Affordable Volunteer Programs in Sri Lanka from $315 with IVHQ

I loved my time spent with the children of Bali, they are so full of life, so sweet and fun. It was a pleasure to have met and taught such amazing children. Back at the volunteer house, the staff there treat you like family, they are so kind and considerate. The meals they provide you with are delicious and they are also welcoming you to a conversation or help you out. The other volunteers are also all very kind, you get wide a range of ages and backgrounds but everyone is friends with each other.

Over the Christmas holidays, I was fortunate enough to travel to Kandy, Sri Lanka on my second volunteer aboard program with IVHQ. During my first two-weeks I completed a volunteer placement teaching English and in my last week I did the trekking week add-on which was completely organised and facilitated by the local team. Although the trekking week was full of outdoor activities, beautiful hikes and waterfalls I found the volunteering was the highlight of my experience. I thoroughly enjoyed Teaching English to the local children – it was both a challenging and rewarding experience which taught me a lot about myself and what I am capable of. The local team were very accommodating, and we were given many options and were not just limited to the program we had initially signed up for. Within the teaching program, there were two options available for which we could chose to participate in one or both – a morning session teaching English to Monks and an afternoon session teaching English to the village kids. There was a scheduled lunch break between each session.

I chose to participate in both programs and thoroughly enjoyed the variety of teaching two very different groups. This allowed me to spend more time with my fellow volunteers and helped enrich my experience. I was intimated at first as I had no previous teaching experience but the local team, my fellow volunteers and the children were all very supportive. Although I was the teacher, I learnt a lot from my students – they taught me to be creative with my teaching methods and how we could create a fun and educational environment with little resources. It was refreshing to be in the absence of computers and to rely on talking, drawing, and playing and creating games from sticks, stones and bottle caps found on the ground. My favourite memory was on my last day of teaching I gave one of my students some ribbon from my Christmas wrapping (she loved to tie her hair in ribbons for school). I will never forget the joy on her face and how she hugged me after receiving this gift. It was something so small yet it brought so much happiness. Volunteering here has taught me that I should never underestimate myself, especially my own ability to make a difference no matter how small or simple my actions may seem.

They say travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer and, in this case, it could not be more true. If you have any doubt in your mind about volunteering aboard, erase it and take the leap. You’ll make lifelong friends, create lasting memories and most importantly enrich your own knowledge and life experience.

Where to begin! I volunteered for 2 weeks at a Turtle Conservation Project in Sri Lanka. This was my first time traveling abroad and I couldn't have picked a more perfect place. This country has SO much to offer! Beautiful nature, city, food, animals, history, culture, and so much more. The whole experience was wonderful, but it was the people and culture that made the experience special. The Green Lion staff were some of the greatest people I've ever met! So kind, supportive, and full of humor! I cannot wait to go back one day!

I volunteered in Fiji for 3 weeks doing the kindergarten project. The local staff were amazing. So helpful, encouraging and friendly. I made so many friends during my time in fiji and created lots of amazing memories with them. The kindergarten was a huge eye opener and was a great opportunity to see more of Fiji’s culture. Tutoring was so much, the kids are so clever and kind! The locals in Fiji are so accommodating and friendly and helpful. I miss it so much and will definitely will be back in the future

This kindergarten program was one of the best abroad experiences I have had! I signed up with IV HQ, and it was a very simple process. then, IV HQ works very well with Green Lion Bali. The Green Lion Bali accommodation also is with other volunteer programs, allowing you to meet amazing people and hearing about their impact and projects as well. Green Lion also encourages you to explore the culture and sites of Bali, providing taxi services and contacts to other places, which really allowed us to learn and see a lot.

It was an amazing experience to repeat.
The Geen Lion organization is doing very well. They care about our well being.
Each project has a coordinator who accompanies us and is a support for any communication needs.
I always felt myself integrated on the local culture.
I briefly worked on three projects:
In the special care school, in the preschool and in the kids village. I had fantastic moments in all of them, both by the reception, by the involvement and especially by feeling me useful among all.
I've appreciated and give such a value to those teachers so dedicated on the progress of their students! I've appreciated the traditional teaching methods used for the special needs students and so usefull!
I still had the opportunity to participate in the cultural activities offered by the organization. I miss it all!

“Thank you maam
I love you
Please come back
Signed,
[x]”
Those were the words written by a 6 year old girl on a glitter umbrella card she made for me. It’s something that gave me a sense of purpose, it’s something I’ll hold very dear for the rest of my life, and it’s something I owe to this wonderful programme.
The programme was very flexible letting you experience as much as you can, so I spent my time volunteering as an English teacher to the village children and monks and renovating temples and it was such a unique, and, most importantly for me , very real opportunity to contribute something to the global community.
Obviously, being on a volunteer mission in a 3rd world country isn’t the same as being in a Hilton hotel, but it’s all a part of the experience and immersion in the culture, which on itself is something wonderful.
So even if you think the food too spicy, are bothered by the flies and gekkos, or feel like the climate is unbearable, it takes one playful child, a kind elderly woman, or even the generousness of your own fellow volunteers, and you’ll know why you’re there.

My time in Sri Lanka was an amazing experience. I spent two weeks there working on the Wild Elephant Conservation Project. The project itself was really eye opening. We learned about the human elephant conflict in the area and how we can help. For example, we helped plant orange trees around the villiger’s houses to prevent the elephants breaking them trying to get the rice stored inside. We also worked on some smaller projects that revolved around other wildlife in the area such as the big cats and endangered butterflies. We didn’t have contact with the elephants, but we did get to see them frequently and super close up! I will never forgot what a surreal experience it was. The staff were nice and we ate lots of traditional Sri Lanken food.