At Wat Opot Children’s Community, working and living together in harmony is our primary goal. Our main focus is to create a safe and nurturing environment for our children. If you are thinking of joining our family please take into consideration some of the following changes in our Volunteer Program.
Due to the increased number of drop-ins and short term volunteers who spent less than a month with us, we have decided that the disruption to our daily schedules is not in the best interest of our children. For this reason we now require all first time volunteers to commit to spending at least a full month with us (outside of your travels and sight-seeing).
A volunteer does not have to be skilled, however should be a self starter and come with a plan of action or be willing to fit into our existing programs with minimal supervision. We welcome volunteers who have a desire to work, teach, and play with our children. They will make you laugh but will also test your limits.
As a volunteer you will be an influence on our children. Like any parent, we want our children to have positive role models and therefore drinking, smoking and inappropriate language is not allowed while you are in our community. Any volunteer who does not respect these rules will be asked to leave immediately.
Our children are not “poor orphans”, although their stories will make you cry. They range in age from two to nineteen and are as different as the backgrounds they have come from. It’s the things we go through together however, that give us the strength for each new day. As a volunteer you will join us in this journey.
Nutritious meals (vegetarian option always available) are served by our kitchen staff. Please let us know if you have to have a special diet for medical reasons. Iced coffee, soda and other refreshing drinks are sold at Chhang’s Café, located on the property, or in the adjacent village.
Our monthly Volunteer fee of $250 USD (paid upon arrival) covers everything you will need while staying with us. This inclues room/board/meals and extras such as laundry soap, electricity, bedding and mosquito net.
