Volunteering Abroad In Sri Lanka

Whenever you are considering taking a career break to travel, why not think about volunteering abroad. It's a rewarding experience and in many ways a very humbling one.

Paavani

My interest in volunteering started about 10 years ago when the Boxing Day Tsunami hit coastal communities in Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand leaving with it a trail of human suffering of unimaginable proportions.  I felt the need to do something and was galvanized into action by raising money from work and other charitable foundations. The money raised went to build 13 houses in Sri Lanka  for families of fisher folk who had lost everything.

Later on in the year, I spent my holiday in Sri Lanka volunteering for a charity called Help Lanka who had their head office in the UK. During my interview with Sam Goonatilleke, Director of Help Lanka, he asked me whether I would conduct an operational audit of the organization and also take part in the donation distribution and teaching  English program. Once I had my criminal records check clearance, I  was able to  fly to Sri Lanka.

When I was there, I took part in aid distribution and the English teaching program for children in orphanages. It was such a moving experience to see the children's eyes light up with joy at the small gifts we had brought them. Nothing could erase the suffering that these children had undergone, but showing we cared was the very least we could do.

Paavani's mother cooking food 

During my career break, I went to see a little girl called Paavani whom I had sponsored through Help Lanka's child sponsorship program. She lived in a very remote part of Sri Lanka  in a place called Chilaw. 

The sponsorship money helped her to have an education and give her a hope for a better future.

I spent time with her learning about her life and talking to her family.

Paavani's father selling Betal Leaves

The family lived in a mud thatched house with  tightly plaited coconut leaves for a roof. The mother used to cook food in an indoor fire-pit which was very smoky and I am sure this made her suffer from ill health.

Paavani's father used to sell Betel leaves at the local market for a few rupees per day. People use the leaves for its medicinal and mouth cleansing properties.

When I met them for the first time, it was like meeting friends as I had corresponded with the little girl for some time. I thought I was helping them, but in fact they gave me the gift of friendship and hospitality and it wasn't because I was sponsoring Paavani. They were genuinely nice people.

The following is a list of benefits I've gained from volunteering abroad:

• I've met some truly wonderful people from all over the world
• I've extended my skill set in another culture
• I've got hired for jobs because my resume looked different
• I have developed as a person

Hope I've convinced you that volunteering abroad is great. Let me know your stories - I would love to hear them.

Elephants Cross My Path in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is situated at the southernmost tip of  India; a tiny island with diverse cultures and practices and home to an abundance of flora and fauna. Tropical sandy beaches, lush green rice fields or paddy fields as they are commonly known, give way to mountains and cooler climes.

Though there are several wild life sanctuaries in Sri Lanka, one of the lesser known is perhaps Wasgamuwa National Park which has an abundance of elephants and other wildlife. You can hire a safari jeep through a well known travel agent. It is also best to check the weather as seasonal monsoon rains can put a dampener on viewing animals in their natural habitat.

I was lucky to go with a group of relatives whilst I was on my break, which was good as they knew how to get there without resorting to a travel agent and sharing costs was easy.

We arrived at the park around 3 p.m. which was a good time to view the animals as they usually hide from the mid day sun and since its in the tropics it can get very hot. A bottle of water,  a high-factor sun cream, an insect repellent and a sun hat is a must so don't leave home without it.

An amiable guide ushered us to our jeep which was to be our mode of transport. Within about 20 minutes of winding our way through the dusty jungle roads, the magic began and we caught what was to be forever etched in our memories -- a herd of wild elephants in the water splashing and playing around with each other just having fun. Never have I clearly seen how elephants can mimic human behaviour as I did that day.

After we finished our tour of the wildlife park  we decided to head back to Kandy, a town in the central province.
It's famous for:

• Esala Perehera - lots of elephants!
• Temple of the Tooth
• Peradeniya Botanical Gardens   

Accommodation during the festival seasons can get booked up quite quickly.  We stayed at a place called the Mango Grove Cottage near the Kandy lake.  There were a few monkeys in the trees who liked to be playful. It was funny watching them.

If you like my post about Sri Lanka, I also recommend another blog which I like called Flashpackers which has useful information about travelling in this beautiful island.

Temple of the Tooth Kandy