Brendon Lim, Volunteer in Cambodia

Brendon Lim, 23 years old, Cambodia in 2010

Describe your volunteer work experience.

I taught English twice a day at the orphanage; one class in the morning and one in the afternoon.

Most nights I would stay back to watch them perform traditional dances for visitors of the orphanage; they performed three nights per week.

In my spare time during the day, I would just play games with them and sometimes ride with them to school.

What did you enjoy most about your Quest experience?

 The children that I met at the orphanage and the time I spent with them was definitely the most memorable aspect of my quest. Visiting the temples was also another highlight.

What was most challenging about your Quest experience?

The most challenging part was teaching English to children at the orphanage. Because there was such a variation in the degree of understanding from one student to the next, I found it difficult to equally cater for each individual student’s needs.

Tell us how you feel overall about your experience.

From the moment I first walked through the gates of the Orphanage, I knew that my two week volunteer experience would be one that I would always remember.

Being greeted by all the children was like a breath of fresh air. They had some of the warmest smiling faces I had ever seen. It was hard to imagine that children from such unfortunate backgrounds could be so full of spirit and laughter.

I enjoyed every minute of my visit from the teaching to the playing, dancing and just plain laughing.

Not only were the children extremely friendly, but the director and the staff were exceptionally welcoming and helpful.

Exploring Siem Reap by tuk tuk was most enlightening; from the night markets and restaurants, to the temples and floating villages. The hardest part of my two week experience was saying goodbye to the many friends I met along the way. I have no doubt that I will visit again in the near future.