'Volunteering' at Cambodia Elephant Sanctuary

After an enjoyable few days (more for me than Bro who spent most of the time feeling pretty jip) in Siem Reap, we started our next volunteer project – volunteering for the Cambodia Elephant Sanctuary. This is a new experience altogether as we’ve tried to avoid ‘voluntourism’ projects as our impression of these is that you pay a lot of money for what is ultimately an enjoyable tourist experience, rather than actually being of genuine value, and this on the surface, looked distinctly like it might be one such thing (Borneo is rife with uber-expensive 'volunteer' projects that seem to consist mainly of a spot of token poop-cleaning and a lot of warm-fuzzy orangutan watching, so sorry for being a little sceptical). This project wasn’t too expensive (we couldn’t afford to go if it was), but it still costs more than anything else we’ve done, but in the absence of finding anything more suitable we signed up for a week, on the understanding that we’d stay longer if we thought it was worthwhile.  

So after a week here, what’s our verdict? Hmmm, tricky one. The project itself is awesome. The Cambodian branch in which we are working is actually part of a larger organisation known as Elephant Nature Park. This is based in Chang Mai in Thailand, and has a number of satellite sanctuaries dotted around Thailand, and this one in Cambodia. If you haven’t heard about them this is an organisation who are making incredible waves in the Thai elephant tourism industry which is renowned for the mistreatment of elephants. The ENP are trying to raise awareness and raise standards in elephant working conditions throughout Thailand, by working with local mahouts (elephant handlers), discouraging the use of the bullhook (a nasty device used to control elephants by spiking them in sensitive areas for example the eyes and ears and mouth), working with the Thai Government, and discouraging the ever-popular elephant rides which are a huge industry in Thailand.

Some gorgeous butterflies spotted outside our hut

The ENP (http://elephantnaturepark.org/) have currently rescued approximately 64 elephants from across Thailand, most of whom have been treated extremely badly throughout their lives, and they provide a safe environment for these elephants to see out their days. 

The company is run by its founder, a very impressive Thai woman called Sangduen “Lek” Chailert who is building a worldwide reputation for the incredible work she is doing. After only being here a week, we have heard so many examples of the wonderful work she has been doing to help not just these elephants, but she has also rescued dogs, macaques, geese and a very cute gibbon (more on him later!)! And perhaps just as importantly, she is doing wonderful work with the communities surrounding her sanctuaries. She has wisely realised that for her sanctuaries to be successful she needs the support of the local communities, and recognises the value in their expertise. She seems to care deeply for their welfare, and today we heard how yesterday she paid for one of her worker’s wives to be taken across the border to a hospital in Thailand to be treated for a tumour in her mouth, when the hospital in Siem Reap said they couldn’t help her. She also recently donated mattresses to that same hospital in Siem Reap as she realised how inadequately resourced they were. This woman is a gem.

Lek with a rescued orphaned elephant (thank you internet for this one)

So what’s my gripe with it? Basically my issue with working here is that I think our money is worth a lot more than our time. The ‘work’ we are doing is largely token and much of it is aimed at indulging the tourist and giving them an enjoyable experience with the elephants. In a nutshell, we seem to have signed up for exactly the warm-fuzzy experience that we have been trying to avoid for our whole trip. For example most days we will work for a couple of hours in the morning (granted some of this work has been hard and does feel valuable, but we’re talking 2 hours work in a whole morning!! Bro and I keep trying to find extra things to do but at one point were told (in a friendly manner) “you work too hard” and yesterday we got told we’ve been doing the work of 4 people. Considering we are doing a fraction of the work we did in Borneo, it makes me wonder what other volunteers do when they’re here!!), and then in the afternoon our ‘work’ might be bathing the elephants (one of the most amazing experiences I've ever done), then chopping up sugar cane (a 10 minute job at most), and then feeding the elephants (helping them devour a basket of fruit and sugar cane). Don’t get me wrong -this is a bloody marvellous experience, and one that I know some people would hand over their left leg to do. My issue is with them calling it ‘volunteering’. ‘Getting-rich-westerners-to-part-with-their-money-in-exchange-for-a-feeling-of-good-karma’ is probably closer to the truth.

The very lovely Arun-Ria on her way back from the water hole after a nice bath!

That said, this whole amazing enterprise is only viable because these rich westerners (I’m including ourselves in that) handing over their money, and because I genuinely see the good that this organisation is doing, and for that reason regardless of how valuable the actual work you do whilst here it, I do think it’s a worthwhile project to ‘volunteer’ with. I am also aware that volunteering must in no way take the place of local jobs, so I do understand that a balance must be met that gives volunteers work to keep them busy, whilst not stepping on anyone else’s toes. The Cambodian Sanctuary employs about 50 local people to work on the land, look after the animals, protect the forest (more on this later), manage the garden and nursery, and just keep the site running, which is actually wonderful to see. We have offered to do one or two things around the sanctuary to help out where we thought it might be helpful, but have been told in a friendly way that they’d prefer we didn’t as there are local people employed to do that, which of course we respected.

So, my verdict? This is a wonderful place which I would totally recommend to anyone with a sympathetic inclination...Just please don’t go home showing off how great you are that you’ve rescued elephants. And neither will I.