AVEC doesn’t live on donations alone
Three ways to give your time. On the ground in Battambang, in French-speaking and German-speaking Switzerland, or remotely from home. You don’t need to be an expert to get involved.
Why we need you, not just your money
A donation matters. But a donation doesn’t go looking for a child who has left school and hasn’t come home. A donation doesn’t translate a sponsored child’s letter. A donation doesn’t organise an event in Lausanne or Geneva to introduce AVEC to future sponsors. A donation doesn’t support a scholarship student starting her first job in Phnom Penh.
These are the things AVEC’s volunteers do. On the ground in Battambang or remotely from Europe. Three programmes exist, designed to fit your situation, the time you have available, and your energy. You don’t need a humanitarian qualification, nor prior experience of Cambodia. You just need enthusiasm and time.
Three ways to get involved
On the ground in Battambang
The Sentinelles
Volunteers who spend three to six months in the field. They’re not humanitarian tourists: they’re welcomed into the team, they support the children day to day, and they follow a clear, useful mission. Every skill can be put to use.
In French-speaking and German-speaking Switzerland
The Voix d’AVEC
Local ambassadors who raise awareness of AVEC in their town, their workplace, their parish, their circle of friends. Talks and testimonials, fundraising events, stalls and charity sales, welcoming new sponsors. Flexible commitment, scaled to the time you have.
Remotely, from home
The Relais
Remote contributors who put their skills at AVEC’s service from home. Translating letters between sponsored children and sponsors, writing newsletters, infographics, video, photography, administrative tasks, fundraising, professional skills-based volunteering. A few hours a month or a quarter is enough.
How it actually starts
1
You get in touch
First contact by email or phone. You tell us who you are, what draws you to AVEC, the time you have available, and which path speaks to you (Sentinelle, Voix, Relais).
2
We talk
A video call or an in-person meeting, depending on where you are. An open conversation, with no commitment yet. We get to know who you are, and you get to understand what we really do. Sentinelles: a more in-depth interview, and a check of a few prerequisites (health, criminal record).
3
You get started
A written agreement, a clearly defined mission, and your first steps supported by a dedicated point of contact. You know what’s expected of you, and you know what you can expect from us. No grey areas.
Why AVEC’s volunteers stay
What keeps volunteers in a humanitarian organisation isn’t the welcome slogan. It’s what they find once they’re in. Here is what we commit to offering, because it’s what makes the difference over time.
- A clear, written, well-defined mission. No busywork volunteering, no tasks invented just to keep you occupied. Every mission answers a real need identified by the AVEC team.
- A dedicated point of contact who knows you by your first name. Theavy Bun for the Sentinelles in Battambang, the Swiss volunteering coordinator for the Voix, Patrik Roux for professional Relais. No chain of five different people passing you along.
- Regular feedback on what you’ve done. We show you the concrete effect of your commitment. A Sentinelle who supported a training centre cohort for three months later hears news of the graduates. A Voix who organised an event receives the fundraising report.
- The ability to stop at any time, without awkwardness. Volunteering isn’t an employment contract. Your circumstances change, your availability changes, and that’s normal. You tell us, we adapt, or we stop. No guilt.
Frequently asked questions before applying
Do you have to pay to become a Sentinelle?
Travel between Switzerland and Cambodia, your accommodation on site and your personal expenses remain your responsibility. AVEC doesn’t charge any “mission fees” and doesn’t fund itself through the Sentinelles. For longer missions, arrangements are possible (staying with the field team, for example).
How much time do you need to set aside for a Sentinelle mission?
A Sentinelle mission lasts three months at minimum and six months at maximum (beyond that, a break is compulsory). That’s the time needed to settle into the team and be genuinely useful in the field.
I don’t speak Khmer. Is that a problem?
No. AVEC’s field team speaks French and English. The children learn English at the training centre. Sentinelles don’t need to speak Khmer to be useful, and picking up a few basic words comes quickly once you’re there. For missions with families, a Cambodian support worker is always present.
I’m a professional: a doctor, a lawyer, an accountant, a designer. How can I contribute?
Become a Relais through skills-based volunteering. A few hours a month or a quarter, remotely, on specific topics: reviewing accounts, legal advice, redesigning a visual, a medical audit of the shelter’s protocols. Every professional skill has real value for AVEC.
I’ve already been a Sentinelle. How do I carry on afterwards?
Many former Sentinelles become Voix in their region or Relais on one-off missions. The alumni network is active and meets up once or twice a year at events in Switzerland. You never really leave AVEC at the end of a mission.
Does one path speak to you more than the others? Choose the door that suits you.
Prêt à proposer votre candidature?
Quatre champs, trois minutes, une première réponse sous une semaine. C’est la première marche.
Vous voulez d’abord vérifier les règles du jeu? Lisez la charte des Sentinelles.
Would you rather support AVEC in a way other than through your time? Your company can get involved (corporate sponsorship and CSR), and your estate can leave a legacy (legacies, gifts, life insurance).