About the ProjectBuilding houses families can call their home
Millions of families in developing countries face a severe housing problem. A lack of shelter is a manifestation of widespread poverty. People live in homes that are built of flimsy materials, lack adequate sanitation, have an irregular or no electricity supply.
To help mitigate housing issues, DWC’s RAISE THE ROOF program provides adequate shelter and improves the conditions in which families live through sustainable construction projects. Essential services are addressed, such as safe drinking water, improved sanitation, space for food gardens and other means by which people can increase their capacity to generate income.
A liveable home can have a tremendous impact on a family’s well-being and their ability to break the cycle of poverty. For example, research suggests that replacing a dirt floor with cement can result in reductions in cases of diarrhea and anemia due to the presence of fewer parasites. In addition to health improvements, ownership of decent housing increases a family’s personal safety, security, and performance in school and at work. Secure housing improves a whole community.
What to ExpectA Typical Workday in Cambodia
Build a floating home for a family on the Tonle Sap in Cambodia
A trip to Cambodia with this DWC volunteer team will offer great insight into local life and the unique landscape of Out Aput Village, in Siem Reap Province. This project will provide a safe home on the water for a family. There are many families in this region in desperate need of a safe place for their children to learn and grow. Their vulnerability was exacerbated by the pandemic, and significantly reduced fishing earnings due to lower-than-normal water levels.
Kompong Khleang has about 15,000 people scattered in 11 rural villages. The village of Out Aput has about 1200 residents. The poverty situation in the area is dire. Families eke out a living by working in the fields during harvest and planting seasons and fishing in the non-growing seasons. Some live along the riverbanks in wooden framed homes, while those without any land often live in small boats on the river. With the rise and fall of the Tonle Sap, many families are forced to relocate. There is no electricity or potable water system. Many children get to school by boat.
Our teams work in partnership with our in-country partner Bridge of Life School. DWC volunteers work alongside people who have grown up in the region, contribute to the local community, and see a side of Cambodia that most never see.
Having a home that offers better protection from inclement weather and has proper sanitation will increase the standing of the chosen family within the community, boost their self-esteem, and stands to secure a better future for the entire family.
You’ll do construction that builds a future for people who have little. You’ll work alongside like-minded volunteers who are also passionate about travel and giving others a hand up, not a hand out.
It's Not All WorkVisit the Temple of Angkor Wat
Temperatures are definitely warm, and humidity is low – it’s dry, dry, dry. This is a great time to be seeing and volunteering in the country, but it can be hot and dusty.
The team will be stationed in Siem Reap, the cultural mecca of Cambodia. This is a tourist city with a population of just over 140,000 people. The list of cultural activities is endless, including such standards as Angkor Wat, Banteay Srei, Bayon and the Phare Circus. The outlying countryside is loaded with several options for full-day or two-day excursions.
Trip Details
Each trip is coordinated by DWC with the help of a Team Leader, who has travelled with DWC previously, is First Aid Certified, and has completed a Criminal Record Check. Your Team Leader will liaise with DWC and ensure all your questions are answered. Your Team Leader will handle all team finances through the trip and travel with you to ensure the best possible travel and volunteer experience for their team! They also facilitate fun, cultural experiences where possible, ensuring group cohesion. See your Team Leader Biography here:
Terry-Lynn Stone
Terry-Lynn lives by the motto, “You cannot change the world—but you can help change someone’s world.” Whether it is volunteering with her local Rotary Club, traveling with DWC, or following her passion making and delivering menstrual kits to girls so they can go to school, Terry-Lynn delights in helping others. Any trip with DWC and Terry-Lynn will be one part work, one part passion and a huge helping of humour and fun! Why not join us in Cambodia as we don’t change the world, but do help change some people’s world—and as an added bonus, we will help keep several hundred girls in school by providing them menstrual kits.
Travel Light Offset Your Carbon Footprint
Carbon offsets are used to compensate for the greenhouse gasses that we create through certain activities, such as flying. For every tonne of carbon released into the atmosphere, an ‘offset’ is a carefully designed project that absorbs or stores the equivalent CO2 emissions. You can choose to offset your own flight, your whole family’s, or do this as a gift for a friend.
Offset Your Carbon Footprint
Joy
Volunteer Program Manager