A little background information you should know about Cambodia
Embarrassingly, when I entered Cambodia I knew absolutely nothing of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. It was one of the largest and most recent genocides yet I had never even heard of it. Many countries have long histories of war and violence, however I believe it is relevant to better understand this one as it is still so raw, and still present on the faces of the people you may meet there. Understanding what occurred in Cambodia gives respect to the victims and their families, and also gives you a better understanding of why people should visit the country and support not just their animal population, but the human one too.
If you have never heard of this war, I would recommend finding a more in depth description to better understand what happened. See a very brief outline here…
The Khmer Rouge Army and the Pol Pot Regime
The Khmer Rouge were an army of Cambodian working class people led by communist leader Pol Pot, and in the four years they reigned they were responsible for one of the worst mass killings of the 20th century. They started by gradually increasing their control of the countryside and then on April 17, 1975, they took hold of the country’s capital city, Phnom Penh. In an overnight evacuation they emptied the cities population, as well as the surrounding cities and towns, by sending all seven million people to labour camps in the countryside where they endured constant physical abuse, starvation and disease. Pol Pot planned to transform Cambodia into a rural, classless society with the abolition of money, private property and religion; declaring the nation would start again at “Year Zero”. Any person considered to be middle class, educated or an intellectual of any kind, or to be of an ethnic or religious minority, would be tortured and killed. They also executed those no longer able to work, and those perceived to be in opposition of the party (regardless of whether or not this was true). The killing did not stop at men and women; with spaces of land designated for killing children and babies. Almost two million lives were lost, approximately 25% of the Cambodian population. Although these atrocities had been brought to the attention of Europe and the US, no aid was given nor was it well publicised in the media. It was only in 1979 when the Vietnamese army entered Cambodia that the Khmer Rouge army were overthrown.
Rebuilding the country was difficult as all existing infrastructure had been abolished and they received no foreign aid. For many years there were no doctors, teachers, engineers, scientists or other professionals, as they had all been executed. It was only in 2003 that initiatives were put in place to begin holding the guilty accountable, however by this time many of the top Khmer Rouge members had either fled the country or had died, including Pol Pot himself who had died of natural causes in 1998 with no charges against him.
I hope reading this encourages you to do some further research of your own. There is a lot of information out there and I urge you to delve deeper and tell others to do the same. Understanding and acknowledging what happened shows respect to the victims and their families, and is the first step towards learning from our mistakes.
Siam Reap, Cambodia
The first time I visited Cambodia I moved quickly from one city to the next, and from one tourist attraction to another. A typical backpacker, I didn’t have much time and hoped to one day return and do it ‘properly’. Some years later I found myself back there, in the city of Siam Reap where I managed to find some work in a hostel through a friend. The city is full of charm and grows on you quickly. Before long you will know the good local restaurants and hang outs, the bars and tourist traps to avoid and will be recognising the local dogs by name.
Working in the hostel was fun, but as usual I craved to spend more time with animals and less with humans, so I asked around and soon heard of a local veterinary clinic run by a western veterinarian who also does a lot of work with the street animals and local charity organisations. I made contact and soon found myself spending my free time volunteering at Siam Reap Veterinary Care.
Siam Reap Veterinary Care (SRVC)
Trish Johansen and her mission
I wouldn’t usually give so much background information on the origin and owner of a practice, however Trish built up this organisation from scratch and has single handedly devoted all of her time, money and energy into it ever since. So let’s give her some recognition shall we…
Originally from New Zealand, Trish had many years of experience as a veterinarian all around the world, including owning her own veterinary clinic in the UK. Always a keen traveller, she wrote an impressive memoir about backpacking through the Arctic for 3.5 months with her then toddler.
Having visited Cambodia on multiple occasions, Trish had seen that the country was fighting hard to heal and rebuild. She wanted to be a part of this and share her knowledge and skills to aid in improving the quality of life and welfare of both the animals and in turn the people. So in 2015 she moved over and opened Siam Reap Veterinary Clinic, a private practice to serve the local community and future home of the SE Asian Veterinary training centre.
The need for qualified veterinary care in Cambodia is great and Trish has developed her clinic with a keen passion and focus on trauma, emergency & reconstructive surgery.
The Clinic
The clinic provides preventative care, treatment, hospitalisation and surgeries. The week can vary greatly and there are no set cases you are likely to see, hence why the longer you visit the better! Regular neutering, consultations and emergency cases are not unusual, as well as going out with Trish to visit one of the many projects and organisations she is working with. If you have a specific project in mind you would like to be a part of, be sure to mention that in any application as I am sure Trish would do her best to, as much as possible, include this in your visit.
The clinic consists of reception and waiting area, one consulting room, one animal ward a room for minor surgeries and a theatre. They have autoclaving equipment, microscope and anaesthetic machine (gaseous). They do not currently have their own radiography facilities but that is next on Trish’s wish list! In the meantime she is able to use the facilities of a nearby medical office.
The Job description
As a veterinary nurse here, you will likely fill your days with assisting in consultations, giving nursing advice, providing preventative care, assisting with social media and answering online advice, monitoring anaesthetics for a variety of surgeries, wound management and care, transporting patients, maintaining the clinic and infection control, reception duties, placing IV catheters and giving IVFT, as well as whatever else comes along! The tasks and duties will be very similar to practice back home, but always remember you are working in a developing country and you have to be prepared to be flexible, understanding and versatile! It can be an adjustment when you are no longer surrounded by the latest equipment and the most ideal sterile conditions, but it is important to understand that these animals are still getting a much better standard of care than if this clinic was not there to help them.
The workload itself varies greatly, sometimes it is crazy busy and other times it can be quiet. Where possible Trish will arrange trips for you on the quite days with animal welfare groups such as Paw Patrol, Siem Reap Pagoda Cats and Apopo to ensure that you get the most out of your time in Siem Reap. Working days are 08:30am-5pm Tuesday – Saturdays, and 08:30am – 12:30pm Sundays. Sunday afternoons and Mondays the clinic will be closed and this time will be yours to rest and enjoy the wonderful surroundings (though you may occasionally be needed to help the on-call vet).
Clinic Location
The clinic is located approximately a 10 minute walk from small local shops and a couple of restaurants. The main city is just a 5 minute rickshaw ride away, or 10-15 minutes on a bicycle.
The historic Angkor Wat temples are just a short 30 minute ride away.
Volunteer Positions
Trish is always keen to have enthusiastic volunteers to bring new spirit and positivity to the clinic! She is very flexible when it comes to dates and lengths of stay, so the best thing is to contact her directly and enquire about possible visits. Trish is also open to more than one volunteer at one time, therefore if you wanted to volunteer with a friend this may be possible. The best thing is to contact Trish as soon as you are considering visiting and she is always very friendly and as accommodating as possible. The most important thing to her is that she has volunteers that are motivated, open minded, reliable and hard working.
Accommodation… Unfortunately the clinic does not run at a profit just yet and therefore SRVC is not able to offer accommodation in exchange for the volunteering work. This is a hope and a goal for the future and as soon as this is financially feasible, Trish will make it possible. Accommodation is generally quite cheap in Siam Reap, and if you are still interested in volunteering then Trish would be happy to make the arrangements at a guesthouse very close to the clinic. It is well maintained, comfortable and the best part, very cheap! En-suite double rooms with a fridge, sofa and a dining area, and with access to cooking facilities, for $150-170pm (air-con will be a little extra). It is a 5 minute walk from the clinic, however Sari (the wonderful clinic assistant/driver) is also happy to collect you and drop you off each day. The accommodation is directly next to a pharmacy and a 24 hour food cafe/wine bar so you will never be stranded! See pictures of the accommodation below:
Transport around… A bicycle will be available at the clinic for volunteers to use in their free time to visit nearby sights and the city. The roads are mostly wide dirt paths and I found it very peaceful cycling around the area. The only heavily trafficked place is right in the centre of Siam Reap, and I would usually just walk the bike through there to make it easier. Trish also has her own rickshaw and driver (Sari), and she is always happy to drop you off/pick you up whenever needed (when the transport isn’t needed elsewhere during the work day).
| Volunteer | Yes |
|---|---|
| Veterinary Nurse qualification required | Yes. Due to the level of responsibility and occasional sole charge duties, SRVC rely on their volunteers to be qualified. If you are almost qualified, but feel you would be comfortable in this role then get in touch anyway as volunteering may be possible if other qualified volunteers are also there |
| Minimum/maximum time | 1 week/no maximum |
| When you should visit | Anytime. The clinic is operating 365 days a year. Be sure to check the weather for ideal times of year to visit and bear in mind that December and January are the peak tourist season, therefore surrounding attractions will be busy! |
| Cost | No costs to volunteer |
| Accommodation | Not included. En-suite apartment rooms available a 5 minute walk from the clinic for approximately $150-170pm |
| Food | Not included. Access to cooking facilities available both in the clinic and in the accommodation nearby |
| Getting there | You just need to arrange to fly in to Siam Reap airport, or travel the city by land (ie by bus) and you will be collected from these ports |
| Transport around Siam Reap | Transport to and from the clinic each day is included as well as use of a bicycle |
| Extra perks | Opportunities to work with a range of organisations in the area. The experience of getting off the usual tourist track and working alongside local people and their families. Being a stones throw away from the historic Angkor Wat Temples |
| How to apply | Siam Reap Veterinary Care |
Paid employment Opportunities
Head Veterinarian
This paid position is offered with a 1 year contract. The wage may not resemble western positions but the perks are getting to dive head first into an amazing opportunity! You would have the chance to live and work in this vibrant city, be just a stones throw away from the incredible 12th century temples of Angkor Wat, and not to mention have the chance to play a vital role in building up the practice and developing relationships with the local people. It would be a great experience and would definitely set you up for any similar position in the future.
Contact the clinic if you are interested in applying for this position with any questions you may have.
Veterinary Nurse
There are sometimes possible paid positions for veterinary nurses at the clinic, depending on the length of time you can commit to. If you are looking for a long term position then the best option would be to contact Trish directly, inform her of this and probably arrange to begin with a voluntary role. This way you can see how the clinic runs and what life in Siam Reap is like, and from there you could discuss any possible employment positions. It is totally dependent of how busy the clinic is at the time but it is always worth enquiring about.
A nursing role in this clinic is exciting opportunity for anyone who is ready to take on a managerial role but still wishes to continue with the practical aspects of nursing. The job has a long and diverse list of responsibilities and would require a person who is hard working, trustworthy, enthusiastic, passionate and motivated. Every day is different and you will quickly realise you are entering in to a world of new experiences and challenges, you must therefore be adaptable and flexible. The job can be physically, emotionally and mentally demanding, however the reward is an experience you will never forget!
Other ways you can help….
- As with any animal charity, obtaining equipment and resources is always tricky and a huge drain on funds. SRVC is always grateful to receive any unwanted/out of date materials. Please contact Trish regarding what can be sent over and how to arrange this.
- All money that comes into the clinic is spent immediately on the cases that come through the door each day. It is almost impossible to manage to save money towards equipment that is desperately needed. Fundraising for the clinic is always a wonderful way to show your support and help in a huge way! Contact Trish to obtain information about fundraising pages/where you will be able to send the money raised to and then how it will then be spent.
- Spread the word! When you hear a fellow colleague mentioning they are considering working abroad with a charity, tell them about this organisation. The more people that know about these amazing opportunities the better!
Gypsy Vet Nurse 