Background

We've worked in Cambodia since 1991, strengthening inclusive education systems and supporting people to develop secure and resilient livelihoods.

Since 2017, over 1 million children in rural schools have benefited from improved planning and management systems.

8,080 farmer households are now benefiting from increase yields and improved access to markets.

Since 2018, we've trained 750 farmers to improve their yields through adopting the Sustainable Rice Platform growing standards.

Inclusive education

In partnership with the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, we work to increase the capacity of teachers, school managers and other stakeholders in the education system, supporting them to develop and deliver high-quality, result-based and inclusive education plans. Our volunteer advisers provide expert coaching and training on child-centred teaching methods, alongside practical on-the-job support and mentoring – in total benefiting over 1 million children in rural schools since 2017.

This capacity-building approach has proved to be so successful that research conducted by the Royal University of Phnom Penh found that our Basic English Language project – which increases the ability of practitioners to teach English - was as effective for students as private tuition.

Resilient livelihoods

Supported by the FCDO and corporate partner Accenture, our Improving Market Access for the Poor (IMA4P) project in Battambang works to empower agricultural collectives and smallholder farmers – including women and young people – to develop a greater and more secure source of income. We train farmers and support them to adopt new, more productive growing techniques as part of the UNEP’s Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) – a global initiative which promotes more sustainable agricultural practices and a fairer economic model for rice growers.

So far, we’ve supported over 3,000 farmers to adopt these techniques which, combined with training and business skills development, lead to more secure and profitable contracts with major buyers.

Value

Collaboration

• - Empower poor and marginalised people to take charge of their own development.
• - Share skills and knowledge to create long lasting, sustainable change.
• - Build collaborative partnerships that promote innovation, growth and impact.

Inclusion

• - Stand beside and advocate for those who have been denied choice and opportunity.
• - Promote diversity and equality throughout our work.
• - Encourage different, inquisitive perspectives.

Knowledge

• - Lead volunteering for development, setting the standard for ourselves and others.
• - Use evidence and insight to guide our actions.
• - Recruit the right people and work where we have the greatest impact.

Integrity

• - Commit to safeguarding and take a zero-tolerance approach to abuse and harm.
• - Treat others with respect, as equals.
• - Be open, transparent and accountable in everything we do.

Mission

Our mission is to bring people together to build the capacity of government and civil society and to enable poor communities to influence pro-poor policies and access quality basic services.

Vision

Our purpose is to create lasting change through volunteering.

We bring about change not by sending aid, but by working through volunteers and partners to empower people living in the some of the world’s poorest and most overlooked regions.

Goal

Our strategy, People First, sets out how we will create lasting change by:

• - extending and deepening our impact through our programmes,
• - mobilising global citizens to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
• - positioning volunteering as a powerful tool to contribute to delivery of the SDGs.