Speed Building in Siem Reap

Can 15 people really build two houses in 4 days? You can if you've got an organized plan and friends in the neighborhood. 

I arrived in Siem Reap on Sunday and met up with the rest of the volunteer crew. We learned we'd be building houses for two young families under the supervision of the Volunteer Building Cambodia foremen. Our team started by tearing down the house one of the families was living in (the family on the right in the photo below). That only took 45 minutes and repeated shaking off the insects that were also living there and falling out as the walls and roof came down.

I spent most of the day painting my pants, shirt, hat, gloves and also some siding that will go on the house. There are only two VBC builders and the rest of the helpers are people in the neighborhood. Our favorites are a badass grandma and a man we have dubbed Paris Fashion Week because of his Coco Chanel bucket hat and sunglasses. After our crew leaves around noon, these people keep working to make sure we're on track for the 4 day schedule.

Day two started with a blessing before the ground breaking so that it would be a safe build for everyone. Too bad that didn't happen on day one when two of the volunteers had to go to the clinic - one for severe dehydration and the other to get 4 stitches in a cut on her arm. They are both okay now and it was an excellent scared straight way to remind us all to stay hydrated and be careful.

After the blessing, we raised the frame that was assembled while we were visiting the Hero Rats at APOPO. More on that coming up on Feel Good Friday. I spent the rest of the morning painting, varnishing shutters, and helping build scaffolding. It's all going very quickly and I can't wait to see what gone done after we left today.

We finished our day with a visit to the market and a cooking class where we made spring rolls, chicken amok and pumpkin custard inside pumpkins. All very delicious.

The photo dump is below. I'll add photos of me as I get them from other people. In the meantime, please enjoy the stylings of Paris Fashion Week. 

From Kings to Killing Fields

Before I get started, please know it's difficult to attach photos to this blog from my phone and trying to position them among the text nearly impossible so if you're here for the photos, they're all at the end of this post. And in reverse order of how I want them to show up (sigh). Now that I got that out of the way... 

It's been a busy two days in Phnom Penh. Starting with a visit to the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. Amazing architecture, emerald Buddhas, silver elephants and roaming cats. I'd love to tell you more about the history but I opted not to hire a guide and the map was not so informative. Gives me something to look up later. 

Afterwards, I used an app to order a $1 tuk tuk ride to Wat Phnom, a temple on a hill that houses four Buddhas found by Lady Penh and a colony of flying fox bats! I spent most of my time there watching, and listening to, the bats. They sound like birds and kind of look like them when they fly around. So cool. 

A short visit to the Central Market where I was too overwhelmed to buy any of the items on offer, clothes, jewelry, electronics, souvenirs, haircuts, fish, crabs, fruits and vegetables. The building is art deco style and there are 4 entrances. Much like parking your car, it helps to pay attention to which side you enter if you want to exit the same way. 

Next was a sunset cruise on the Tonle-Sap River. Lovely to get little history while enjoying the view and marveling at the traffic on the river. Tourist boats, fishing boats and car ferrys all vying for a spot on the water. I shared a table with a Finnish couple who plans to move to Phnom Penh in a few years. Then at dinner I met another couple from Australia and China who moved here and haven't looked back. You can rent a house for $100/month and you never have to shovel snow out of your driveway. Most exciting if you're coming from Finland. Time to start rethinking your retirement. 

Today, I went on a tour of the Killing Fields and Toul Sleng Genocide Museum. It was as grim as you imagine, maybe even more so. If you don't want details, skip to the photos. 

The area we went to is one of many killing fields in Cambodia where the Khmer Rouge executed people and left them in mass graves. Flooding in the area is causing the ground to sink and pieces of clothing and bones are surfacing as a result. There is a stupa on the site where the bones of almost 9,000 people are being kept. Our guide shared the story of his parents and their experience during that time. He also shared more gruesome details about the site which I will spare you. It's hard but important to witness. 

Then we went to the museum. A former high school where the Khmer Rouge took people to interrogate, torture and kill. Walking through the buildings there are room after room with hundreds of photos of people that were taken when they arrived. Of the 20,000 people sent there, only 12 survived - 4 of whom were there answering questions and selling books they wrote about the experience.

After all of that, what can you do to lift your spirits? Go to Walk Street - a temporary pedestrian only zone that stretches over a mile along the riverfront. Grilled meat and seafood, matcha soft-serve ice cream, vendors, performers and hundreds of people walking, eating and hanging out. I walked all the way to the night market where I ordered "friend" noodles with pork (that's what the menu said) and got a huge, delicious portion for only $2.50. There are mats all over the ground for people to sit and eat their food. It was a wonderful way to see the resilience of the Cambodian people all while soaking up some culture and getting my steps in. 

Feel Good Friday - Volunteer Building Cambodia

With my volunteer trip to Cambodia coming up and 2026 being the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development, I'm excited to spotlight Volunteer Building Cambodia this week.

Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Siem Reap, Cambodia, Volunteer Building Cambodia (VBC) aims to improve the living conditions of families in need in rural areas by providing them with wells, toilets, and safe, dry housing. You can find details about this work and their partnership with the JJoy Foundation in my post from December. Today I want to highlight VBC's education programs.

In rural Cambodia, inadequate education and lack of skills mean many people remain jobless or struggle with unskilled labor, resulting in limited opportunities for families to break the cycle of poverty. VBC established the Volunteer Building Cambodia Community Centre (VBCCC) in 2017 to provide a crucial step on that ladder out of poverty.

Located about 25 kilometers outside Siem Reap in Bakong village, VBCCC teaches English language and computer skills to children and teenagers who have limited or no access to these classes at their own schools. These programs complement the local Khmer curriculum and open doors for young people looking for job opportunities as well as students planning to attend universities that use English language textbooks and require digital literacy. Through their English classes, VBCCC also provides education on hygiene and sanitation, the environment, and other important subjects.

VBCCC has had a big impact in the community. With only four full-time teachers, the school serves around 200 students every day and more than 50% of them are girls! In addition, VBC has plans to create a vocational training facility starting with basic building skills to help adults in surrounding villages gain greater opportunities to find work and better provide for their families.

If you'd like to support Volunteer Building Cambodia, there are many ways to do so. You can make a donation, join a volunteer trip to build homes or teach at the Community Centre, and amplify their message on social media. Follow VBC on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn and share their stories of hope and opportunity with your network. I'll be sharing photos and stories from my trip on my Hey Miss K blog so stay tuned!