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The Cambodian orphanage project is an inspiring place to do voluntary work. I do feel I was able to make a positive contribution on a number of levels. I was able to work with children with Attention Deficit Disorder and although challenging, it gave me the opportunity to develop patience and understanding. I was also able to participate in staff training and ran a goal setting workshop and a phonetics workshop for the staff and parents at the village. I also got the opportunity to help the Director, to develop his strategic plan, which was really interesting. I was also working in the nursery class with young children aged 3-5 who were learning English, which was really enjoyable
It's difficult to think of my fondest memory because there are so many of them. It has to be the people, both Khmers and the other volunteers in Phnom Penh.
>Bridie Newton. Career break volunteer Cambodia.
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Archives of News
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Orphanages set for closure. Extracts from the Phnom Penh Post.
Children belong, first and foremost, with their families, not in institutions – that was the recent message delivered by Minister of Social Affairs in Cambodia with the announcement that 70 orphanages would be closed.
"Family care is the best option; no one loves children like their families," he said, stressing that residential care for at-risk children would now be considered only as a last resort.
Only 23 per cent of children found inside Cambodian orphanages had actually lost both parents, the minister said.
The majority of parents who sent their children to orphanages did so because they were poor and held the misguided assumption that an institution could provide better care, he said, urging orphanages not to exploit these misperceptions.
"Before you think about gathering children for the centre, please think first about keeping them in their families. And forget that a source of funding is pretending to support the children; this is a kind of exploitation."
While Cambodia's adult death rate dropped between 2005 and 2010, the number of children in orphanages more than doubled – to about 12,000 – during the same period.
The study found that more than 60 per cent of surveyed villagers felt a poor family should send their children to residential care if they could not pay for education, but that young people inside those orphanages felt they lacked love, freedom and opportunities.
In October, Friends International, Childsafe and UNICEF launched the "Children are not tourist attractions" campaign, urging visitors to Cambodia to think twice before visiting an orphanage.
Phnom Penh Post, Cambodia 9.2.12
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Phnom Penh Post, Cambodia, 9 Feb 2012
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Things are great here in Ecuador! I´m loving working in the kindergarden, all the teachers are so friendly and the kids are great fun. I´m living with Monika´s mum, who is lovely too! My week of Spanish lessons were really useful but nowhere near enough for me some I´m getting more over the next couple of weeks! I love what I´ve seen of Ecuador already and can´t wait to see more! I was worried about Caroline leaving me but we made some good friends in Quito in the last week! I´ve been chatting to Caroline and sounds like she´s enjoying the Galapagos too!
Lucy Rowe. Kindergarten teaching volunteer
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Lucy Rowe. Kindergarten teaching volunteer. Ecuador. Feb 2012
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Our 2012 year plan opens the door to a new project: to build our own Women's Empowerment Project. The project will provide opportunities to many single, widowed and poor women for skills training along with motivational classes, so they will be able to live by themselves with pride-and build a more independent future. This project's First Stone Ceremony was held on 3rd, February, 2012 in the presence of local villagers and Outreach International volunteers. In addition, we plan to start construction work on a new orphanage, beginning with a kitchen/dining hall, and guard house with space for some volunteers to live. The current orphanage is becoming more and more congested and it is our plan to move our children to our own village within two years time. It is also our idea to enhance the local school, road, and health post with Outreach International support as a joint venture, so everyone in the broader community can benefit.
Visma. Director of orphanage project. Pokhara. Nepal.
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Quote from Visma. Director of orphanage project. Pokhara. Nepal. Feb 2012
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 After being back from Mexico for about 6 weeks and now back working at Westwind it has given me time to reflect on my time working on both projects and life living in Mexico.
The more I think about it the more I realise what an amazing and generous opportunity Westwind had offered me. Some people may look at this as a 3 month holiday, and to be fair I feel refreshed, happier and with a more positive outlook as if I had been on holiday. However those 3 months did not seem like a holiday to me, the turtle camp was 24 - 7 and Rob and I worked long hours in uncomfortable temperatures with very little sleep. We were rewarded with some amazing experiences, like the first time you discover a turtle laying her eggs on the beach whilst out on patrol; although this experience was magical every time you witnessed it. Or out on morning patrol with the sun rising in the distance, covering 12 km's of deserted beach on a quad bike looking for the perfect spot to release newly born turtles back into the ocean. We were lucky everyday to be working in such a beautiful location with some really cool people. The hours were not so long on the crocodile project but at times required some dedicated hard work. Again I was rewarded with great experiences including nervously catching and handling young crocodiles, feeding the amazingly big adult crocodiles or trying to lasoo and capture large iguanas. Once again I was lucky to be working in a stunning environment with enthusiastic students and I have many fond memories of both projects..
David Mitchell. Westwind Air Bearings.
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Quote from David Mitchell. Westwind Air Bearings. Volunteer in Mexico. Feb 2012
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"It's so good all the memories I'll have for the rest of my life to tell to everyone. You'll probably be working with some of my friends in the future, wanting to do a same volunteering project, and that's where I'll send them, to Outreach. Can't wait to show you everything when you come out here next month. My mother asks me if there a lot of "revolution" stuff going on and if its safe. But no, it's really calm here in Watamu, people are friendly, a bit too friendly sometimes but doesn't bother me, just be polite and say "no thank you". The locals start to recognize me, the bar tenders and all the people I see everyday. It's brilliant to be in a completely different life than the rich countries we live in, and still find joy in doing stuff I would never have imagined doing one day. I do not mind At All that you use my comments, I would be glad to, so people can see how good it is to be here. Feel free to use whatever you like."
William Partridge
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Quote from William Partridge, Volunteer in Kenya Feb 2012
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Two weeks after my return from Mexico and what can I say? Well for starters a lot of thank you's. Firstly thank you to everyone that I've worked with, I appreciated all the help and patience that I was shown, and feel privileged to have experienced the work that you do and hope that I have been able to help in some way. Secondly, a big thank you to Natalia, for making me feel so welcome in her home in Mazatlan and for all her assistance in arranging my onward travel. And by no means least, thank you to all at Westwind and GSI. I am well aware that this amazing opportunity would not have been possible without the help, support & backing that I recieved from Steve Webb, Mike Wellstead and Robin Powell.
What about Mexico it's self? Well Mexico is a beautiful country with a diverse environment, ranging from high arid desert to dense tropical rain forest. As for the Mexicans themselves, they're amazing people who love their country and will do all that they can to help you. It is just a sickening shame that the western media only chooses to focus on the inevitable troubles that are faced by a country caught between the world's largest narcotic producers and consumers.
One question that I keep getting asked is "Did you miss home?" Well that's a complicated answer. Of course there were things that I missed, a colleague's funeral, friend's birthdays, a couple of friends had their first children while I was away, my father's birthday and of course I also missed the end of the Moto GP season. But as for everyday life, no, not at all, in short the whole experience was so intense, with so much to take in that there just wasn't time. But after spending my last week in Mexico on the road, visiting monuments, museums and pyramids during the day and trying to sleep on night buses I began to miss the stability and community around my project.
As for the future, I will continue to follow and support the work of the projects that I have become involved with. And despite the continued economic uncertainties of the future, I hope that others will also get to benefit from equally inspiring opportunities to those that I have had.
Rob Keen. Animal Conservation Volunteer. Mexico
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Rob Keen. Animal Conservation Volunteer. Mexico Feb 2012
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