Download - Volsol sri lanka brochure 2016 compressed
ContentsCover01
Contents02
Your Accommodation08
Accommodation and Living09
Cost and Start Dates 10
What am I Paying for?11
What am I Paying for? (Contd.)12
Things to Do13
How to Apply - The Process14--16
Get in Touch17
Sri Lanka and Kegalle Overview 03
Elephant Program04
Sea Turtle Conservation05
Disabled Care Program06
Teaching underprivileged children07
VOLUNTEER
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Sri Lanka is a delightful discovery and quite serene at several
places. You will be amazed by Sri Lankan landscape which is
diverse. It harbours golden beaches, curvy rolling hills, lush green
forests, beautiful and patterned tea gardens, and acres and acres
of beautiful heathland which gives it a country look at some
places.
ColomboColombo is the capital and gateway to Sri Lanka. Just like its
friendly neighbour India, it is a multicultural and multi-ethnic city,
comprising of Sinhalese, Tamils and smaller communities of
Portuguese, Dutch, Malay, Chinese and of course people of Indian
origin. Like many Asian countries, Sri Lanka also shares a colonial
past and has heavy influences of British and Portuguese cultures
on architecture of various monuments and houses. It is imperative
forfor a discerning traveler to spend a day here in Colombo and
explore the beach of Mount Lavinia, Talangama wetland, Galle
Face Green, Gangaramaya Temple and many more such popular
sites of interests.
Colombo Trip HighlightsChance to tour busy lakeside city of Kandy,
rich colonial legacy of Nuwara Eliya and Galle
Explore the diverse flora and fauna in the
plains, wetlands and rainforests
VolunteerVolunteer for upkeep of elephants, taking
care of little kids, working in the turtle
conservation program and helping the
disabled.
Take a day trip or city tour of Colombo city
Check out Adam’s Peak, Kegalle, Yala national
park and Anuradhapura
Sri Lanka and Kegalle Overview
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Programs in Colombo and Kaegalle
Disabled Care
Teaching Program
Turtle Conservation ( available in Kosgoda)
Elephant Camp
Program Requirements
Participants should be 17 years and above
Love for animals
Motivation and Flexibility to volunteer work in a different cultural setting
Volunteers under this program will work in an Elephant Welfare
Project in Sri Lanka where elephants are kept and treated for any
ailments, feeding and taking good care of them. Volunteers get a
chance to see elephants up and close working in tandem with the local
authorities. Volunteers help in Cleaning work in animal/ elephant
enclosures, keep elephants environment clean ( Muck out living area ),
Cleaning of the garden and assisting in landscape work, load
orphanageorphanage garbage & debris, assistance in behavioral enrichment
programs under supervision of the Mahouts you might be asked to
help bathe the elephants in the river. Volunteers may also help vet
doctors if needed. Volunteers will also spend time in the eco garden
where fruit and vegetables for the elephants are grown by volunteers.
The project also involves visiting the local disabled home for adults and
kids, where volunteers will help serve evening tea. Volunteers will have
thethe opportunity to learn how to cook a Sri Lankan food and the Sinhala
language
I enjoyed my placement very
much. Didn't want to leave.
Everyone was very friendly.
A wonderful experience not to
be forgotten
-Amanda Palmer
Elephant ProgramStarting from $525
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Add On Tour
Colombo and Kandy ................................................... 2 Night/3 Days
Kandy and Nuwara Eliya ................................................... 2 Night/3 Days
Program Requirements
Participants should be 17 years and above
Love for animals
Motivation and Flexibility to volunteer work in a different cultural setting
Under the sea turtle conservation project, volunteers would be
required to actively help bury the sea turtle eggs in order to rescue
them from the poachers. You would have to conduct daily checks on
the eggs to check their hatching time and help the emerging baby
turtles. All in all this project requires volunteers to help conserve the
turtle population. This would also include taking care of cleaning,
feeding and helping the turtles in whatever way possible.
Task of the volunteers would be:Task of the volunteers would be:
To 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.
TheThe hatchery is involved in a research program in order to protect the
endangered sea turtles that nest in the beaches of Sri Lanka therefore
volunteers are expected to patrol the beach once a day to look for any
pieces of fishing nets, which cause a large number of deaths in sea
turtles and other requested information on the data sheet.
Volunteers will also patrol the beach at night for nesting turtles as part
of this research. The project is located in Kosgoda.
Sea Turtle Conservation Starting from $525
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Add On Tour
Kandy ................................................... 1 Night
Colombo ................................................... 1 Night
Program Requirements
Participants should be 17 years and above
Criminal Background Check/Character Certificate is Required
Motivation and Flexibility to volunteer work in a different cultural setting
Under this program, volunteers are required to interact and
communicate with patients with physical disabilities. Some of the
patients at the home despite having friends and family have been long
forgotten. Volunteers play a vital role in keeping the patients’ spirits
high and the time spent by volunteers is greatly appreciated. In
addition to this, volunteers assist in preparing meals for the patients,
general housekeeping duties and keeping the home and the
surroundingsurrounding garden area clean. The housekeeping duties are not
compulsory, the main activity for volunteers is to interact with inmates
at the home. Volunteers who are also looking to gain work experience
and/or who are qualified in the physio therapy field are always
welcome.
Disabled Care ProgramStarting from $365
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Add On Tour
Colombo and Kandy ................................................... 2 Night/3 Days
Kandy and Nuwara Eliya ................................................... 2 Night/3 Days
Program Requirements
Participants should be 17 years and above
Criminal Background Check/Character Certificate is Required
Motivation and Flexibility to volunteer work in a different cultural setting
Under this project, volunteers have to work with some underprivileged
schools in the outskirts of Colombo attended by children from poor
back grounds. Volunteers are requested to help the teachers with the
running of various classes such as art, music, drama, English, wood
work, and/or home economics. There is also the opportunity for
volunteers to help the young adults with vocational training which will
help them to help themselves and to provide extra lessons for those
studentsstudents who are not very confident in class or need a little extra help
with homework. Teaching Placements are also available in Kegalle
where participants teach in school projects.
Teaching underprivileged childrenStarting from $365
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Add On Tour
Kandy ................................................... 1 Night
Colombo ................................................... 1 Night
Accommodation Highlights
Fully Furnished and clean
Three meals a day from Mon - Fri
Near projects and basic amenities
Volunteers are picked up from the Bandaranaike International
Airport in Colombo by the local coordinator or representative. The
cost of transportation from the airport to Galle is included in the
program fee. All volunteers are given an orientation about their
project and the location by the local coordinator. Areas like
culture, greetings, locations, transportation, safety and volunteer
placements are given during the orientation. Accommodation to
participantsparticipants in Colombo and Kegalle is provided in volunteer
homes. Volunteers of the same gender share rooms together and
usually 2-4 volunteers share a room in dorm style
accommodation. Meals from Mon - Friday are provided to the
volunteers. You will have your individual room or share it with
another volunteer. The accommodation would be clean and
comfortable. Meals provided to the participants comprise of local
SriSri Lankan dishes so that you can savour the authentic Sri Lankan
cuisine.
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Accommodation and Living09
Most people are surprised to hear that they have to pay to volunteer abroad. What they often do not realize is that there
are significant administrative costs involved to arrange for a worthwhile volunteer abroad placement. Volunteering
SolutionsSolutions is not supported by any government funding and runs its programs entirely from the fee that volunteers pay to
take part in the volunteer programs. Volunteering Abroad, involves incurring of many costs such as food, accommodation,
transportation, transfers, project selection etc. The program fee charged by us, goes into providing you all these services.
The money that you pay to us is distributed at various stages to provide you a meaningful volunteer abroad experience.
VOLSOL Program Cost IncludesAdvertising Online/Offline Credit Card processing charges
In country maintenance of offices, vehicles etc.Staff recruitmentVolunteer recruitmentMaintaining office and other expenses
Salaries for staffNGO financial helpCommunication with volunteers and partners, by phone/email etc.International travel done by our staff to monitor projects and attend local meetings with partnersWebsite maintenance.Government taxes.
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What am I paying for?11
Administration Cost
In Country SupportProject Development
Project Support &Field Cost
Food & Accommodation
It is necessary for an organization to employ full time staff to recruit and manage volunteers. There is lot of work that goes
side by side ensuring that you are supported before and during your program. We are dedicated to make your volunteering
abroad a memorable experience and ward off of all possible hunches at every steps. Our administration cost is 28% of the
total cost which include advertising, staff salary, website maintenance, taxes, volunteer recruitment and other expenses.
The application processing fee is part of your administrative costs, unlike many other volunteer travel company we do not
chargecharge any additional credit card processing fee. These companies can charge as much as 6% on your application fee taking
it to a difference of almost $100 extra. We have a flat rate and that is what we charge.
Administration
You may be endowed with exceptional skills and acumen in your area of expertise but to figure out your exact role in the
placement agency and to gain insights of its operations require training. To know cultural practices and etiquettes is of
sublime importance to carry out your tasks. So you need someone who could impart training and dispel your doubts at
every step, obviously he/she doubles as your friend and trainer.
Good grasp of the local language is an added advantage that helps you to communicate effectively and learn the culture
promptly so in some cases they also assign language trainers to help you out who is paid by program provider.
Training and orientation
We charge for food and accommodation based on your preferences. You may decide to do home stay or group accommo-
dation or relish the cuisines cooked by host family and pay them. You may cook for yourself if you find it economical or your
placement organization may provide you lunch. You have plethora of options to choose from and charges are determined
accordingly. Host organization provides a safe and welcoming atmosphere for the volunteers. Food and accommodation
charges cover 40% of your total expenditure.
Food and accommodation
Volunteer service organization often employs in-country staff to provide local support and to make your volunteering
abroad experience memorable. As long as you are volunteering outside which may take up to six months, our staff is
continuously working for you behind the screen. So we pay them from program fees we receive despite other sources like
grants and donations.
Nothing can be more discomforting than to struggle for getting basic services like healthcare, banking or even visa
reviewingreviewing in a foreign land that otherwise would have been comparatively less difficult in an English speaking country. As a
volunteer, you have not been tied up to the agency only but you may roam around the city to watch historical places, zoo,
movies etc. and should have total access to everything in order to distress yourself. VolSol has incredible in-country support
(around 12%) to ensure your trip runs smoothly.
In country support
The most important part of the volunteering fees is on the project which you have chosen. Program fees help fund the
project activities and resources. Thus organizations need paid staff member to ensure continuity of your program and
administrative duties. Project development involved 11% of the total program fee.
Project Development
What am I paying for? (Contd.)15
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.
Surrender to the nature
The forests of Sri Lanka are known for giant elephants, especially, but the speciality does not end here. Walk through the
Yala national park or take a jeep safari at Minneriya National Park, and you will see 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 beauty
and beautiful creatures.
Wildlife at its best
An island nation colloquially means a lot of adventure activities. Of course, one might not pick 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.
Take a dip of adventure
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.
Explore the rich culture
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 mouth watering. 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.
Food and Festivals
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Things to do in Sri Lanka
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Trip Notes
Teaching in schools other than teaching monks program can also be arranged.
How to apply - The process14
From the drop down select either Volunteer Abroad, Intern Abroad or Summer programs abroad.
If you are already familiar with the website and are visiting just to apply ignore this step and simply click on the Apply Now button at the
end of the drop down header.
Where it will ask you to create a login and password for your My Account login. Your email id would be treated as the username or user
id. Click on the proceed to next step button. The next step button will take you to a form that you have to fill to pay your application fee
of $225. This application fee will book your seat in the placement until you pay the entire program fee amount. If we fail to provide you
the placement we will refund you the money.
**Points to Heed
**If you are a past volunteer and already have my account user id and password then login to your my account section directly.
**If you are a returning volunteer within a year, then you do not need to pay the application fee again. **If you are a returning volunteer within a year, then you do not need to pay the application fee again.
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When you click on the apply now button, you will get a window like this:
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How to apply - The process15
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Fill out the forms marked 2 to 4 and submit application, it will be redirected to your payment gateway, where you can make the payment.
If you make the application fee payment now, your My account login would be activated as soon as we receive the payment. In case of
any glitches if your My account login is not activated, please inform us and we will do it manually.
You will receive a Thank you mail for booking the application or making your my account
login. You will get this email irrespective of full payment made or not.
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This email would be followed by a Welcome mail and a community email with platforms to
help you connect with our past volunteers. If you are using gmail, please check your
promotions folder or spam folder and mark them not spam and shift them to your inbox.
Actively participate in VolSol Facebook page and Groups and also join the social
community made by volunteers, that will help you better prepare for the trip.
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How to apply - The process16
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One month prior to your booking you will get your pre departure booklet. The
pre-departure booklet would contain all the details about your project and project
location.
While on the project, we will send you an email to check on you, whether you are doing fine or not. You can send your pictures, blogs or
videos or anything related to your ongoing work to us and we will share it with other prospective volunteers.
After the completion of your project, we send you a feedback form, fill this form out and help us improve our services.
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If your placement is confirmed you will get an email from us stating the same, along with
the final payment due amount.
You can pay your program fee from your my account section or from payment page. The
links for the same would be provided in the email. Payment details would be updated on
your my account page.
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