The Volunteer Project
To help conserve and protect the sea turtles in Sri Lanka volunteers will help with cleaning, feeding and releasing the turtles as a way to increase their chances of survival. Turtles have many factors against them and need all the help they can to survive in the wild. You will assist in beach patrols ready for releasing baby turtles as well as caring for those who live at the centre and cannot be released back into their natural habitat.
The community element of this programme involves speaking English. Being able to speak English is considered as a way of upward mobility especially for women and children from underprivileged backgrounds in Sri Lanka. Tsunami affected areas are still below the poverty line and the government has stepped in to provide projects to women who can helped support their families income. One such project is to weave hats and bags and then sell them on to tourists. Your role is to help improve the communication skills of the women by speaking and teaching conversational English whilst weaving so that the local women can gain more confidence in their language skills which will hopefully help them in the future. Many volunteers find this an enjoyable task as they are learning a new skill at the same time as teaching a natural skill.
As well as helping to teach English to adults, you can also get involved teaching English in the afternoons to local children and assisting with a variety of activities including drawing, music, painting, singing and dancing. However big or little the activity, it is the interaction with English speaking volunteers that they will benefit from the most.
You will have at least two days off a week depending on your workload, giving you ample opportunity to explore Sri Lanka's rich cultural heritage.
Please note: This project accepts volunteers of all ages and it is likely there will be a wide age range of people on the project at any one time.
What’s Included in the Programme
- Airport pick up and transfer upon arrival into Sri Lanka
- Breakfast and Dinner whilst on the project
- Detailed orientation
- Volunteer project
- On site project coordinator
- Free time to explore local area and assistance with planning independent excursions
What’s Not Included in the Programme
- Tourist Visa
- All items of a personal nature
- Return airport transfer (approximately US$100)
- Flights
- E-mail and telephone calls made
- Personal insurance
- Extra snacks
- Any excursions
Prices and Durations
Sri Lanka Sea Turtle and Community Volunteers - 2 weeks
$1,009
Sri Lanka Sea Turtle and Community Volunteers - 4 weeks
$1,329
Sri Lanka Sea Turtle and Community Volunteers - 8 weeks
$1,969
Sri Lanka Sea Turtle and Community Volunteers - 12 weeks
$2,609
