an investment in a better world

The wave in microfinance for those at the bottom of the pyramid is relentless, for better or worse. In a charming village on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, demystify your understanding of the buzzword of the century and discover (or rediscover) the heart of business and its potential to develop communities. Learn from the village's entrepreneurs and our non-profit partners and contribute your skills to build their capacity to make a sustainable impact on their community.

 

highlights

uncover the many sides of microfinance 

  • Go behind the scenes of a ground-up not-for-profit microfinance organisation - gain both big picture and on-the-ground perspectives of community-based financial movements

  • Explore the meaning of entrepreneurship as you meet with the village's micro-entrepreneurs, chat with them about the motivations behind their business and learn about the impact this has on their families, the local economy, and the community

  • Meet with organisations for a broad understanding of the role and function of microfinance and financial literacy in a cross-cultural context

  • Make an impact by designing, implementing, and evaluating a sustainable project that will build the capacity of our non-profit partner to further it's mission!

 

fees

Fees will differ according to your needs - please contact us for more information. All programmes run with an organised group, with a minimum of 10 participants.

Fees typically include the following:

  • Accommodation & meals (we make socially and environmentally responsible choices as far as possible!)

  • Transport (including flights and airport transfers)

  • Entrance fees for attractions

  • Course materials

  • Insurance cover

  • Engaging experts & 24/7 experienced facilitators

Your investment in our courses enables Skillseed to further our social mission by empowering local communities through employment or job creation. It also also goes towards the development of future courses and journeys - we do intensive consultations and site visits with every partner organisation we work with. Finally, your support provides opportunities for past participants to further develop their skills and passions with us or our partner organisations.

 

eligibility

Best suited for students who:

  • Are interested in the role of money in poverty alleviation, education, and community development!

  • Are at least 15 years of age and in good health

  • Have no strict vegan diet requirements or severe allergies or debilitating allergies, and don't require prescription medicine that requires constant refrigeration

  • Are fluent in English (written & spoken)

testimonials

Read about our participant Park’s experience and facilitator Jum’s thoughts about the programme!

“Initially, I thought that as a student I can only execute volunteer work in the form of soliciting donations from the public. However, now I feel that we can actually utilize the knowledge which we have acquired in school to teach others.”
“I was never too impressed with the concept of volunteerism, and considered it an overly idealistic notion with questionable effectiveness. I certainly wasn’t too optimistic about this trip, although its unique objective - to work on microfinance and financial literacy in an underserved community - definitely caught my attention, but I still had no idea what I was going to be a part of...”
“It has changed the way I thought, that volunteer work was a one way process where we would teach them things, rather than a two way one where we can learn from them as well.”