Volunteers go to Kratie Province, Cambodia

CWF volunteers learn about the biodigestor

Every semester, the Conversations with Foreigners (CWF) volunteers visit the Cambodian Rural Development Team's (CRDT) headquarters in Kratie Town, Cambodia. From Kratie, they travel by boat to the island village of Koh Pdao to see the projects that CWF helps to fund. The four-day trip includes an orientation to CRDT and an overnight stay in the village to meet local people who benefit from the projects put in place by CRDT.

CRDT was established in 2001 by four Cambodian university students who believed in sustainable and environmentally-conscious ways of improving the lives of rural Cambodians. Now a successful NGO, CRDT has helped over 3,000 families in Northeastern Cambodia. One of the most innovative projects that CRDT helps villagers install are biodigestors--large concrete containers in which animal and human feces are stored. Inside the biodigestor, manure emits methane gas that can be piped into the house for cooking and fueling lights. CRDT's other projects include chicken houses, fish ponds, and eco-tourism opportunities.

One of the greatest challenges for CRDT is finding consistent funding. The Conversations with Foreigners school was created to raise money for the projects. Students pay $40 per 10 week session to study with a foreign volunteer teacher. After the base costs of payroll and school maintenance are fulfilled, all remaining profit is given directly to CRDT. The students who pay tuition to CWF are typically from provincial areas, and the incentive to support their own communities influences many students' decisions to study with CWF.

As a volunteer with CWF and a visitor to CRDT's projects on Koh Pdao, I can see the power of even a small contribution. Every dollar that comes into this organization does something to better the living conditions of rural Cambodians.

For more information about CRDT follow this link: http://www.crdt.org.kh/
To read more about CWF school's contribution to CRDT, follow this link: http://infocwf.blogspot.com/