Internship in Cambodia : Community Development

This internship project is a great opportunity to explore the many social issues that Cambodia still faces today. Cambodia is a developing country with a painful and strife-filled history. Presently, many local Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) have been organizing various community development projects in many areas of community development such as education, women's development, peace/justice, and children's rights/issues. All of these organizations aim to rectify the existing, socially-crippling situations in Cambodia - focusing on the reconstruction of the country and its communities. IFRE's internship program in Cambodia collaborates with many local NGOs to study and support their efforts of community development.

Skill/Qualification

There are no specific qualifications required of interns wishing to join IFRE's community development in Cambodia . However, interns need to have an interest in and be enthusiastic about community works and projects. Interns are expected to be flexible and patient.

Interns responsibilities:

IFRE works in conjunction with numerous NGOs in various areas which focus on community development. In effect, the nature of the job varies with the type of project. IFRE customizes projects based on the experience and interest of interns. For instance, a law student is able to study and help a community apply for their land rights; an English-writer with skills in development is able to gain experience in writing reports and proposals for fundraisers; an engineer can learn to develop a plan for infrastructure development/improvement. Furthermore, interns possessing skills in land-planning/distribution can offer their assistance in establishing land and fishery communities in the Pursat province. In summary, your duties depend on your skills, experiences, qualifications and current needs of the project at the time of participants. All interns are encouraged to be proactive and flexible.

Internship in Cambodia : Internship Project and Role of Supervisor

One of the most distinguished features of IFRE's internships in Cambodia is the guidance of supervisors. Whichever projects you choose, IFRE will assign a qualified supervisor to provide assistance for all interns throughout the duration of their chosen internship. Individuals filling the role of supervisor are usually either the director or chosen staff member of the project which interns choose. During your time as an international intern, you will be assigned a number of duties which volunteers also perform (in this sense, there are very few differences between IFRE's volunteers and interns). In the internship, you will select a particular area of your interest related to community development (development strategies, environmental policies, self-sustainability, etc.) and explore the issue further with the help of your assigned supervisor. Please note: the project supervisor DOES NOT develop internships as this is up to the intern to get as much or as little out of their projects. ALL participants should be proactive to ensure the ultimate success of their internships. Supervisors will provide at least five (5) hours each week to make certain that interns are adequately guided.

Room/Food

IFRE arranges room, meals, and supervision for interns for the entire duration of the program. Depending upon the location of the project, interns will either stay in a hostel or with a host family. The families are very friendly and hospitable and look forward to learning more about the intern's culture and country. Whether you live in a hostel or host family, IFRE manages clean but simple accommodations within a separate room (occasionally shared with other interns), shared bathroom with cold water and a fan. IFRE also manages 3 local meals a day. Usually, interns have breakfast in either a small restaurant, with host families, or at work. IFRE manages Cambodian food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Some interns have lunch at the orphanage. In the case of the intern having special eating requirements (e.g. as a vegetarian or vegan), we would recommend staying in a guest house, as meat is the basis of most Cambodian meals.

Cambodia Internship Program Fee & Dates:

Start Dates: IFRE's internships in Cambodia begin on the first and third Monday of each month.

IFRE is proud to offer the same services offered by our competitors but at a highly economical price (nearly 50-175% less!). Furthermore, we at IFRE do not make six-figure salaries. What we DO is work very and effectively to keep costs down for individuals seeking and international internship. We remain constantly devoted to maintaining both the quality of our programs and ensuring the safety of our international interns.

IFRE is a 501 (C) 3 organization, so your program fee will be tax deductible as provided by law.

IFRE application fee: US $349. The application fee covers advertising, program promotion, and office expenses (rent, utilities, and staff salaries).

Program fee covers airport pick-up, comprehensive insurance, room and food (3 local meals each day) for the entire project period, donation to project, Cambodia office expenses (rent, utilities, salaries, vehicle), communication and project coordination.

Additional Costs for Interns

International flights, visa extension, personal expenses on water/soft/entertainment ($1-3 per day), laundry, telephone, immunization costs.

Allocation of program fee