Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
During your time in Sri Lanka, you will be working at a well-respected elephant foundation in Kegalle, which was established in 1999. The aim of the foundation is to improve the treatment and protection of elephants in Sri Lanka and it has cared for over 100 elephants since its inception. Currently, the foundation houses several elephants, who have come there to receive medical treatment or for a period of rest. The foundation also operates a mobile veterinary unit which travels around Sri Lanka treating elephants in need. Other initiatives currently run by the foundation include ecological farming and English teaching to members of the local community.
So, how will you help to make a difference?
- At the elephant foundation, you will assist with the daily care of the elephants, as well as helping to develop public information and raise awareness of the foundation.
- Your help is also needed in various tasks such as updating reports, newsletters and maintaining membership database. You can help to assist the staff in various activities that help to keep the charitable foundation afloat.
- You will have an opportunity to get involved in the foundation’s eco-farm, an ongoing and evolving project that aims to be entirely self-sustainable in producing medicinal herbs and vitamin rich plants to supplement the elephant's diet as well as vegetables for human consumption.
- There is also a chance to help teach English to the mahouts and their families. Low income groups cannot afford to pay for special tuition and an inability to speak in English hugely affects their chances of finding jobs.
We believe that travel should have a lasting positive impact that helps to change lives for the better. Our ethos is that under the right guidance from our local partners you can help to bring about positive change. It is a simple fact that most the countries we visit do not have adequate resources to financially support or staff up new initiatives and that’s where you can make a significant difference – in lending your time, energy and enthusiasm to ensure that the projects have a constant flow of volunteers ready to get stuck in and eager to help them achieve their goals.
Through our programme of supported volunteering we assist volunteers to participate on existing projects, which have often approached us for support. These projects existed before our partnership and would continue without, albeit a little slower in achieving their goals. We believe it is vitally important to support worthwhile projects in a sustainable way that doesn’t have a destabilising effect on their development and the wider community.
People who travel on our trips return home with a much deeper understanding of the country visited than a typical tourist would ever gain. Prior to departure all our volunteers receive information containing guidance on how to travel and experience a culture responsibly and, where volunteers will be working with children, we insist upon a criminal records check even if it is not required by the country they are volunteering in. On arrival in the destination country all our volunteers receive a welcome briefing and our local coordinators are on hand to give any additional guidance and advice during their stay.
Wherever and whenever possible, all the staff and leaders are sourced locally providing a great insight into the way of life; we use family home-stays or locally-run accommodation and we encourage use of local markets and public transport to help ensure as much money as possible goes into the local economy.
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