SRI LANKA

COACH FOOTBALL IN SRI LANKA FROM 2 WEEKS TO 6 MONTHS. Sri Lanka is an exotic island, famous for its 1,600 kilometres of unspoilt, golden beaches and diverse climate zones. It is the proverbial paradise island! 

You'll work in schools for the poorer children and the underprivileged section of the community in JA-ELA, midway between Colombo and the popular Indian Ocean resort of Negombo, and the football coaching project is very popular with the children. Sri Lankans are very friendly, hospitable and welcoming, if somewhat laidback and in no-rush mode to get things done!

►SUMMARY FACTFILE
Start Dates	All year round - you choose your start and finish dates!
Duration	Minimum stay 1 week up to 3 months, subject to visa restrictions
Requirements	No qualifications needed, just a big heart and a desire to provide care and support.
Price	From £945 / US $1,420 for 2 weeks, ranging to £1,995 / US $2,995 for 12 weeks. Full Price List and other Currencies
What's included	►Accommodation ►Food ►Meeting you at the Airport ►Transfer to your accommodation ►Full pre-departure support ►Local in-country team support and backup ►24-hr emergency support ►Free T-shirt.
What's not included	Flights, Insurance, Cost of Visas (if a visa is required, but we'll provide necessary documents and assistance).
Who can do this Project?	All our projects are open to all nationalities. Unless otherwise stated, you need to be aged between 17 and 70+

Also on this page:

• Volunteer's Report on his Coaching Experience

• Accommodation and Living in Sri Lanka

• Travel and Visas

PROJECT OVERVIEW
A few years ago, a group of five Travellers volunteers with lots of initiative went to Sri Lanka to coach football to the children, the first football coaching that Travellers had provided the children. This project was so hugely successfully and the children loved so much that we've continued it ever since. At the end of their project, the five volunteers reported that the children showed "vast improvement" and that the school's under 17s team had won four out of their last six matches! Your work will help to continue our football programme.

WHAT YOU'LL GAIN FROM DOING THIS PROJECT:

• An exciting, never-to-be-forgotten adventure into South East Asia and the Sri Lankan culture.

• The enormous satisfaction of helping disadvantaged children and seeing how your efforts are making a difference to them.

• New skills, more confidence, a greater understanding of a different culture, invaluable personal and professional development.

• An entry on your CV or résumé that will put you head and shoulders above most others in the job market

• And best of all ... an unforgettable experience!

WORK CONTENT:
The schools we help cater for the poorer and underprivileged children and have about 400 to 500 pupils aged 5 to 16 years old. You'll coach at a number of schools. The facilities are basic but the children are excited about playing football and being coached by our volunteers. The pitches in Sri Lanka are typically gravel and dirt pitches, which makes the game of football very quick and exciting as it is played at a very different pace and style to European football.

The schools have very limited sports equipment and facilities, but lots of enthusiasm. You'll work with the teachers to create and coach school teams that will play in the inter-schools Travellers Football Tournaments which you'll organise with the schools as part of your placement.  The tournaments were established to provide the children with the opportunity to play football competitively, which many of the children haven't had, so towards the end of your placement, you may be able to organise a tournament that brings together all the schools you've been working with to play against each other.

In the past volunteers have organised very successful football tournaments which have been the highlight of the year for the children at the school given the honour to represent there school. We provide you with a manual on how to run a tournament.

You can combine a sports football placement with a one-month placement in the Elephant Orphanage.

Enhance your Programme with some exciting activities:

Firstly, may I thank you for enabling me to have possibly the best six months ever. Sri Lanka is a beautiful country and the people are wonderfully kind and generous. Mr Roshan was extremely helpful and kind, both during our voluntary placement and during our return from travel.

The Coaching in the schools was a huge success and I hope that Travellers will be able to undertake similar projects in the years to come. Myself, Richard Anderson and David Ruddle all concentrated the majority of our time to WP/NG Ekala Maha Vidgalama School, with Ian and Trevor Snelling concentrating on St. Joesph's School. All five of us also taught at WP/NG Christ King's National College, Tudella, during the afternoon 2-3 times weekly. 

The students all seemed to enjoy the coaching immensely and showed vast improvement during the three months. As the program came to an end we arranged a tournament between the schools which was a HUGE success!

One important point we realised early on was the benefit of consistency in the same coaches teaching the same children. We developed an amazing rapport with the children and it made it a joy to teach them. When we used to arrive at the school in the morning the children would literally mob us, it really was an amazing experience, so thank you very very much.

Thanks again for the experience of a life time. 
Michael Ecclestone

Accommodation:
Travellers has a traditional Sri Lankan house in Ja-Ela. It has marble floors and 13 bathrooms! It is spacious and comfortable, with a garden, several balconies, two lounge rooms and many bedrooms. You will most likely share a room with other Travellers volunteers. There is a TV and DVD player for evening entertainment, in the upstairs lounge area and with the latest DVD copies just a pound to buy locally, there is usually something to watch!

Teaching, Work Experience and the Colombo Zoo placements are all based in Ja-Ela and so the house is often full and offers a lively, sociable atmosphere – there is usually no shortage of friends to spend weekends at the beach with! Ja-Ela volunteers also have the advantage of easy access to Colombo’s facilities, major bus stations and also the Airport Gardens Hotel - a luxury hotel which offers facilities that include a fantastic swimming pool. The hotel is only a short trip away from the volunteer house: perfect for those lazy afternoons!

The area of Ja-Ela is an industrialised town and although it is not one of the paradise beauty spots, it's a good point at which to start your exploration of the island's many beaches and beautiful inland resorts.

Climate: In the lowlands the climate is typically tropical with an average temperature of 27^OC in Colombo. In the higher elevations it can be quite cool with temperatures going down to 16^OC at an altitude of nearly 2,000 metres. Bright, sunny warm days are the rule and are common even during the height of the monsoon - climatically Sri Lanka has no off-season. 

TRAVEL:
To read about Travel arrangements and what happens when you arrive in your new country, please click here.

Support & Backup: To read about the excellent Support & Backup we provide before you leave and during your programme, please click here.
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Suite 2A, Caravelle House, 17/19 Goring Road, Worthing,
West Sussex, BN12 4AP, England
Tel: +44 (0)1903 502595    Fax: +44 (0)1903 708179
Email:info@travellersworldwide.com