I am still not sure how many people read this particular. I haven't received any comments, so it is a bit like having a experimental sample without any variance in the responses. Nonetheless, this seems like as good as venue as any to inform people on future plans.
As some people may have known, I came to Thailand with the intention to volunteer in some meaningful capacity for an extended period of time. I also was waiting to hear from a volunteer application for a program in India lasting 10-months.
To my surprise, it has been difficult getting in contact with NGOs in Thailand and even more difficult to find ones that need Western volunteers. I suppose I added a layer of difficulty by searching for volunteer positions not involving teaching English. Still, I was able to get in contact with a few places of interest.
However, my most promising opportunity turned out to be an application for an internship in Cambodia. An application that I submitted at midnight the day before I left for Thailand. After a bit over a month of time in Thailand, I signed a 9-month contact for the internship in Cambodia.
I will be working for Shinta Mani, a boutique hotel, and Hotel de la Paix, a luxury hotel, both of which are in Siem Reap, the city outside of the temples of Angkor. My title is "Director of Community-Based Activities." Both hotels have extensive community outreach programs which allow guest of the hotels to donate to communities in the area.
There are number of things about the community outreach programs that are quite amazing.
First, the programs in place have a certain amount of built-in sustainability to them. Digging water wells with the condition that families plant vegetable gardens; providing loans of pigs provided that the family repays with piglets in the next cycle; buying a bicycle for a family on the condition that a child uses it to get to school. I am sure that these conditions are not followed by everyone, but the fact that they are in place is encouraging.
Secondly, the projects are funded solely by donors. This is a positive and negative in ways, but it means that a water well only gets dug if a donor requests it. This means a high level of personability to each project, with donors having the opportunity to visit the family that they have donated to. It also means that projects don't get half completed or stopped because additional funding is needed.
Lastly, the community-based activities are run under the for-profit organization of the hotels. Again, this is probably a plus and minus. However, it means that the programs are attempting to meet the demands of its consumers. Consumers who demand more than just spas and package tours of temples, but want to see positive impact from their tourism.
Although I am sure there are flaws in the system, I believe that businesses hold in an important role in make their community a better place (and hopefully having a net positive impact). I am very excited to be able to work with this group, learn from them, and add to the effectiveness of the program.
(Also, as of today, I didn't get accepted to the 10-month program in India, which is fitting.)
4 comments:
Dear Sol, glad you took the position and look forward to hearing how it is going. Will you be coming home in November? Can I come in December? Look forward to your updates on the blog. Love Mom
Sol - this is awesome. Much luck in this endeavor. Keep writing. -Shelly
sounds like an interesting opportunity, Best of luck I sure you will do a great job. Please let us know when you get settled in. dad
Of course you can come and visit me. I have spent the last few nights staying in the hotel I work at, but tonight I will sleep at my own apartment (which is quite large).
I have my original return ticket from Bangkok for Nov 23 but I still need to buy a round-trip ticket back to Siem Reap.
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