activities: Volunteers working on these sustainable food programmes will be primarily assisting local and project staff in the maintenance and upkeep of the market gardens, farms and fish farms. The work may include preparing ground for planting, planting seeds, transplanting seedlings, harvesting crops or gathering organic materials for compost. 

Hours: Volunteers work six - eight hour a days from Mon to Fri, with weekends free for sightseeing, relaxing or travelling through this beautiful and diverse country.

Duration: Volunteer placements are year-round and for 1 to 12 weeks.

Accommodation: Choose from a private ensuite room in a locally owned hotel with outdoor pool or upgrade to a more upmarket three star hotel, also with outdoor pool. Both options are centrally located and within walking distance of Globalteer's office.

Volunteer Requirements: Volunteers at this project must be aged 18+ and have good English. A reasonable level of fitness is reuqired as work can be strenuous and the climate is usually hot and humid.

Volunteer Placement Fee: From UK£354 / US$461

Project History

The Food and Farming Programme works with well established community projects which, over time, have diversified from their core educational focus in order to provide food and income for the communities they work with. In addition to providing food for impoverished families, these exciting projects also teach villagers valuable and practical new skills as well as being a means of generating income for the projects’ other programmes. 

How the project is helping
Day to day subsistence leaves people particularly susceptible to food shortages caused by extreme weather, sickness and even market conditions which can push prices up beyond many people's reach. Having a reliable food source not only ensures that families do not go hungry, it also means that children can keep up regular school attendance rather than be forced to work, or worse still take to the streets to beg in order to feed their families.

A wide range of seasonal produce is grown and includes mushrooms, Chinese cabbage, water spinach, bananas, mung beans, long beans and cucumbers.

Why the project need volunteers

Despite the wealth of tourist money that enters Cambodia, very little of this money filters down to the average Cambodian. Malnutrition is common among Cambodian children and Cambodia has the highest under 5 mortality rate in the East Asia and Pacific region. Cambodia is among the poorest countries in the world. Reliable income and food security are vital for poorer Cambodian to be able to survive and thrive

Projects such as the Cambodia Food and Farming Programme receive no state funding, but through volunteer support, private donations and grants the projects are able to help some of the poorest communities in the world have a brighter, more secure future.

Volunteers make a huge difference at this project where you work with the permanent project staff helping with a variety of activities to suit your skills and experience. Volunteers bring much needed extra pairs of hands and can introduce new enthusiasm, energy and ideas into every day of your stay.

Typical Volunteer Duties

Placements are normally for 1 to 12 weeks. You will be required to be available for 6 - 8 hours per day with 2 days free time per week on Saturday and Sunday. Volunteers will have breaks throughout the day. The earliest start is usually 6:30am and the latest finish 4pm, although exact times can vary.

You could find yourself digging the ground in preparation for planting, planting seeds, transplanting seedlings, harvesting crops or even gathering organic materials for compost. You may also be involved in preparing and serving breakfast or lunch at the projects. If you have relevant qualifications you may also help in training local staff in your particular skill area.

Due to the nature of the work on this programme a flexible approach to your work is indispensable.

The work on this programme can be quite physical and the weather is usually hot and humid so does require a good level of fitness. But there is nothing quite like the satisfaction you will feel just knowing that you are helping to grow food and keep our communities on the road to sustainability!

Accommodations when you Volunteer in Cambodia with Globalteer

Volunteers with the Cambodia Community Programme can choose from our standard or upgrade accommodations. Both accommodations are located centrally in Siem Reap and are within walking distance of the Globalteer office where you can catch up with our friendly team, make use of our teaching resources or stock up on your free supply of drinking water! They also offer 24-hour security and reception giving volunteers both peace of mind and easy access at all times.

 

Our Standard Accommodation

Our standard volunteer accommodation is in the popular Cambodian-owned Bou Savy Guest House located close to Globalteer’s offices in Siem Reap. Rooms are single occupancy or can be shared if volunteers are travelling together.

Bou Savy Guest House Siem Reap Volunteer

Volunteer rooms are clean and comfortable, each with hot water, ensuite toilet and shower. The rooms have fans but can be upgraded to air conditioning for a daily fee. Cable TV is available in all rooms with channels in English, and each room has a small fridge for storing cold drinks and snacks. The guest house also has several larger air-con rooms which are assigned on a first-come first-served basis to guests who pay the additional fee for air conditioning. Make sure you specify if you would like an aircon room when you apply.

Bou Savy Guest House Volunteer Siem Reap

The guest house has a bar area and restaurant, all set in lovely leafy grounds. Globalteer volunteers also have use of our very own social area - just right for a drink and snack after a long day working at your project. There is also a small pool for that refreshing end of day dip!

Bou Savy Pool Siem Reap Cambodia

There are also plenty of Khmer restaurants near the guest house if you fancy "going local" in the evenings. Free WiFi internet is available in rooms and in communal areas. We also have a team of friendly and reliable tuk-tuk drivers on hand with specially negotiated rates should you need transport at any time.

 

Our Upgrade Accommodation

We know that some volunteers prefer a few more creature comforts when they get to the end of a long, hard day working at their project. To be honest, if you are generous enough to donate your time and money to volunteer with us, then you deserve to be as comfortable as possible during your placement!

Bayon Riverside Siem Reap Cambodia Room View

Upgrade volunteer rooms are located in the modern G&Z Urban Hotel situated on the Siem Reap River, just a 4-minute walk to Pub Street and within walking distance to Globalteer’s offices. They offer a higher standard of comfort and more facilities for volunteers who don’t mind paying a little extra. Rooms are spacious with large beds, cable TV, free wi-fi, in-room safe, tea and coffee making facilities and a mini bar. The rooms have modern en-suite bathrooms that are spotlessly clean. Air-conditioning comes as standard – there are no surcharges to pay here. Rooms also offer a desk which is convenient for planning your volunteer sessions or writing postcards and journal entries. You will also receive bathrobes and slippers, a perfect way to relax after a day working at your project!

 

Bayon Riverside Pool View Siem Reap

The hotel has a beautiful swimming pool and poolside bar and a restaurant which serves free breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a good variety of reasonably priced Cambodian and international dishes. There is an on-site business center if you require some computer time. Spa services are available if your muscles really need some therapy after a day in the field!

Free Time in Siem Reap and Cambodia

Our team in Siem Reap are all very well travelled throughout the country and further afield in Southeast Asia and can offer plenty of travel tips. There are lots of options for weekends in Siem Reap as well as for travel before or after your placement. Here are just a few of Cambodia’s treasures to whet your appetite.

Siem Reap
Thanks to the magnificent temples of Angkor, the major economy in Siem Reap town is tourism. Although Siem Reap province remains one of the poorer provinces of Cambodia and very little tourist wealth "trickles down" to rural communites. In addition to the ancient temple complexes the town has has many bars, restaurants, ATMs, internet cafes and hotels catering to foreigners' needs. There are also dozens of working Buddhist temples all over town, known locally as pagodas Saffron-clad monks are a common sight on the streets of Siem Reap.
Siem Reap has colonial and Chinese-style architecture in the Old French Quarter and around the Old Market. In the town, there are Apsara dance performances, craft shops, silk farms, rice-paddy countryside, fishing villages and a bird sanctuary near the Tonle Sap Lake, the largest fresh water lake in South East Asia. There is a lovely riverside garden and shady walks along the Siem Reap river.
The area around the old market provides a lively night life, especially along the aptly named "Pub Street". Siem Reap provides for all tastes, with worldwide cuisine from Thai, Mexican, Indian, Japanese, Italian as well as menus catering to western tastes. There are quiet cafes, lively bars and nightclubs.
Angkor Wat and the temple complexes

Visitors come to Siem Reap to visit the temples of Angkor. There are over 100 temples scattered in the area in various states of decay. Some in overgrown jungle and some on lakes. Rest assured everyone leaves with their own personal favourite temple!

Some people visit for one day to see the main attractions but we would recommend 3 days exploring the temples to get a much better overview of this incredible period in Cambodian history. On arrival in Siem Reap our friendly staff can advise the best ways and times to visit the temples.

Tonle Sap Lake

Tonle Sap is the largest fresh water lake in Southeast Asia and an attraction in its own right. About 10km form Siem Reap, the lake stretches almost as far as the country's capital Phnom Penh. Its size varies enormously between the wet and dry seasons. Half the year the waters flow into the lake from the river Mekong and for the rest of the year the waters flow in the other direction, giving the lake a unique ecosystem.

Boat trips on the lake are very popular and you can visit lake the famous floating villages and stilt villages, orginally home to refugees which have grown into entire communities with schools, shops and houses sitting directly on or over the water. Also venture further to see the wildlife sanctuary which is home to several species of endangered birds and take a kayak through the famous sunken forests.

Further Afield

For a small country Cambodia has a lot to offer those who have time to travel further afield.

Phonm Penh is a short flight away or 6-8 hours by road and is home to many popular attractions. The magnificent Royal Palace and the restaurants and bars along Sisowath Quay are on every vistor's list. Along with the more sombre sites of S-21 prison and the Killing fields - reminders of Cambodia's tragic past and the genocide under the Khmer Rouge Regime.

In the south of the country you will find the laid back coastal towns of Kampot and Kep as well as the lively beach resort of Sihanoukville. There are some lovely unspolit islands where you can kick back and recharge your batteries as well as jungles, forests and the wildlife havens of The Cardamom Mountains. Buses and internal flights from Siem Reap airport make getting around easy and relatively cheap.

For those who have time there are also regular direct flights and buses from Siem Reap to other must-see Southeast Asian destinations. You can easily visit Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore for a quick break.

Fee Options

Base Donation

The base donation for volunteering is where all money received goes to the charity, our charitable activities, charity partners and supporting volunteers in country. Your daily transport to the project is also included.

Standard Package

The standard package fee includes everything in the base donation plus standard hotel accommodation & private airport collection.

Standard Package plus AirCon

The standard hotel does not include air-conditioning but this can be added on. We recommend that you book this early as their are limited number of air-con rooms.

Upgrade Hotel

Volunteers can also choose to upgrade their accommodation to a hotel which includes more facilities, larger rooms and air-conditioning. Accommodations are carefully selected by our team in Cambodia for their great locations, suitability for volunteers and value for money.

British Pounds £
Weeks Base Donation Standard Package Standard + AirCon Upgrade hotel
1 £354 £413 £445 £536
2 £470 £588 £652 £833
3 £586 £762 £859 £1,130
4 £701 £937 £1,065 £1,427
Extra weeks £115 £174 £207 £297

United States Dollars USD$
Weeks Base Donation Standard Package Standard + AirCon Upgrade hotel
1 $461 $536 $578 $696
2 $611 $762 $846 $1,081
3 $761 $988 $1,114 $1,467
4 $912 $1,214 $1,382 $1,853
Extra weeks $151 $226 $268 $385

Siem Reap Accommodation questions

Yes of course, and we can arrange this for you. The cost for additional nights are as follows: Standard - GBP£9 / US$11, Standard plus AirCon - GBP£13 / US$17, Upgrade Hotel - GBP£26 / US$34.
For a couple sharing, there is only a discount on the upgrade hotel as follows: One volunteer will pay the Upgrade Hotel fee and the second volunteer will pay only the Base Donation fee as the upgrade hotel does not charge for the second person in the room.
Families are welcome at this project and the fees are as follows: Children 13 years and under pay no base donation fee, Children 14 to 17 pay 50% of the base donation fee. Accommodation for each child is charged at a weekly rate of: Standard - GBP£63 / US$77, Standard plus AirCon - GBP£91 / US$119, Upgrade Hotel - GBP£182 / US$238.
Financial Transparency

As a UK registered Charity, Globalteer is completely financially transparent to you, our donors. You can therefore see a full breakdown of where your money goes and our independently audited accounts by clicking below:

Where Your Money Goes

To discover why you should consider choosing Globalteer, please visit the following page:

About Globalteer

Why do we charge a fee for volunteering?

Globalteer requests a donation from volunteers to allow us to achieve our charitable objectives and support our partner programmes. In return, Globalteer provides volunteers with an amazing, responsible and ethical volunteer experience and in-country support from the Globalteer team in Cambodia. Ensuring that your placement is responsible as well as rewarding, safe and enjoyable takes a good deal of work.

A summary of Globalteer’s total expenditure for the last financial year is shown below:

Donations and Grants 60% – This includes a share of volunteer placement fees, grants we have secured for our projects and donations managed by Globalteer that are made by individuals and groups to our projects and partner projects.

Support Costs 29% – This includes volunteer accommodation, volunteer transport, support staff costs, travel costs and some volunteer meals.

Operational Costs 11% – Costs of running Globalteer.

What’s Included

        √  In-country support from Globalteer staff.
        √  Daily transport to and from the project location.
        √  Cambodia orientation guide and arrival induction.
        √  Free town tour.
        √  All necessary project equipment and materials.
        √  All necessary project training by Globalteer staff.
        √  Free Globalteer water bottle and welcome pack.
        √  Project donation.

With the Full Package
        √  Free airport pick up from Siem Reap airport.
        √  Accommodation at a comfortable hotel with pool.

What’s not included
  • Flights
  • Medical and travel insurance
  • Vaccinations and inoculations
  • Onward transport at the end of your placement
  • Police or background check (where necessary)
What do everyday items cost?

The official currency of Cambodia is the Riel, however, all shops and market stalls accept US$ and you may be given small change in local currency ($1 = 4000 Riels). Be aware that dollar bills with any tears or markings are generally not accepted. ATMs dispense cash in US$. The cost of living in Cambodia is very low compared to most countries in the developed world. The costs of some typical items are:

  • Short journey by tuk-tuk - $1 to $2
  • Meal in a market - $1
  • Bottle of soft drink - $0.50 to $1
  • Draft beer - $0.50 to $2
  • Meal in a restaurant - $4 to $25

Talk to Chris who lives in Siem Reap and will be happy to help! E-mail me directly at info@globalteer.org or use the contact form below:

Contact Me

Real Reviews of Globalteer on Volunteer's Social Media

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“To anyone who is considering volunteering with Globalteer, don't hesitate! .”

Cloe, teacher, UK

Volunteer rated at
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