Here is some information that may help you decide:

:: THE HOURS
Although the kids are at Gecko are up at the crack of dawn we don’t expect you to be there at that time, phew! The volunteers hours are primarily 8.45am - 3.30pm (Mon-Friday) which would include 1 hour of english co-teaching, 2 hours per day leading activities (LIbrary, Numbers and Logic, Performing Arts, Arts and Crafts and Me and My Planet). 1 hour spent on development/programming/researching (non kid time). There are opportunities or events that may fall outside these hours but this is the main time your efforts will be of the most benefit. As with everything, these hours may change as our programs develop.

:: THE CHILDREN
All of the Green Gecko children are ex-street kids who in their past have lacked order, discipline, and been abused. Most have had little or no parental care. Although they have improved in leaps and bounds it is important to keep in mind where they have come from and aware of the scars that they may be concealing, both physically and emotionally.

:: ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
There are many roles and responsibilities a volunteer can take on depending on their skills, experience and interests.

While an important focus at the centre is having fun (the others being health, learning, self-esteem building and security) there are many duties that can be not so ‘fun’. De-licing infested hair, cleaning up seeping wounds, waiting in a hospital for hours, holding a hand during teeth extractions, being exposed to contagious illnesses and seeing children that have been beaten badly by their parents are all common Green Gecko experiences.

Of course it’s not always like this; most of the time is spent playing, giving one-on-one attention, leading activities, hugging, combing clean hair, holding a skipping rope and assisting, teaching English class, working on training staff or developing programs.

:: INTERACTION WITH THE KIDS OUT OF HOURS
While there is so much fun and laughter to be had, there is also a very serious side to volunteering. It is SO EASY to form favourites (even though we know we shouldn't) and want to take a child or children somewhere special or buy them something as a treat out-of-hours. Besides creating jealousy and rivalry there is a worse consequence to consider. Unfortunately having positive experiences like this with you, can lead a child into a false sense of security and wanting to replicate the experience with another, only to find the next westerner they spend time alone with may not as well intentioned as you. Terrible things have happened as a result of this and for this reason we have the following rules for ALL volunteers/visitors to abide by. The children's long term safety and wellbeing are our highest priority. We are sure you understand our position.

* NO child is to be taken on a motorbike, tuk-tuk or car without making prior arrangements with the directors of Green Gecko.
* NO children are to be taken to your guesthouse or accommodation (under any circumstance). This is an offence and punishable by Cambodian law.
* NO socialising with the children outside the centre apart from a friendly hello (unless arranged by management).
* NO emails are to be sent to children except via the GGP email system, no one is to set up a personal email address for the children. 
* NO children are to be singled out with special attention or gifts.

:: PREPARATION IS THE KEY!
The more preparation you do beforehand, the better equipped you will be to ‘handle’ the kids before they ‘handle’ you. Please try and remember your childhood games or activities and bring them along to share. Keep in mind most will need to be adapted to overcome language and developmental barriers. The simpler the better! Interactive lessons and games involving props, drama and fun are especially good. Initiative is our most needed resource! Please come prepared to think on your feet and give it your all.

:: CARE AND INSURANCE
There is no such thing as public liability in Cambodia (well, not that we have found) so please have full travel and health insurance to protect yourself. This is certainly not a place where you would like to receive medical attention for serious illness or injury. Make sure your insurance has evacuation cover if ever the unmentionable happened. Understandably, the Green Gecko Project is not in a position to be responsible for personal loss or injury. While we trust the children wholeheartedly, please don’t risk carrying anything valuable unnecessarily to the centre … or for that matter when out and about at night. The dangers are no different to that of any main city. Walking home alone at night in dark areas is not recommended

:: SAFETY AND SECURITY
Your safety and wellbeing should be your first priority. You cannot take care of others if you don't take care of yourself first. There are some great travel sites that can give you a run down on the do's and don’ts of travelling to Cambodia, please check them out thoroughly before you come. Remember we cannot be responsible for you.

Needless to say, we take our children’s security and safety extremely seriously. All volunteers will be required to fill out a detailed application form as well as a signed photocopy of their passport. Background checks may also be required. We are sure everyone can understand our position on this.

:: CODE OF ETHIC
We follow the Early Childhood Australia's Code of Ethic for working with each other and with the children. Please go into their web site and read the Code of Ethics. www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au

:: CULTURAL AWARENESS
As a sign of respect to the Cambodian culture, we ask that all volunteers be appropriately dressed when visiting the centre, especially females. On arrival in Cambodia you will instantly notice that they are very modest people, even the men. The holistic approach we have taken at Green Gecko includes teaching the children cultural as well as English lessons, and all activities are wholesome and healthy. We try not to contradict this by what we wear in front of the children. In saying that, no one knows more than us how hot it gets here, especially when playing with children, so we don’t expect you to wear long sleeves (although it does protect you from the sun). For women and girls, t-shirts are best but singlets are OK if they are not strappy or low cut. If you do wear singlets, please keep a scarf in your bag to throw over your shoulders in case a monk visits the centre. Bare shoulders in front of a monk or in a pagoda are considered offensive. Also considered a no-no in Buddhist society is our ever-popular short t-shirts/singlets and low cut/hipster trousers or skirts that show your belly button or, even worse, your underwear! Short shorts or skirts are definitely frowned upon. The best outfit of course is to wear a green gecko t-shirt… simple and easy and the kids get a great kick out of it! Also, if you are visiting the temples, particularly as a Green Gecko representative, we ask you to please follow these guidelines to show your cultural awareness and respect.

:: ACCOMMODATION AND FACILITIES
All our volunteers come to Cambodia independently or through an Independent Volunteer Program. Each volunteer is completely responsible for themselves (as our hands are pretty full already :-) There are many budget guest houses available that are clean, neat and safe, some very close to town and our centre, a favourite is the www.thesiemreaphostel.com. They also offer great discounts for Gecko volunteers so be sure to let them know why you are in town! Siem Reap is a very touristy town with many westerners and western food shops etc so if you come alone, you need never feel alone.

:: CONTRIBUTIONS
While it is not by any means compulsory, many of our volunteers manage to do some fundraising before they arrive, and of course we greatly appreciate and always need financial contributions. Please feel free to use our website in any way you can to spread the news about the Green Gecko Project to friends and family who may wish to support your volunteering spirit without being able to join you in person. What you do with any money raised is completely up to you. It may be as simple as paying the centre's rent, or as detailed as actually developing a micro business for a family. We welcome project ideas, plans for how to execute them, and the funding to get them up and running, and we aim to get you as much involved as possible to make the most of your experience here. Ultimately, we hope you will return home inspired to continue your association with, and support for, the Green Gecko kids.

:: NOT JUST ABOUT THE KIDS
As mentioned earlier, although hanging out with the kids is one obvious way of volunteering, there are many other facets to running the Green Gecko Project that need developing. Accounting, brainstorming, program development, report writing, researching, social work training ... the list is endless. The idea is that you will bring skills or experience that you can share with the Cambodian Staff, so the benefit of having you here, lasts long after you have gone.

:: SO ! . .
If after reading all of this, you would still like to volunteer at our centre, it probably means you have got what it takes to handle the Green Gecko experience! If it sounds a tad too full-on or isn’t quite what you are looking for, there are MANY other wonderful NGOs (Non-Government Organisations) in Cambodia that need your support and time and as much as we do. If you are interested in learning more about them please go to www.globalteer.org. Otherwise, have a think about what you have read and what you can bring to Green Gecko, then email us at volunteer@greengeckoproject.org so can chat further.