Sri Lanka: Volunteer Care/Orphanage work in Asia | Gap Year | Overseas | Work | Children| Projects Abroad

Sri Lanka: Volunteer Care-Work with Children

• Placement locations: Colombo, with placements along the coast from Negombo to Galle
• Types of care projects: Day care centres, kindergartens, orphanages
• Age of children: 0 - 18
• Number of people cared for:
  15 - 90
• Role: Assisting with local staff including playing with children, basic teaching and giving general help
• Accommodation: Host families
• Price: From £995
• What’s included? Food, accommodation, transfers, insurance, personal webpage, induction and orientation, 24/7 support, social activities
• What’s not included? Flights, visa costs, spending money
• Length of placement: From two weeks
• Start dates: Flexible

We do not require you to have previous experience when you volunteer on a Care project in Sri Lanka; provided you have a passion and commitment to the job and to the people you are trying to help. Whether you are on a gap year or coming to development work as an older volunteer on a career break or even during your retirement you will have a role to play and your contribution will be valued.

Voluntary Special Needs and Orphanage work with Projects Abroad

Based in many small towns along the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, from Negombo to Galle, and in the pretty hill town of Kandy, care work in Sri Lanka is a full and rich experience offering an enormous variety of choice.

All the work here involves a great deal of commitment; working with orphans and mentally or physically disabled children can be challenging, but very fulfilling.

Conditions are often basic and the staff heavily overworked, so the support of the volunteers is always greatly appreciated. Please let us know if you have any specific preferences of where you wish to work.

Care volunteers in some locations can also choose to help in Tsunami Relief camps from 3pm to 5pm each afternoon. Volunteers help with homework and organise games and sporting activities for the children.

Volunteering abroad on a Care Project in Sri Lanka

Most children at the orphanages and care centres still attend school in the mornings, sometimes at the same site, or at a school nearby. Volunteers therefore often help with basic education for a few hours in the mornings, usually teaching conversational English in government schools. Some volunteers also work with very young children during this time; helping four years olds learn the alphabet or doing colouring and art activities, for example. In the afternoons volunteers assist in numerous areas with the children, from helping with homework to organising and playing sports and games, or reading to a child individually.

Some of the orphanages where we work are home to children with severe disabilities and volunteers are needed to help feed, wash, dress and do physical exercises with these children. These placements are not for everyone, one volunteer described her placement as 'shocking but the most rewarding month of my life'. Volunteers here are greatly needed but it won't all be fun and games.

We also have a placement at a boy's home, where volunteers can help with laundry, cooking and work on the site's farm in the mornings then spend the afternoons playing, teaching and helping in the home's computer room, where they have nine personal computers and just one over-worked member of staff! If you have a particular interest in this project you may also like to consider volunteering on our IT Project in Sri Lanka placement.

English at most of the placements is basic, but the enthusiasm of both the staff and children ensures that you will be able to make yourself understood. Our Projects Abroad staff and the supervisor at your placement will always be on hand to ensure you make the most of your time in Sri Lanka.

When you apply for a Care placement in Sri Lanka, you will be contacted to discuss the various options and find the best placement for you. We try to take advantage of all of our individual volunteers' talents and skills; putting you to work where you are needed the most.