Sustainability and Voluntourism

We spent the morning hearing from two staff members from Friends International (FI) at their incredible restaurant training center. Friends International serves marginalized children and their families, working to build partnership with all stake holders surroundings at-risk youth. In Siem Reap, there is a tendency to focus solely on children, ignoring that true change and growth that happens when the family is partnered with as a whole. Friends International operates around two main principles: reintegration and sustainability.



I have yet to hear much about societal strengths, which I hope we will learn more about in the coming days. Frequently discussed were the societal problems plaguing Cambodia, several of which were emphasized by FI:

--September is the only month you can return a child to a school, thus children who decide to continue their education often wait many months to do so, decreasing the chances of returning.

--School teachers make an average of $30 dollars a month, which isn't sustainable to feed their families. To gain a supplemental income, children are required to pay daily bribes to their teachers - most have to pay to come into the classroom, borrow pens, get pieces of paper, or to get their tests graded. Many students do not have the money, thus they are not able to regularly attend school.

--Alcoholism is rampant. Alcohol, specifically rice wine (35% proof) costs 5 cents a liter. At this price, it is more than affordable to drink alcohol than buy rice.

--Poverty tourism and "voluntourism" create space for the formation of many falsified non-profits. For example, many people start fake orphanages and collect children from local villages to live in run down buildings, attracting tourists to volunteer and donate money. The money goes directly into the crooks pockets instead of benefitting those in need.


Friends International engages in community based outreach. They have social workers who work in the surrounding impoverished communities doing games, reading books on various topics, teaching life skills etc to in order to get to know kids in need of case management services. Once there is engagement and assessment, the social workers make treatment plans for children in need, work with their families, and do follow up. When processing this model, I really resonate with the strong power and time needed for the engagement and assessment process.



In the United States, we are often pressured and pushed to engage in strict amounts of time. Friends International meets children and their families where they are, giving them the space and time to engage at their own pace. For FI, clients' personal paces of engagement aren't determined by state mandated billing or time limits, but by personal connections and activities that cater to different interests, needs, and backgrounds.



Friends International in Siem Reap also runs a transitional home, a school reintegration program, and vocational training. They also educate hotel workers, tuk tuk drivers, non-profit workers, and tourists about the effects of child exploitation through workshops, brochures, and community campaigns.



I find myself buzzing with thoughts about sustainability, family work, partnership, vulnerability, and social work practices.

It was truly meaningful to engage with such a well-run, prime example of what a local, community based organization can be.