If you enjoy being in the outdoors in a stunningly beautiful location, helping local people and the local wildlife, doing work that is really valued and making a significant difference to young peoples lives, then this programme is perfect for you!

It is a true Sri Lankan Experience where you'll do worthwhile, rewarding work and make a real difference in the community.
 

►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 help underprivileged children who have very little.
Price	From £795 / US$1,195 for 2 weeks, ranging to £1,895 / US$2,845 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:

• About Wasgamuwa National Park

• Accommodation and Living in Sri Lanka

• Sightseeing in the Region

• Travel, Visas and Support & Backup Provided

PROJECT OVERVIEW
Our teaching programme takes place a 10 minute drive from Wasgamuwa National Park.  If you want to go back to the very basics, in a stunningly beautiful part of the world, helping local people and the local wildlife, this is the perfect project for you. You’ll be doing work that is really valued and making a significant difference to young peoples lives. Here you will be doing extremely worthwhile and rewarding work and building towards making a real difference in a very special rural community.

The location is breathtaking with incredible scenery and wildlife set in the remote hinterland of the island, given the accolade, by natives, as the most beautiful place in Sri Lanka. This placement is ideal if you enjoy wildlife and the outdoors - there is plenty to keep you occupied in this beautiful region. The surrounding jungles and villages can be explored easily by foot or bike and trips to other parks in the region can be arranged.

Project Start and Finish Dates
The start dates for 2011 are as follows:

• Monday 7th March 2011

• Monday 4th April 2011

• Monday 2nd May 2011

• Monday 6th June 2011

• Monday 4th July 2011

• Monday 1st August 2011

• Monday 5th September 2011

• Monday 3rd October 2011

• Monday 7th November 2011

• Monday 5th December 2011

Volunteers will be transferred back from Wasgamuwa to Ja-Ela 12 days after arrival (or on the last Friday of the month).

Departure or arrival on any other non-scheduled dates is also possible – however, there may be an additional charge for this. Please check with us for further details.

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:
You'll teach English to local people of all ages in village schools which are very basic and lacking in facilities. As this is a very poor area there is no electricity. You need to be flexible and adaptable with your teaching, much of which will be very hands-on.

The teaching schedule, at present, takes place at three locations: one of the two local schools in the morning and the temple class in the afternoon. You will probably teach from 9-11am and again at 3:00-5:30pm in the afternoons; it is about a 6 hour day. Sometimes the more able students – those in their early 20’s – will come to the house after dinner in the evening to learn more in a more informal setting. Some of your lessons can also take place outside!

There are roughly 125 students spread across four different classes each week that you will teach. You will have your weekends free for travelling and sightseeing.

Teaching in Wasgamuwa is varied with ages ranging from about 8 - 40. Your students will be an eclectic collection - from school children to monks and park wardens! The plan is to keep increasing radically outward, so that more villagers will benefit from your presence. One of the institutes where you will teach is for extra curricular learning, held in the afternoons by our volunteers, and therefore all of the students who attend this class are there because they have chosen to be. Everyone sometimes meets together on Friday afternoons, for a loud, hectic and very enjoyable get together!

Sri Lankans are very shy and don’t want to make any mistakes. At first they may be reluctant to answer in English but they do gain confidence very quickly. They are very keen to grasp English and this enthusiasm makes teaching progress at a fast rate.

Your students will always come prepared with their own writing books and pens; these are cherished as they are in such short supply. There is a blackboard at the front of the class and somehow chalk is always found – although if you do have any space left in your luggage a pack of chalk is highly appreciated. The enthusiasm and pure delight of the children more than makes up for the lack of equipment.

The English lessons that you will take usually include a heavy environmental component. For example, you will take your students on field trips to watch birds, and here you may be asked to teach the basics of bird identification, ecology, behaviour and conservation within the context of each English lesson. This way you can include other natural history subjects such butterflies, reptiles, plants and flowers, natural history in general and anything about elephants!

If volunteers have additional skills in an environmental filed (biology, ecology etc) then they will have the opportunity to make the most of these. You'll be accompanied by a translator/guide, which will help in your initial communication with your students.

You'll be working with a local NGO (the SLWCS) who are particularly involved with conservation in the area. The aim of this segment of their overall project is to make the participating villagers knowledgeable enough so that they can find rewarding employment in the future.  This will include work on environmental projects as well as eco-tourism. These sustainable economic incentives will help to stop the consumptive use of these forests by villagers. Your help is very much appreciated and extremely needed!!

WHAT THE PROJECT GAINS FROM YOUR VOLUNTEERING:
“The volunteer program is an integral component of the sustainable initiatives we are implementing in Sri Lanka. There has been a completely new economic development at the local level just based on the volunteer program. You can observe this in the growth and development of so many of the local stakeholders who are directly and indirectly benefiting from the program.  Even for the Wasgamuwa National Park we provide their biggest revenue.  We hope to initiate a study just to assess the economic impact of the volunteer program at Wasgamuwa.” Dr Ravi Corea, President and Founder of the Sri Lankan Wildlife Conservation Society

ABOUT WASGAMUWA NATIONAL PARK

The National Park of Wasgamuwa is a dedicated area of conservation, a stunning expanse of grasslands and hills. It is described by the locals as the most beautiful place in the whole of Sri Lanka. Given that Sri Lanka is beautiful everywhere, you get some idea of how exceptional this region is!

This region is full of photo opportunities - outstanding rivers, lakes and wildlife that make for a photographer's paradise. There is no other entertainment, thus you'll enjoy serenity and spending time alone. The Maduru Oya National Park, which is about an hour away by jeep, is renowned for its Elephant population and Elephant sightings during an organised safari are very common - the amount of wildlife in this area of Sri Lanka is just incredible!

This is a remote area with very basic facilities but will give you a true Sri Lankan experience. The placement is only suitable for those people who enjoy reading and solitude as there is nothing to do in the evenings. However, we send a minimum of two volunteers at the same time, so you will always have some company!

The teaching project in Wasgamuwa was initiated by the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society (SLWCS) as a way of reducing the human-elephant conflict in the region. Through community participation the SLWCS aims to resolve this conflict over the coming years. The on-going goal is to increase the level of English amongst villagers. Read more about the goals of the SLWCS programme and how your work as a volunteer will assist with this.

In 2008, the SLWCS was selected by the United Nations Development Programme to be a recipient of the prestigious Equator Prize 2008. The Equator Prize is an international award that honours community-based projects that represent outstanding efforts to reduce poverty through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

Enhance your Programme with some exciting activities:

Got any questions? Please email us:
info@travellersworldwide.com