Involvement Volunteers International WHY we need you in Sri Lanka
- Around 45% of the popualtion in Sri Lanka live on less than $5 a day.
- Many poor families lack access to quality education, leading to higher levels of unemployment.
- Poverty is seen in in affluent areas as well as in rural areas. 85% of poor families live in rural areas.
- Around 21% of the popualtion in Sri Lanka is malnourished, with 17.3% of children having stunted growth.
- Women are usually not financially independant from their husbands, their main roles being to look after the family, clean and cook.
HOW can you help?
- Assist local teachers in kindergartens, pre-schools and centres in Ella, Sri Lanka
- Spend the first week in Kandy on a cultural orientation
- Bring your energy, enthusiasm and creativity!
- Teach the children about your country and increase their cultural awareness
WHAT can you do?
- Teach English conversational skills, writing, reading, drawing, through fun activities
- Get creative through painting, drawing, crafts and anything else you can think of!
- Get the kids active by playing sports and playground games
- You can also teach older kids from the tea estates
Why Involvement Volunteers International?
- Non Profit Organisation & Charity
- Over 30 Years Expertise Globally
- Low Program Fees - From US$295
- Excellent Safety Record, In-Country 24/7 Support & Emergency Assistance
- 1 Application Fee - Multiple Countries
PROJECT NAME: ENGLISH TEACHING (KANDY TO ELLA)
LOCATION: KANDY & ELLA, SRI LANKA
START DATES: WEEKLY (SAT/SUN ARRIVALS)
ACCOMMODATION: VOLUNTEER HOUSE (SHARED ROOMS) , HOMESTAY/ GUESTHOUSE
MIN DURATION: 2 WEEKS
MIN AGE: 18+
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: 1 WEEK COMPULSORY ORIENTATION IN KANDY, Criminal background check required
Overview
During the 1st week
The first week of your program will include a week orientation in Kandy (this is compulsory). You will better learn about local culture, what to expect, do’s and don’ts, take part in cultural activities and see some local sights. This will better set you up and make it easier to integrate into your volunteering program.
During the 2nd week, onwards
Participants will be taken to Ella at the end the 1st week (Sunday) by bus or by train, depending on the availability of the public transport (transportation cost is not included). On Monday, you will be starting the teaching project in Ella.
Support local teachers in educating young children aged between 2 and 5 years old. Your responsibilities will include teaching basic English and early childhood education, as well as assisting with school activities at pre-schools located in Ella during the day.
Additionally, you will be teaching basic English, basic grammar, and spoken English to children aged 3 to 15 who reside in tea estates during the afternoons. These children’s parents work in the tea estates or have low-paying jobs, which can hinder their ability to provide their children with good education. This project aims to offer these children better educational opportunities and help them attain higher standards of living.
Your duties will involve taking care of the children during the day at pre-school and educating them through activities such as songs, rhymes, poems, stories, alphabet, numbers, drawing, colouring, and games. Additionally, you will be assisting the teachers and performing daily tasks such as cleaning the rooms before and after class.
As a participant in this project, you will have the opportunity to embark on one of the world’s most breath taking train journeys as you travel to Ella. The train ride from Kandy to Ella takes approximately 6-7 hours (not included in price) and offers stunning views of lush tea plantations, jungles, paddy fields, and endless mountain landscapes.
As you ascend higher into the misty green highlands, you will witness sprawling tea estates and picturesque villages atop mountains. Along the way, you will also encounter magnificent waterfalls cascading down from the mountain peaks. This train ride is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and a must-see for any traveller visiting Sri Lanka.
Location
Kandy, is an amazing destination high up in the hills approx 3 hours drive from Colombo with incredible views, dense forests and a buzzy atmosphere with locals and tourists. Kandy is the last royal capital of Sri Lanka and is famous for it’s culture and temples such as Temple of the Tooth and plenty of others. The city has bustling markets with all kinds of interesting and diverse goods and services from unique handicrafts, exotic foods, arts, music and dance. Kandy has a really cool vibe and is somewhere you can happily explore for an extended period of time.
Ella is a charming hill country town located in Sri Lanka’s central province. It is a popular destination among tourists due to its stunning natural beauty, including lush tea plantations, waterfalls, and hiking trails. Visitors can also explore the town’s rich cultural heritage and sample delicious local cuisine.
Project Tasks
- Provide assist to local childcare staff
- Engage in education activities with the children
- Teach English to the older children and inspire them to learn
Food & Accommodation
The volunteer house is conveniently located around 2-4 km from Kandy and about a 15 min walk to the nearest supermarket and ATM. You’ll share rooms with 4-10 other volunteers of the same gender with a shared toilet per room. A fridge, safety deposit boxes, lockable rooms, hot showers, bed linen and fan are included with volunteers expected to bring their own towel. Laundry facilities are available at a small fee. The centres do not have Wi-Fi. Most volunteers will purchase a local data plan and connect this to their personal devices.
Accommodation in Ella will be in a homestay or a small guest house, depending on how many volunteers there are at one time. There will be 4-6 people in shared, single-gender rooms, and hot showers, lockable rooms, ben linen and fans are provided. There is no wifi but you can buy a local SIM cheaply. All the projects in the area are within walking distance.
3 meals per day are provided during weekdays and 2 meals per day on weekends. Safe filtered drinking water is provided along with tea and coffee. You can expect meals with rice, coconut, spices, roti, lots of vegetables & sparing amounts of meat.
Specialty
Projects
- Medical & Nursing Internship
- Turtle Conservation
- English Teaching (Kandy to Ella)
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1 Week - $520
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2 Weeks - $695
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3 Weeks - $1105
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1 Month - $1320
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2 Months - $2660
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3 Months - $3890
What's Included
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Accommodation
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Meals
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Airport Pickup
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Local Transportation
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1 Day Orientation
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24/7 In-Country Support
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Project Materials & Equipment
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Pre-departure Expert Advice
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Preperation Tools & Checklists
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Certificate of Completion
- Application fee is one off per person (unlimited placements)
- Click Here to convert the below prices to your local currency
- Discounts may apply if travelling in a pair or group!
- All credit card /international fees included in below pricing! 🙂
Testimonials...
FAQ
If you love working with young people, are energetic and want to inspire the furture generation, then yes absolutely! If you would rather teach older children, then teaching the village kids or adults would be a great option. Anyone who loves to teach and inspire will do great on this rewarding project.
- Accommodation
- 3 meals p/day weekdays / 2 meals p/day weekends
- Arrival airport transfer (Sat/Sun arrivals)
- Filtered drinking water, coffee & tea
- 1 day orientation
- Daily transportation to project
- In country 24/7 support & emergency assistance
- Fundraising support
- University course credits (where applicable)
- Certificate of Completion
- Airfares
- Travel Insurance
- Tours, Souvenirs & spending money
- Train/bus from Kandy to Ella
For this program it is required you do a 1 week orientation in Kandy, before you will take the scenic train or bus to Ella, for your volunteer project.
Programs begin every Monday, and volunteers are required to arrive the day prior, for orientation before the project. Your accommodation on the Sunday is included in the program fees.
A free airport pickup is included when arriving to Bandaranayake International Airport (CMB). You must arrive between the hours 05:00 to 21:00 on Sunday.
If you arrive outside the pickup times, you can book a private transfer for an extra fee.
If you want to book any extra nights before or after your program, you can do this for an extra fee.
Alternatively, if arriving early you could wait at the arrival’s terminal for the pickup time, book accommodation at the airport and meet us during the pickup times or make your own way to the project (we will advise on how to do this).
From the airport to the Kandy accommodation, it takes around 3-4 hours by road and to the Ambalangoda accommodation, around 3 hours.
During the 1st week
The first week of your program will include a week orientation in Kandy (this is compulsory). You will better learn about local culture, what to expect, do’s and don’ts, take part in cultural activities and see some local sights. This will better set you up and make it easier to integrate into your volunteering program.
During the 2nd week, onwards
Participants will be taken to Ella at the end the 1st week (Sunday) by bus or by train, depending on the availability of the public transport (transportation cost is not included). On Monday, you will be starting the teaching project in Ella. You are required to be at the preschool by 7:30 a.m. till 11:30 am and you will be assisting the teachers during the lessons and helping to clean the classrooms before and after the classes as well as other daily classroom activities. You may also get the chance to teach older children in the afternoons.
Here are a few things you can do in Sri Lanka!
Royal Botanical Gardens
The Botanic Gardens are situated around 5. km to the West of Kandy. Once being only for the Kandyan royalty, they are now open to the public to wander around at their leisure. There’s 60 hectares of beautiful garden to explore, where you will see a huge Javan fig tree, pretty orchids and even monkeys!
Knuckles mountain range
This stunning mountain range is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and hosts many walking trails. You will find small villages, beautiful waterfalls, numerous native wildlife and rice fields. This is the perfect place for people who love the outdoors and adventurous hiking trails.
Sigiriya (Lion Rock)
Another UNESCO World Heritage site, this ancient rock is situated around 91km North from Kandy and is very popular with tourists, who can climb up to the top for some seriously stunning views. Along the way you will see antient rock carvings and paintings on the walls of this sacred rock. It will take roughly just over an hour to climb up.
Yala National Park
Located on the South coast of Sri Lanka, this stunning park hosts one of the highest leopard densities in the world. Not only that, you can also spot elephants, monkeys, birds, buffalo and more. There are numerous tours in Yala, from day tours to over several days of safari.
Adam’s Peak
Around 91km South of Kandy you can climb to the top of this sacred sight, just as the locals do for pilgrimage. It’s a bit of a trek up in the dark but totally worth it to see the sun coming up over the clouds, mountains and lush forest. You will be greeted by stunning views to reward your efforts!
Hortons Plains National Park
You can trek through this beautiful national park to ‘World’s End’, a 9.5km round loop trail, taking around 3 hours. This is a pretty easy walk, but you will be greeted with amazing views out over the countryside and above the clouds! It’s best to visit here early (before 10am) as the clouds can roll in after that and block the incredible views.
Udawatta Kele Reserve
Situated near the Kandy lake, this nature reserve is complete with monkeys and birds- fantastic for wildlife and nature lovers. Here you will find wooded forests, over 400 species of plants and 70 bird species. You can trek through the forest for a relaxing break away from the city.
Tea Plantations
Kandy and Nuwara Eliya are both popular places to visit a tea plantation, for a refreshing taste of some of Sri Lanka’s best fresh tea! Not only do they produce great tea, the landscape is stunningly green, with endless hills rolling off into the distance.
- Cover up as much as possible in the spirit of the local culture to avoid embarrassment.
- Your clothes must not be too short, too tight or too revealing. Kindly make sure your shoulders and legs are covered.
- It is completely fine to wear western clothes as long as they fit the local standards.
- Be thoughtful while in the midst of a poor communities by not displaying expensive items and clothes.
- Wearing local clothes could help you build a good working relationship with the community.
Additional information
Please be aware that each school has a different volunteer number capacity. You will be placed at the project based on availability
For information on holidays and any programs affected, please see the following link: LK – Holidays – All Programs
With a population of 20 million, the democratic socialist republic of Sri Lanka, formally known as Ceylon is a tear drop shaped island off the south eastern coast of India. Steeped in over 2000 years of history, the culture is unique to Sri Lanka and known for it’s export of tea, holistic medicines, cinnamon and gemstones including a unique blend of music, dance and visual arts.
Colinised by the British, Dutch and Portugese, there is a multi-culturalism with distinct Sri Lankan flair that feels similar to India, only a whole lot more chilled out! Sri Lanka, better known as the “nation of smiling people” is predominently buddhist (approx 80%) with some Hindu, Muslim and Christianity.
Sri Lanka has eight UNESCO World Heritage sites and given it’s size it’s easy to experience them all in a short period of time. From the world’s oldest living tree in Anuradhapura, to the colonial architecture of Colombo, to the white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters, to lush natural forest, picturesque cities, thousand year old temples, and ancient civilation ruins there are really so many reasons to visit this amazing land.
Sri lanka has a tropical climate with distinctive wet and dry seasons. Temperatures vary and it can get much cooler in the mountains than it can on the beach.
On average temperatures in Sri Lanka vary from 28- 32 degrees, but in the mountain regions this can go to as low as 16 degrees.
From mid-April to September the Southwest moonsoon rains come, affecting the West, Southwest coastline and the Hill Country. On the East coast, the monsoon rains start from November to March but are not quite as severe.
December to March are the best months to visit the West or South coastline and the Hill Country. For the East coast or the North, the best time to visit is from April to September.
Sri Lanka and known for it’s export of tea, holistic medicines, cinnamon and gemstones including a unique blend of music, dance and visual arts.
Colinised by the British, Dutch and Portugese, there is a multi-culturalism with distinct Sri Lankan flair that feels similar to India, only a whole lot more chilled out! Sri Lanka is predominently buddhist (approx 80%) with some Hindu, Muslim and Christianity.
There are many festivals in Sri Lanka. Here are the dates for some of them!
- January: Duruthu
Celebrates the Buddha’s first visit to Sri Lanka. During Duruthu, thousands of people attend colorful parades, which consist of three processions on the nights before the full moon. The processions consist of fireball performers, drummers, dances, decorated elephants and the most important – a gigantic tusker treading a white carpet. - April 13th or 14th: Avurudda (New Year)
Avurudda celebrates the Sinhalese New Year in Sri Lanka. According to Sinhalese astrology, the new year begins when the sun changes from Meena Rashi (Pisces) to Mesha Rashi (Aries). - June: Poson Festival
Poson Festival takes place on the full moon day of June and celebrates the arrival of Buddhism, which occurred when Arahat Mahinda, the son of the emperor of India, converted King Devanampiyatissa to Buddhism. - October or November: Diwali (Festival of Lights)
Diwali is an ancient Hindu festival that signifies the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, hope over despair, and good over evil. It is celebrated with millions of lights shining over houses, temples, and buildings.
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