Sally (Advisor, 2008)

I have been the Communications Advisor to the Volunteer Coordinator at CWF for one year. Being a volunteer at Conversations With Foreigners has been a truly enriching experience. The support I received from the staff, students and other volunteer was amazing. I developed life-long friends that I will always keep them in my heart. The dedication to the school is exceptional, especially from the Volunteer Coordinator, Sopheap. She is a lovely person and I will miss her and the rest of the staff a lot. The program for the volunteers is professional and exiting. It is accessible to everyone and an extremely enjoyable experience. I would highly recommend anyone who has wanted to volunteer to come to CWF. Its fun, a great learning experience, and you will make great friends too!

Chris (Group 7)

Volunteering with CWF has been a great experience. The students are fun to teach and very willing to learn. The style the school encourages is informal with an emphasis on students and staff enjoying themselves.

The support from the staff is excellent. We all felt that we were made extremely welcome and very well looked after while we were here.

I can’t recommend the whole thing highly enough. Phnom Penh is a good place to live, there is always something happening, and the Cambodian people are great people to get to know.

Come and do it! You may learn something about yourself as well as others and you might just have fun too!

Lil (Group 7)

CWF has been so supportive during the entire process of organizing my trip to Cambodia, settling in and learning how to teach a room full of students. It was my first time overseas and CWF ensured my safety and happiness. I would not hesitate to recommend this program, especially to people traveling for the first time.

Hannah (Group 7)

I’ve loved my time in Cambodia and teaching at CWF. I’ve had so much fun getting to know the other volunteers and staff at the school. There is always someone who is more than willing to help with any problems you might have. Teaching has also been an amazing experience, I’ve never taught before but despite being terrified at first, I loved it! The students are all so lovely and really curious about western culture. Phnom Penh is an awesome place to live, I don’t want to leave!

Tom (Group 7)

During my three months in Cambodia I have fallen in love with the place. The attitude of not only the students, but also the staff at CWF is second to none. These factors combined with the beauty of Cambodia and the outlook of it’s people have made this such a valuable experience for me and one which I will never forget. It’s amazing how three months volunteering in a project such as this can change how you see the world and can put your life in perspective. It’s made me realize what’s really important in life and for that I will be eternally grateful. Good luck to everybody involved! You deserve it!

Kate (Group 7)

The cheerful staff at CWF will do anything to support the volunteers – from the moment we were met at the airport by an excited and happy smiling face! This has been much appreciated, and has made my time here interesting, challenging and rewarding. The informal atmosphere made teaching less daunting. I will certainly miss my bright, eager students who are so happy to learn; I have learnt from them in return, by answering their questions and explaining the peculiarities of the English language. I have been privileged to have had this time in Cambodia – a great experience!

Jess (Group 7)

Working at CWF has been great. You couldn’t wish for more friendly and supportive staff, the students are keen and friendly and the teaching has been rewarding and fun- even with no previous experience.

I have also been lucky enough to meet a great group of people, whilst living in the volunteer house.

Cambodia is an amazing place. I hope to return one day!

Ally (Group 7)

Teaching at CWF has been a great and rewarding experience. The staff always have a smile and are always there to support you. I have loved living in the volunteer house and couldn’t ask for a nicer bunch of people to share with.

I’ve really enjoyed my three months teaching and will certainly miss my bright & smiley students.

Amy ( Group 8)

CWF is a well organised school run by committed individuals who are passionate about bettering the lives of others. The experience was fun, yet challenging, immensely satisfying and very worthwhile. Amy Kirkpatrick is 25 years old Sydney, Australia.

Jane (Group 8)

I looked forward to coming to Cambodia as a volunteer English teacher, and the experience has lived up to my expectations. I had taught before, and have learnt many new activities and ideas which I have been able to try out on my students. The students are a pleasure to teach and eager to learn. CWF is well organized and a good place to work at.

Chris ( Group 8)

CWF was a very rewarding experience for me. I highly recommended that you should give it a go.

Abbey (Group 8)

Before coming to Cambodia I had no teaching experience, but I found working at CWF was extremely rewarding and enjoyable. The staff and students were so supportive and great fun. I loved every moment of it!

Teresa (Group 8)

I had a great time with the students at CWF. It was definitely an enriching experience for me in Cambodia! I would recommend this to anyone who wants to make a difference in Cambodia!

Joseph ( Group 8)

CWF is a great respectable organization.  Volunteering with CWF has been a rewarding experience, and this is also my first time in a developing country. I would recommend this for others who are first time volunteers as well. CWF has provided a safe environment, and Phnom Penh is a city that can meet the needs of any traveler.

Greg ( Group 8)

My experience at CWF far exceeded my expectations. I am really glad that I found CWF, and I am very proud to have been a part of it.

Margaret ( Group 12 )

Volunteering with CWF has been a really rewarding experience and a lot of fun. The support network provided by staff and past-volunteers is invaluable; students are super-respectful, welcoming and eager to learn; and the volunteer house accommodation is comfortable and well-located.
Relax, enjoy and be prepared to become part of the CWF family.

Karin ( Group 9)

The best thing about volunteering with CWF school is the very healthy work/play balance: you spend some time teaching eager, switched-on students, you spend just as much time learning about yourself and about Cambodia from those some students, and then you still have time to be a tourist and see the sights! It’s a no-brainer. Come to Cambodia.

Elizabeth ( Group 9)

The students and staff at CWF are truly incredible and offer unique insight into Cambodian culture.

So-Ra ( Group 9)

The teaching is quite an experience but the best thing about the program is you are in charge. Travel, partying, preparation YOU DECIDE!

Ian ( Group 9)

One of my longest wishes in life has been to be able to teach in a developing country and
hopefully give the students an opportunity to improve their working and living conditions.
CWF has made this possible for me.
I have been in Cambodia for three months, I enjoyed the country and found the experience of
teaching eagre students across all ages very rewarding. I am staying on at CWF for the next
semester and will also look at other opportunities to assist the good natured people of
Cambodia.

The staff at CWF made the transition of working in a highly developed country to a
developing country very easy and did everything possible to make my time in the country
an enjoyable experience.

Jimalee ( Group 19 )

Volunteering at CWF is one of the best things I’ve ever done, and now that I’ve done it, I can’t imagine not having this experience in my life. The students are ideal—they are polite, hardworking, and earnest about their English studies, and teaching them is a great introduction to Cambodian culture. You can learn so much more about Cambodia from being a volunteer teacher than from being on a tour bus. In addition, the staff members are great to work for. They are friendly, supportive, and sincere about making sure that school runs well and that the volunteers have a good experience at CWF. You really couldn’t ask for a more pleasant work environment. You can feel good, too, that the money you raised by school goes to help development projects in rural areas to help them improve their quality of life. I’ve enjoyed my experience at CWF so much that three months doesn’t seem like enough.

Josephine ( Group 19 )

I will never forget the many experiences I had with CWF. The staff are totally incredible and you can totally immerse yourself in Cambodian culture whilst teaching English, it's an invaluable exchange! I met so many amazing people and had so many great opportunities things during my three months and feel so humbled to have been apart of such an inspirational organisation. I can't wait to visit again.

Fiona ( Group 14 )

“Firstly a bit about myself. My name is Fiona Whyte and I am a former Banker from NZ. "

When I discovered the CWF program on the net , I was thrilled. It was perfect for me. I had no previous teaching experience and I really wanted to be able to live in Phnom Penh for a few months. I immediately applied and was accepted. My interest in Cambodia commenced with sponsoring children through World Vision. It was through World Vision that I had my first trip to Cambodia in Nov 2008. After that I did want to come back for a while. I’d also been introduced to a NZ based charity – The Cambodia Charitable Trust. I wanted to be on the ground in Cambodia to be able to do some work for the trust. We had products to develop for the NZ Market. I was also interested in Microfinance. Hence the reason I wanted to spend a few months living in Phnom Penh.

As far as the teaching goes: I whole heartedly enjoyed the experience. It took a couple of weeks to get into the swing of it, learning about the program, the students and what we were going to cover in the classes. It was wonderful to get to know the students. After a little while you find there are a  core of students who come most days. This gives you the ability to tailor your classes to their needs and interests. I was able to bring my laptop into the media room, to teach them about the internet and how to search for some information that would be helpful for their further studies. Some of my students didn’t have email addresses and I encouraged them to get online and we could start communicating. Which we still do.

The staff at CWF are committed to the work that they are doing. They are having an amazing impact on the future generation of Cambodia and can be incredibly proud of what they are achieving.

Overall the journey was incredibly rewarding and I am very thankful to have been able to be part of this wonderful organisation. I have recommended this program to other friends already and have one lady coming from the US in August 10.

Parting thought: What kind of footprint will you leave through your lifetime? By being involved in CWF you have the chance to make an incredible difference in people’s lives, if you choose to.

Thomas ( Group 14)

CWF is all about change. The volunteers and staff are working hard with limited resources to make a difference in the lives of young and mature Cambodian students. As volunteer I was personally rewarded with learning so much  about Khmer culture of sharing and caring for one another. Their love of life and constant laughter made no longer think about myself.

Harriet McChesney

I had an awesome time working as a volunteer at CWF. The staff were so helpful and the students were so great fun. I made fantastic friends and I will never forget my time here.

Brooke Hallam ( Group 12 )

Wow what an amazing experience. CWF is a fantastic concept and a wonderful opportunity to experience the Phnom Penh lifestyle. Fantastic students, amazing staff and a brilliant way to spend 3 months.

Jennifer McKie ( group 12 )

3 months in Cambodia has been an unforgettable experience. CWF gives you a unique opportunity to experience life, Phnom Penh style from spicy food to the colorful personalities of the Cambodian people. There is something for everyone.

Laura ( Group 10)

My time spent with CWF in Phnom Penh has been a life changing one. It has opened my eyes to many things, whilst giving me the opportunity to experience so many amazing opportunities. I have made some wonderful friends that I will miss greatly once I am back home. I can honestly say the support you receive both prior to and during the program is second to none.

Brad ( Group 10)

Volunteering at CWF is a great experience which you won’t regret. The challenge of teaching in a new environment, new culture and a new country is personally enhancing. You have a unique opportunity to help build valuable skills into someone’s life and in doing so you are also helping make a real difference in rural development because CWF exists to financially support at local rural NGO. This opportunity really makes a difference in some many people’s lives. It is truly wonderful.

Manuel ( Group 10)

My volunteering at CWF is a truly wonderful experience. You’re enriching your own horizon with living in such an interesting country and add an important possibility for young people to have a better life in their future through my work at CWF, I can enhance their education and language skills, but also get an unplayable in view into their culture and traditional. The most motivating issue to volunteer for CWF was, that they’re entirely Khmer organized and know very well how to run their organization in a way that the money they raise is invested in the best way, to an organization call CRDT which directly helps people in the poorest areas of Cambodia. Even though we’re just a little part, we’re still making a change.

Barbara ( Group 10)

CWF is like a family – and the volunteers are a welcome part. Everyone has a service orientation and transparency and team work are part of daily interaction. At age 62, I feel like I have a 27 years old father (Sambo- Operation Manager) and a 26 years old mother (Pheap- Volunteer Coordinator). They take care of us. Your only challenge may be your fellow volunteers, with 11 in the house together. Come equipped with patience and good will to spread- and you‘ll love the experience.

Alanna ( Group 10)

Phnom Penh is a great city and easy to get around. It’s very safe and there‘s everything you need from home like western doctors and pharmacies to Spanish and English Pub restaurants and vegemite and brie cheese at the supermarket.

Lulu ( Group 10 & Group 11)

Hi, and welcome to CWF, A Confident, Wonderful, Family. If you are thinking of applying for this please go ahead and apply. It is a nice and wonderful and it’s fun. You can never go wrong about coming to Cambodia. I mean it Cambodia, a Kingdom of Wonders. So have fun filling that form and see you when you get here.

Carrie ( Group 14 )

It was the best experience ever! I was apprehensive of teaching at first and lacked confidence that I would be able to do the entire 3 months, but the staff at CWF and the willingness of the students to learn made me appreciate the work that I was doing and gave me the confidence to want to make each lesson as fruitful for them as it was for me. The Cambodians are beautiful people, I have forged relationships here that will remain with me for the rest of my life. They have shown me humility, kindness and welcomed us with open hearts. I have found my 2nd family and home here. Three months passed in a blink of an eye and I'm still missing every moment of it.  Thank you CWF for giving me this wonderful opportunity to see the beauty of the Cambodian people

Carrie ( Group 11 )

Teaching at CWF has been a great experience.  I can’t believe I was so nervous before I came here.  Once I started teaching I realized there was nothing to be nervous about.  The classes are fun to teach and the staff is very supportive. They are always there if you need them.  Living at the house is convenient and a good way to learn from other volunteers.  Plus, Sreypao’s cooking is awesome.