Global Service Corps offers International Health volunteer programs and volunteer internship programs in Cambodia for both medical and health care professionals, non-professional students and lay (non-professional) volunteers.

GSC’s International Health Volunteer Program for Professionals in Cambodia

Professional physicians and nurses are welcomed by GSC assisting NGO partners as they attempt to address the dramatic health care needs of Cambodia, one of the poorest countries in the world. There is a great need for the assistance of international health care professionals since, unfortunately the Cambodian health care system is in nearly complete disarray and the public medical facilities are in terrible shape. Public servants, including doctors and teachers, earn $30-50 per month, so there are the inherent problems that doctors and teachers are poorly trained, do not show up for work, and often rely on corruption for their subsistence.

GSC’s Cambodian volunteer program in International Health teams up with selected local non-profit organizations and private health care facilities to provide essential local services and mitigate against this poor state of Cambodian public health. Staff of GSC partner organizations work long hours with minimum support--your presence and professional input as an international health volunteer in Cambodia will be greatly appreciated. Our partners have requested that our GSC Cambodia International Health volunteers participate for a minimum of four weeks, our minimum time requirement for participation on this GSC volunteer abroad program.

You will be hosted in your international health volunteer assignment by our Cambodia in-Country Coordinator who will provide you with a basic cultural orientation during your first days in country. You will tour the facilities where you will be serving on your second day and get settled in your local Cambodian accommodation either with our coordinator or a member of the staff of our NGO partner. You will begin your volunteer work the following day and have the opportunity to address health issues rarely seen in the developed world. The Cambodian children and adults you treat will be hugely grateful for your presence.

GSC’s International Health Volunteer Program for Non-Professionals in Cambodia

Because of the lack of public hospitals and clinics and the availability of few private or non-profit health facilities in Cambodia, volunteer opportunities for shadowing health care professionals at work in the field are at a minimum. These volunteering opportunities will be shared among the GSC non-professional international volunteers who enroll for a shadowing component as they become available. All participants in GSC’s Non Professional International Health volunteer program will have an opportunity to tour a number of government, private or non-profit health facilities in Phnom Penh and discuss the health care challenges in Cambodia with several local community health care professionals.

The main part of the program will entail teaching HIV/AIDS prevention education to Cambodia youth and especially orphans. GSC teams up with selected local non-profit and community development organizations and uses creative methods, such as music and dance, to empower the children of Cambodia to lead healthier lives free of HIV and drugs. The goal is to integrate HIV prevention/education and drug prevention in a fun, child-friendly approach.

Prior to departure, International Health program volunteers in Cambodia receive the GSC Cambodia HIV/AIDS Prevention Manual. The manual is full of tips for the classroom, including sample lesson plans and time tested games and activities. During the orientation week in Phnom Penh, Cambodia volunteers also receive cultural and technical training to prepare them to be effective trainers. Topics covered during the training include: Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS; teaching HIV prevention; counseling and testing; cultural issues; what to expect in the classroom; classroom management; lesson planning; and effective use of games and activities. GSC will prepare you with role-play materials, conversation practice outlines, and games and activities for use in the classroom. Previous teaching experience is not required - just a positive attitude and a willingness to approach challenges with patience and enthusiasm!

The Cambodia International Health Program for Non-Professionals provides an opportunity for pre-med, nursing and public health students, as well as other adults concerned about community development, HIV/AIDS prevention and the health of the Cambodian society to make a lasting contribution to Cambodian youth and adults. The minimum time commitment for this program is five weeks, allowing for five days of cultural and technical training and four weeks of volunteer work. For participants enrolling for a shadowing component, the commitment is six weeks or more, allowing for an additional one or more weeks of shadowing. Contact Cambodia@globalservicecorps.org for more information.

All participants in this program will be hosted by a welcoming Cambodian staff in local accommodations, a highlight of the program. Participation as a Cambodia International Health Volunteer will be a rich and rewarding experience not to be missed or soon forgotten.

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