We are MaD – a Cambodian Charity/NGO working to make a difference for good in Siem Reap, Cambodia. MaD is registered as a charity in the USA (501c3), as an NGO in Cambodia, and we are registering as a charity in the UK.
Working in partnership with rural Cambodian communities, our aim is to empower individuals, families and villages with the knowledge and resources they need to build themselves a sustainable future free from poverty. Through our Rural Community Development and Children’s Welfare Programs, we offer Cambodian communities assistance in areas such as water, sanitation, housing, construction, sustainable agriculture, healthcare, childcare, orphan care and education.
MaD is a Cambodian charity/NGO – 100% non profit – set up to help the Cambodian people. If you are visiting Siem Reap, Cambodia and would like to learn more about our charity, or if you would like to learn more about volunteering or donating, then please do get in contact.
The day I arrived to play games and teach the children in their village, is one to remember. They asked me all the questions they knew in English on a continuous basis just to have a conversation with me. " how are you? " " how old are you?" " where do you come from?" " what's your name? ". Being Shy and unsure of people they met, they slowly started to open up to me when I started coming to see them more often.
December 2009 was a hard and disheartening month for MaD. After the situation with APSARA reached exploding point, we finally came to realisation that we would not be able to carry out much of the work that we had promised to do in Bakong: no drilling and installing water pumps, no building improved sanitation units, no constructing new houses or refurbishing old ones. We weren’t even allowed to construct a chicken coop! If relationships were to deteriorate further, it appeared that we would also run the very real risk of having work that we had already done for the people of Bakong destroyed. Needless to say, the whole team were feeling somewhat dismayed, especially as so many of our Khmer team are from Bakong Commune and were now told that we would have to move locations away from their family and friends all because APSARA wouldn’t let us help their own people. 
This was our first volunteering experience and we didn’t really know what to expect when we arrived in Siem Reap. However, on arrival at the MaD House we were really pleased to find we had lovely accommodation and great food and all set in a fantastic rural location.
The english program is one of the most unique programs that MaD has to offer. The experience is different for every person who comes to volunteer depending on their age, their background and what what community kids decide to show up for class. A new teacher can put their own creative spin on the class and guide the kids into different learning pools depending on their passions and the reactions of the students to different teaching styles and materials. So as I said, everyones experience is going to be different. My teaching has been full of trail and error and trying to use my creativity to keep the class interesting and fun for the kids who attend.
