In an effort to teach the members of the local community English and subjects such as Art, Sports, and Social/Training Skills, the Hope Agency was founded by Jason Han in 2010 and approved by the Royal Government of Cambodia that same year.
This training would allow many students to pursue dreams and careers they had never thought possible prior to the agency's founding.Located on two hectares of land in Bakod village, Takeo province, the Hope Agency was initially an open-air classroom built to accommodate up to 150 pupils.
However, over a period of time, the number of students drastically increased and additional facilities were desperately needed. This prompted the founder of Hope Agency, Jason Han, to dip into his own pockets for funding and this made the two new buildings a reality. With additional facilities and additional students, there was clearly a need for additional hands with whom to share the ever-increasing workload. Therefore, John Mojsa was brought into the picture in 2015 as a Director and his marketing skills were utilised to attract the much-needed volunteers independently.
After seven years, Hope Agency now features seven classrooms at the original campus and three more classrooms at a second location. There, students are taught the the English Language which will help them to traverse the Camdodian work world and the English dominated work world at large. Attending this institution does not disrupt their formal education at Khmer public schools as students still attend classes in the morning. During this time, volunteers at the Hope Agency prepare for the evening English classes, visit local orphanages, help the Foodbank project and so much more.
When it is class time, the students are split into groups of 5 to 30 children based on their age and ability and are led by an individual or a group of volunteers. These classes are usually an hour long and after one batch sets off for home, another class files in to begin their lessons. After classes, many of these students stick around to socialise with their peers, play games on the slides and swings in the large outdoor space and even approach volunteers for one to one English lessons.
Volunteering
Change your life forever and help children in Cambodia. During your stay with us we will ensure that not only do the change the lives of the young people you will be working with but that you also experience life changing moments. You can expect to see parts of Cambodia that are not normally accessible to tourists and a schedule that ensures that you get to both work hard and explore this beautiful country.
When I volunteered at Hope I came with no expectations. I read some reviews but found it hard to form a picture of what it would be like and to be honest you shouldn’t try and imagine too hard as the experience is different for everyone. The volunteering aspect was amazing. I had the pleasure of teaching a class each day and I had 2 one on one sessions with very competent and eager to learn girls. They valued the time I offered them and I really enjoyed teaching them. There are plenty resources to help you in your sessions and staff are more than happy to help.
The location is in the middle of nowhere, a taxi will bring you from the airport if you pre book with Jason. And tuk tuks take you into town in the morning for shopping.
Breakfast and dinner is included in your ‘rent’ you pay weekly directly to the school but you need to get lunch yourself.
The showers are basic, cold but refreshing! And the bed is what you would expect, not exactly comfortable but you get used to it after a day or two. I would recommend you bring a sleeping mat or something with a cushion in it to aid your sleep.
It is a great environment to volunteer in.
This was a great experience getting to really be involved in a project in rural Cambodia away from the luxuries we have at home. We were involved in teaching at the school as well as projects at the orphanage. Free time was spent with fellow volunteers and it was nice to meet so many amazing people!
Spent 1 month at the Hope agency school last year, loved every minute of it. The kids are brillent and appreciate anything you do for them. There was also time to have fun with other volunteers and bond on the weekend trips. Would really like to return sometime and stay for a bit longer.
Volunteering in Cambodia with Hope Agency was probably the best decision of my life. The local people are so friendly and always with a smile on their face. The kids were absolutely amazing, they have interest in everything, teaching them and spend my time with them was a real privilege. The volunteer community is really great, every single volunteer was helpful and open-minded. The whole thing was just so much fun. However I have learned very important things about different cultures, the world, and most important, about myself. I went there to teach but I was the one who learned from the kids and local people.
I spent the most amazing time of my life in Cambodia, Bakod village and looking forward to return one day. The only thing I regret that I couldn't stay longer.
If you are not sure whether you should go just take a deep breath and do it. I highly recommend it to everyone.
I worked with Hope Agency back in 2013 when I was 23. I had done a lot of volunteering in my years but had never been to south east Asia and had never worked on a project so inspiring.
Jason had set up a place that really mattered. He wanted the children of future generations to have a better opportunity than he had had in Cambodia and so took to action to make a difference. Back in 2013 the facilities were a little different then they are now: we slept on the floor, we used buckets of rain water to flush the toilet and to wash ourselves. We really didn't care though - the team and the children and the general atmosphere made it more than worth it. While we were out there, the volunteers helped get Hope set up with a UK charity number which I think has made an awesome difference to the organisation.
Having followed Hope's progression online via Facebook etc. I know Hope has continued to grow and has amazing facilities now and can provide volunteers with great comfort while they do great work. They've even managed to build new classrooms to better support the education they can offer those locally.
The kids really wanted to learn and made teaching an absolute pleasure! I LOVED my time at Hope and remember it fondly. I also remember the meals very fondly - staff dinners in the evening were always delicious and an absolute feast as we all laughed and talked round the table. Volunteering with HOPE is by far one of the best things I have ever done and I would genuinely recommend it to anyone.
