Volunteering in Sri Lanka A Comprehensive Guidebook – By Volunteering Solutions Volunteering abroad is quickly picking up the pace in the travelling segment and many backpacker as well as gap year students have started opting for volunteering abroad as a part of their travel expedition. Sri Lanka is a fast emerging tourist destination, and is ideal for a perfect volunteer work travel. The following paper is a detailed description about necessary information related to volunteering in Sri Lanka.
4/29/2015
Table of Content
Preface
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FAQs: Volunteering in Sri Lanka
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Why should I volunteer abroad --------------------------------------------------Why pay for volunteering --------------------------------------------------Why volunteer in Sri Lanka --------------------------------------------------Who can volunteer in Sri Lanka --------------------------------------------------Opportunities available in Sri Lanka --------------------------------------------------How much will a program in Sri Lanka cost ------------------------------How Much Money Should I Carry For Personal Expense --------------------Visa requirements in Sri Lanka --------------------------------------------------Safety concerns in Sri Lanka --------------------------------------------------Dos and Don’ts --------------------------------------------------Things to do while volunteering in Sri Lanka --------------------------------
FAQs: Volunteering through Volunteering Solutions Why Volunteering Solutions
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----------------------------------------------------What qualifications do I need to volunteer through VolSol ----------------------What all programs are available through Volunteering Solutions -------------
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Volunteering in Sri Lanka – Preface Welcome to the guidebook for volunteering in Sri Lanka. This paper is an informative piece on things to keep in mind while volunteering in Sri Lanka. Volunteering abroad has gained popularity and has been constantly adopted as a common practice by several gap year travellers, backpackers, undergraduates, and graduates in the past few years. People take up volunteering abroad to, not only travel to new places but also, gain experience by working abroad that will make their resumes look more strong, which eventually will help them grow in career. In fact, a new trend has seen families adding volunteer work to their holiday travel as well as big corporates arranging annual trips for their employees by sending them for volunteer work abroad. The guide book is divided into two main sections, viz. FAQ – Volunteering in Sri Lanka and FAQ – Why Volunteering Solutions. These are further divided into several sub-sections, which explain and answer some common set of questions, such as Why, When, What, How, Where, Who, and so on. From visa requirements to cultural shocks, itinerary, living arrangements and, several other important documents and things you must know are detailed out in this paper. Volunteering Solutions, one of the leading volunteer placement organizations in the international circuit, holds a strong and long experience of more than 8 years in this industry. The details provided in this paper is a result of some extensive research* and observation work done by the team of Volunteering Solutions in these last 8 odd years. VolSol do provide some exciting projects in the capital city of Colombo as well as Galle, in Sri Lanka. Elephant Camp, Teaching Program, Disabled Care, and Sea Turtle Conservation program are the projects that Volunteering Solutions offers in the capital city of Colombo, while in Galle volunteers can choose to work under Teaching Monks program and/or Orphanage Program. As a responsible international placement agency, VolSol make sure of a comfortable and resourceful sojourn for all of its overseas volunteers. Sri Lanka is a beautiful coastal country with number of UNESCO listed heritage sites. This guide book is a sincere effort to encourage more and more volunteers to experience the magic of volunteering in Sri Lanka.
To know more on volunteering abroad through Volunteering Solutions, visit https://www.volunteeringsolutions.com/
*The information is based on surveys and research done in the past and is subject to change. Kindly do a proper background research or contact Volunteering Solutions for latest updated information.
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FAQs: Volunteering in Sri Lanka
1. Why should I volunteer abroad? According to a survey report, the number of people travelled across borders in recent years has gone beyond the mark of 1 billion, with Europeans leading the chart of most outbound travellers (566 million) followed by people from Asia-Pacific region. This goes to show the extent of travelling abroad that is been practiced by people across the globe. Different travellers have different purpose for travelling abroad; holidaying, sabbatical, research work, and general exploring are few common reasons for people to travel. Adding volunteer work to your travel abroad is one of the most efficient ways to make the best of your travel experience. It provides an opportunity to understand the cultural nuances and root traditions of a particular region from up close. Volunteering abroad is a two way benefiting activity. While the volunteers shell out time and money to help rebuild, and improve, the living conditions of the underprivileged, they gain a significant amount of experience, satisfaction, and peace in return. Students passed out from high school and ready to start with their college take gap year break to gain experience of living alone and learning other important aspects of life; travelling to another country is a common way they take to accomplish this feat. And this does not confine to only students. Trend has seen people taking up volunteer travelling with their families in order to teach their children the different shades of life. Even the students pursuing their degree, especially aspirants from medical backgrounds, take up volunteer internship abroad programs to enhance their chances of getting placed with a deemed organization and excel in their career. Apart from these, volunteering abroad provides various other elementary benefits to someone taking up this act of altruism as a part of their expedition; such as, -
One can get to learn a new language.
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Can not only get the taste of a special local cuisine, but also can try their hands in preparing one.
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Meet new people from all corners of the world.
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Make friends for eternity.
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Learn about the culture and traditions of different countries from fellow volunteers of their respective states.
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Add an unforgettable chapter to your life.
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Accelerate your career with unparalleled experience.
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Tear off the fear of travelling alone.
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Test the level of your endurance and creativity while working under a volunteer project abroad.
2. Why pay for volunteering abroad? Before starting with a volunteer abroad program, several aspirants have this query in their mind. For executing a volunteer program, a candidate has two main ways to go for it; A). Individual approach B). Through a placement firm
Most of the interested candidates choose to go via an international placement agency for the simple reason that these agencies have been in this field from years. The payment that goes in the form of program fee to the agency comes back to the volunteers in the form of meals, accommodation, incountry support, orientation sessions, local sightseeing, and a lot more of such perks. It is so very obvious that, when you are on a volunteer trip abroad, you would not want to occupy your mind and time in looking out for the prefect program, and place, to live in. Placement organizations such as Volunteering Solutions guide volunteers throughout the program and, endeavour to make the experience a memorable and comfortable one. For many it’s their first venture of volunteering abroad, and they carry a lot of questions and concerns regarding the same. Placement agencies help in clearing them out as much as possible and help them get placed in a program that suits the best to them according to their interest, skills and/or experience level.
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3. Why Volunteer in Sri Lanka? What can one expect from a small island nation covering an area of just above 65000 km. sq.? Countless beaches, timeless ruins, warm-welcoming people, giant elephants, popular tea, and sumptuous food; all this, overflowing in count, can be found if that island nation is Sri Lanka. With its history spanning to several thousand years back, Sri Lanka is a one of the most apt destinations to learn about the human lifestyle in those days. Volunteering Solutions provide brilliant opportunities for overseas volunteers to work under several programs in Sri Lanka; especially, those interested in wildlife. The projects are located in two cities of the country, including the capital city of Colombo (the other being Galle). Colombo programmes include Elephant Camp, Teaching Program, Disabled Care, and Sea Turtle Conservation programs. And, in Galle, volunteers can join any of the projects from Teaching Monks and Orphanage Program. With dense forests wrapping the foot hills of mighty tall Knuckle mountain range, extremely serene and beautiful beaches, and adorable wildlife makes this island nation a perfect destination to volunteer and explore.
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Figure 1: Famous Bodh Temple in Colombo
The country has a deep connection with Buddhism, which is one of the major religions followed in Sri Lanka after the Sinhalese. Being a close neighbour to India, there are quite a few similarities in lifestyle of Sri Lanka and India, especially South India. Volunteering in Sri Lanka is a great way to immerse into the local culture and help in improving life of the underprivileged as well as the wildlife animals.
4. Who can volunteer in Sri Lanka? All it takes to be a volunteer is dedication, enthusiasm, sincerity, and patience. Those who pertains all these qualities, or even one of these, can be a volunteer. However, there are certain pre-requisites, 6|Page
which one need to comply fully to volunteer in Sri Lanka. The age of the interested candidate must be at least 17 years and must be ready to work hard. The volunteers need to have an open mind and positive approach towards their projects, and must bring creativity to their programs. Since, few programs also include children, it is mandatory for an interested candidate to submit a certificate for clean criminal background. Also, there are programs at elephant camps and turtle conservation centres. This provides a brilliant opportunity to those who are ardent wildlife enthusiasts. In a nutshell, anyone and everyone can volunteer in Sri Lanka.
5. Opportunities available in Sri Lanka? Sri Lanka offers a lot of amazing volunteer projects in Colombo and Galle. In Colombo, volunteers can choose to work at preliminary schools as teachers where they can teach some general subjects to the kids. These are low funded schools that often run short on faculty and other staff, and the kids studying here come from very poor family background who cannot afford to pay their fee. Volunteers can use this opportunity to educate these children and help in developing inter-personal skills in them. Another program available in Colombo is a tailor-made for medical and nursing background candidates, which is the Disabled Care program. Volunteers under this program need to spend time with physically unfortunate people who have been abandoned by their family members or, are not left with anyone in their life. Volunteers basically need to be their friends and make sure they don’t go low on confidence. Apart from this, volunteers can provide a helping hand in daily cores of the house by helping the inhouse staff in preparing the meal for the patients, keeping inside and outside area clean, and so on. However, these duties are not a compulsion part of the program.
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Figure 2: Volunteer under Teaching Program
Apart from this, VolSol provides two interesting projects that require a human to animal connection rather than a human to human. The Elephant Camp project and the Sea Turtle Conservation Program are the other two projects offered by Volunteering Solutions in Colombo. Both the programs require volunteers to be in love with wildlife, as only then can they fully justify their role. Under the elephant camp program the volunteers will be assisting the mahouts in daily care of the elephants, which includes feeding them, cleaning them, taking a walk, learning to train them, and so on. At the turtle conservation project, volunteers will be executing the following tasks on a day to day basis; -
Conduct daily checks on the eggs to check their hatching time Help the emerging baby turtles
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Taking care of cleaning, feeding and helping the turtles in whatever way possible Help wash the sea turtle tanks and refill them with sea water and help prepare the food fed to the turtles. As the hatchery has several turtles with injuries, volunteers would need to hand feed the turtles Patrol the beach once a day to look for any pieces of fishing nets Also patrol the beach at night for nesting turtles as part of this research
Volunteering under any of these animal welfare projects is a great opportunity for the volunteers to spend time with these animals and learn more about them. Also, this provides a platform to interact with the local village people, experience the way of living life the way they do and even try hands on preparing some of the local delicacies.
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Figure 3: Turtle Conservation Project under Volunteering Solutions
Another location where there are projects available in Sri Lanka is, Galle. Volunteers have the option to choose from Orphanage Program and Teaching Monks project. While Orphanage program requires volunteers to take care of adolescents at the centre, under the Teaching Monks program volunteers will be taking classes for young monks to teach basic subjects, like English, Maths, etc. In this, volunteers can, too, learn a lot on the grounds of spirituality and tranquillity from these small monks.
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6. How much will a program in Sri Lanka cost? The cost to attend a volunteer program in Sri Lanka depends mainly on the number of weeks you want to be a part of it, and the type of the program you want to attend. For instance, joining either of the wildlife projects in Colombo, viz., the Elephant Camp project and the Sea Turtle Conservation program, would cost you near around $765 for a time period of 2 weeks to $1935 for a couple of months, where as attending the Disabled Care program or the Teaching project in the same city would cost you around $525 for a period of 2 weeks to $1635 for a couple of months. All these are in addition to a nominal one time registration cost of $225. The program cost covers the major expenses during your stay in Sri Lanka such as, your accommodation, meals (2-3 times a day), pick up from airport, orientation and training, and local sightseeing over the weekend. As far as the programs in Galle are concerned, the cost for attending the program for a period of 2 weeks is around $575, which goes up to $1325 if you decide to stay put for a time span of 2 months. Also, every volunteer traveller must get travel & medical insurance before starting with their program. Many agencies do not get into this process and ask you to handle it by yourself. However, few organizations do help and guide the volunteers to get the insurance documents and charge a meager extra cost for this additional service. Volunteering Solutions, following its trend of end-to-end services, do help its volunteers get the insurance.
7. How Much Money Should I Carry For Personal Expense? Sri Lanka has an emerging economy, and is a developing nation. The country is not that expensive to take a comfortable sojourn. The official currency of Sri Lanka is LKR (Sri Lankan Rupee). Below is the current exchange rate of LKR for different international currencies;
In Dollars
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1 USD = 132.94 LKR
In Euros
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1 EUR = 145.01 LKR
In Pounds
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1 GBP = 202.50 LKR
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While a good meal for two in a descent restaurant may cost you somewhere around $20-$30 (including beer), a rented room may not cost you any less than $200-$400 per month for a single room accommodation. A general cost of living may lie in the price range as mentioned below:Meal for two (2) in a descent restaurant
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$15 - $35
Weekly Ration (fruits, vegetables, meat, milk, bread, eggs, etc.)
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$20 - $30
Local Transportation (Bus, shared taxis)
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*$.20 - $.40
Living in rented apartment (1 room)
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$200 - $400/month
Living in rented apartment (3 room)
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$900 - $1100/month
This is when you choose to take up volunteer project on personal level. However, if you choose to go through Volunteering Solutions or any other international volunteer placement agency, which is highly advised, the major part of your living expense (food and accommodation) gets covered in the cost you paid in the form of program fee. Thus, a sum of $50 - $60 will suffice for an entire week for your personal expenses. The volunteer accommodations are located very close to the project sites and one does not need to travel much, to and fro; thus, saving time and money. The local coordinator appointed by the placement agency guides you throughout your stay and help you locate the best of eat outs, mode of transport, and shopping arcades. The expense for these facilities needs to be beard by the volunteer themselves. There are several foreign exchange counters available in every city of Sri Lanka; however, it is always good to carry the plastic money (credit cards/debit cards) rather than keeping excess money in cash.
*You can get a monthly pass for buses in $12.
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8. Visa requirements to volunteer in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka has evolved into a very popular tourist destination in recent years, which has made the tourism industry in the country bloom more than ever. Most of the major European, Asian, and American nations are offered visa on arrival (entry visa) for a time period of 30-90 days, which means that they don’t have to apply for a visa to enter into Sri Lanka in advance. To volunteer in Sri Lanka, however, there are certain other important documents that need to be shown/submitted in order to stay in the country. Volunteering Solutions provide complete advisory services to its registered volunteers related to the program and other important details. To see if your country of residence falls into the list of countries that are offered visa on arrival in Sri Lanka and other visa related information one can follow the website http://www.tourismsrilanka.com/visa-rules.html
9. Safety concerns in Sri Lanka Since the end of the long running civil war in 2009, Sri Lanka has evolved into a bustling tourist destination. The island has witnessed more tourist footfall than ever in past few years. The country is a delight to explore and the safe environment it persists, especially, for the tourists makes the experience even better. Sri Lanka is a highly tourist friendly country and has nothing to fear about. Volunteering Solutions, too, plays its part of being a responsible placement agency by making sure that the volunteers remain in a highly safe environment and, for that they do a thorough background check of the host family and the local coordinator before appointing them, as well as the neighborhood where the volunteer houses are located. However, it is in the best interest of the volunteers and is always advised that they apply simple precautions while volunteering in Colombo to ensure safety, few of which includes; -
Consulting the local coordinator for any kind of travel Avoiding moving out at night alone. Do not drink or party with someone you have just met. Avoid getting into any sort of heated squabble with anyone, and simply ignore.
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As far as health issues are concerned, there is no deadly epidemic going on currently in the country. However, it is advised to do a thorough research of latest developments before embarking for the journey. Alternatively, one can get in touch with the helpdesk of VolSol to get the latest information on health concerns. Also, following vaccinations can be taken as a precaution, before leaving for Sri Lanka; -
Yellow Fever Hepatitis A and B Typhoid
More details on vaccinations and health precautions in Sri Lanka can be found here.
10. Dos and Don’ts in Sri Lanka It is a matter of self-understanding that there are certain travel ethics one must abide by when in a foreign country. Each country has its own traditions, culture, and lifestyle, and it is a common practice that one faces a lot of cultural shocks. Hence, to avoid getting into unnecessary conflicts or trouble, follow these Dos and Don’ts when in Sri Lanka:
Dos -
Learn some of the local dialects and try using them when interacting with the natives. They simply love it.
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Try any one of the local dishes to get the taste of real Sri Lankan delicacy. You can always try your hands in preparing one as well, which will be a different experience altogether.
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If during your volunteer stay in Sri Lanka there happens to be a cricket tournament going on, do take this opportunity to witness the craze amongst the locals for this sport.
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Show respect towards clergies, doesn’t matter of what religion they belong to. This will help in getting you accepted by the local community quicker.
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Take a quick walk around the local markets to explore the diverse options for almost everything.
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Buy a local SIM card; you will need it dearly.
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When in confusion about choosing the best option to eat out or looking for a place to shop, consult a local. The VolSol coordinators are always there to guide the volunteers on these things as well.
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Do try a ride on a tuk-tuk. “Thrilling” is the only word that’ll suffice your experience.
Don’ts -
Do not move out alone at night; at least not without informing someone from the group or the coordinator.
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Do not get tricked by beggars or touts.
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Do not click pictures of someone without their prior permission. Also, not of any government office or building,
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Elephants are found in abundance in Sri Lanka and are considered very holy to the natives. Do not try to tease this animal if you see one crossing by you on the road, or try to ride it.
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Do not over tip at the restaurant.
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While conversing with a local resident, do not take offense if someone asks you your age, occupation, marital status, religious beliefs, etc. These are common questions asked by Sri Lankans from each other.
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Do not wear clothes that are over exposing. People in Sri Lanka follow a certain set of traditions and while you are there, you, too, must try and follow it as much as possible.
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Do not share your details with someone you have just met at a night club or a get together.
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11. Things to do in Sri Lanka With a mild population of just above 20 million, Sri Lanka makes a perfect abode for travelers looking for a silent solace. It is a double treat for anyone planning to travel to Sri Lanka, if they get a chance to interact with the locals while giving a helping hand in building up the community. Here is a list of things one can enjoy doing while Volunteering in Sri Lanka; Surrender to the nature Sky blue water bodies, plush green mountain ranges and hill tops, robust yet beautiful waterfalls; the pristine view of nature’s carving on the canvas of this land is simply awe-inspiring and admirable. The Adam’s Peak, the Ravana falls, Mt. Pedro, Devon Falls and some exotic beaches in Galle are all there to play with your senses.
Wildlife at its best The forests of Sri Lanka are known for giant elephants, especially, but the specialty does not end here. Walk through the Yala national park or take a jeep safari at Minneriya National Park, and you will find the richness of wildlife species found in the forests of Sri Lanka. For a wildlife enthusiast, Sri Lanka is a perfect place to wander the jungles and admire the beasty and beautiful creatures.
Take a dip of adventure An island nation colloquially means a lot of adventure activities. Of course, one might not think of Sri Lanka in the first place when deciding upon a destination for adventure sports, but don’t let the subtle image of this mystique country deceive you. One can find all sorts of enthralling activities to indulge in, that includes, rafting, kayaking, surfing, hiking, hot air balloon ride, scuba and many more.
Explore the rich culture For once, it may seem unreal, but the small Tamilian region of Sri Lanka has a vast background of historical culture and social essence, tracing almost 3000 years back. The architectural designs from the years of yore, maintained to its tip even today, shows the significance they carry in the chapter of Sri Lanka’s history. The country has been spread with followers of Buddhism, as well, to a pretty noticeable extent. Cricket, although a sport (and not just any other sport, but the most loved), is kind of a cult religion in Sri Lanka and brings together the entire nation at the time of a tournament. 16 | P a g e
Figure 4: Immerse into the Sinhalese culture while volunteering in Sri Lanka
Food and Festivals Yes, you thought it correct!! Fish & rice are one of the key ingredients and the staple participant in the recipes from Sri Lankan kitchens. Coconut milk, rice, chicken and lots of spices make the delicacies served in Sri Lanka mouthwatering. The Sinhala-Tamil New year is the largest festival celebrated in the region, amongst a number of others. Kokis, a fried crispy rings’ preparation, is commonly made during this festival. The Kandy Esala Perahera, the largest cultural parade in the world, is another huge extravaganza celebrated in the island nation of Sri Lanka.
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FAQs: Volunteering through Volunteering Solutions
1. Why Volunteering Solutions? With its presence in over 32 destinations all across the globe, Volunteering Solutions manages a plethora of volunteering programs. In the last 8 years, since its inception, VolSol has placed closed to 9000 international volunteers on different projects as well as internship programs and, has helped them expedite in their personal and professional lives. VolSol realize the importance of ethical and successful volunteering, and through its deep knowledge in this field it places a candidate into a program which suits them the best, according to their field of interest, skills, and educational background. Volunteering Solutions has dedicated coordinators placed at each and every of its destinations, who help, guide, and train the volunteers to get accustomed with the norms and culture of a particular country. With proper accommodation arrangements and all facilities provided within them, VolSol make sure of a comfortable and memorable sojourn for all of its volunteers. A dedicated team of volunteer support staff make sure that any and every query flown in by an interested candidate is been addressed and resolved in a proper and timely fashion. From the time a query comes in for volunteer program till the time the candidate starts their program, the support staff make sure they are guided through each process very clearly, informing about all requisites. Apart from these, VolSol provides help in various important divisions, such as; -
Raising fund for volunteers who face financial crunch to sponsor their trip. Providing medical and Travel insurance at a nominal extra cost. Trips and tour package to explore other locations in Ghana. Vehicle facilities for local travelling and airport drop at some extra cost
2. What qualifications do I need to volunteer through VolSol? As explained in the previous section, for anyone to be a volunteer and work for a volunteer program abroad all it takes is to be focused, dedicated, enthusiastic, and motivated enough to motivate others. However, for health and medical programs, one needs to provide relevant certificates and/or documents as a proof of their medical background. The age limit is a minimum of 18 years to volunteer abroad (18 years for medical/ healthcare programs). 18 | P a g e
3. What all programs are available through Volunteering Solutions? Volunteering Solutions has ample of volunteer as well as internship programs under its umbrella. Few of them are mentioned below;
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Childcare Program Healthcare Program Community Development Program Disabled Care Journalism Medical Program (Dental) Sports Coaching Teaching Programs (including teaching monks) Wildlife Conservation Program Women Empowerment Program
In addition to these, VolSol provides special programs which are tailor made for those who cannot afford to invest much time but want to experience the culture of the region while immersing in hardcore volunteer work. This includes; -
2 Weeks Special Program Language & Orientation Week Summer Program
So start packing your bags already and make the relevant bookings. When it comes to volunteering in Sri Lanka, you certainly would not want to miss out on the opportunity. Many expert travelers and explorers, who have been to this island nation, have predicted it to become one of the top visited destinations in coming years. Better hurry and visit the location before it gets bludgeoned with tourist crowd, and remains a virgin spot no more. Volunteering Solutions has already started the registration process for the next batch of volunteers; make sure to book your spot as soon as possible.
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We hope that this article was informative and useful enough, and was able to answer some of your queries (if not all). In case of any further information about volunteering in Sri Lanka, you can simply drop in a mail at
[email protected] and expect a response from us in a jiffy. Happy Volunteering!
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