Job Discussion Forums

demitrescou · Joined: 25 Apr 2007 Posts: 122

Dilemma:

Pay 850 pounds (British) for a long term NGO placement in Cambodia, or fly out there and try to get one free of charge.

I know Cambodia is full of NGO's but it's a bit daunting to just go and look for a suitable placement. Also, the placement service will find me a position relevant to what I'm looking for.

Anyone here have experience with this stuff?

Rooster_2006 · Joined: 24 Sep 2007 Posts: 984

Amen, what's with this "paying an extravagant fee just to be allowed to volunteer" bullcrap? I've probably seen the same site. Seems like a scam to me.

Tiger Beer · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Posts: 778 Location: Hong Kong

What kind of NGO work are you looking for? I remember visiting Cambodia years ago, and seeing all kinds of NGO work available with job postings in the newspapers.

Rooster_2006 · Joined: 24 Sep 2007 Posts: 984

I think it'd be ludicrous to pay someone just for the "privilege" to volunteer, unless the volunteering position is something really high and mighty like being an astronaut. You're not supposed to pay money to work. They're supposed to pay you, or if it's a poor country like Cambodia, money isn't supposed to change hands at all. I don't know who these fee-charging volunteer agencies think they are, but they aren't fooling me!

seaoflove · Joined: 14 Sep 2007 Posts: 11

I can't answer your question. I too think that these volunteer for a fee places are dodgey. it is likely that the fees are the priority and that many make work to collect the fees. But then many NGO's may also be dodgey.

My second hand experience is too just show up where you want to be. They can see you. You can see them. More iof an adventure but at least you are in the driver's seat.

But then some people like being a passenger. So it depends on you.

A passenger can just sit and stare out the window. A passenger doesn't have to talk. A passenger can fall asleep. mmmmmm