Places to volunteer Cambodia

[Looking for projects]

I am trying to book us a short holiday before Christmas and am thinking it would be nice to go to Cambodia and help with some projects if possible. I have heard of people going there and helping to build houses etc. I would like to find something we can all do as a family. Obviously I know my children (aged 5 and 6) would not be able to help build houses but they could play with the children there while we worked. Does anyone know of any organisations I could look at. I have googled but not found anything suitable for the whole family. Thank you

[try asking]

Some churches organise regular trips for their members to visit Cambodia, Vietnam and so forth to help out. Try them - they may have suggestions.

[Very simple idea]

At such a young age I might keep it very simple and just bring a lot of pencils, pens, crayons, rulers, pencil sharpeners, lots and lots of notebooks, etc. You can shop for these things with your kids and then if you go on a village tour, you can give these things out to the children there. I might choose to actually do the giving myself, to avoid confusion between the young children who are giving and receiving, but your kids would be there to share the experience. It is a very simple lesson to teach them that what they take for granted can be so valued by others. Also what makes this kind of gift so important - learning how to write!  

[tin roof]

There's an organisation called Caring for Cambodia - you could try them.

Some of my friends went on a house-building thing with a charity and asked if I wanted to go but to be honest I couldn't afford it!  It seemed more geared up to those coming from outside Asia who wanted a bit of a holiday too because it was very expensive and the hotel they used was quite fancy.  They also didn't house-build for long - just a few days and the rest was spent going to Angkor and places like that.  It'd be good if there was something like that but on a cheaper budget where you could stay somewhere more basic, house-build for a week or so and then just fly straight back here again.  If anyone knows of a charity who are aimed more at the house-building side rather than having a sightseeing holiday, I'd be interested in hearing about them.