Information
Where does SL Volunteers work:
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SL Volunteers
Colombo, Sri Lanka
SL Volunteers is a Volunteer Organisation in Sri Lanka, set up by recent graduates. Their aims are to provide affordable volunteering opportunities for students and graduates whilst making a positive impact in the communities in which they serve. All volunteers are required to undergo a series of in-country training sessions run by local NGO’s and charity workers, such as basic Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), working with children and people with special needs.
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Current Projects
SL Volunteers are involved in projects offering practical experience for teaching and social work, including working in children's home and teaching English.
Children’s Home Project
Every Volunteer will be placed in one of 9 different Children homes for the afternoon.
The main aim of the Children’s home project is to offer the children with extra curricular teaching to enable them to catch up with other children their age and have enhanced career opportunities when they eventually leave the homes. Due to severe underfunding, the living standards at these Children’s homes are extremely basic. The homes are substantially understaffed and volunteers act as positive role models for the children and provide them with some much needed personal attention.
Special Needs Project
SL Volunteers work at two centres for people with a range of different disabilities, assisting local staff in running therapeutic activities such as art, music and active game playing.
Teaching Project
SL Volunteers run free spoken English lessons for unemployed youths aged 18-25. The teaching project is run in partnership with the National Youth Services Council (NYSC). The aim of the classes is to improve the students spoken English, our volunteers often choose less conventional ways to get the students speaking such as, conducting practice job interviews, playing active word games and putting on plays.
Sports Coaching Project
Sports include: Netball, Football, Rugby, Volleyball, Cricket. Sport coaches have also run physical exercise lessons at local schools.
Deaf School
This School provides a supportive educational environment for deaf children and their families. Volunteers will be running interactive activities for students of all ages. The School have asked SL Volunteers specifically to support the older children in their preparation to leave the school to help them secure jobs. This project is suited for people with hearing difficulties or for people that have experience working with deaf people.
Partner Needs
SL Volunteers aim to recruit volunteers all year around.
Financial Needs
SL Volunteers do not receive donations. Volunteers are encouraged to bring teaching aids to their placements.
Mission Statement
The aims of SL Volunteers were to create an affordable & responsible volunteer organisation, for students and graduates.
SL Volunteers endeavours to ensure that all volunteers are trained to work sensitively and effectively in Sri Lanka and offer all volunteers the relevant training necessary to contribute to the needs of the community in which they serve, while increasing the skills base of Volunteers themselves.
Training is provided by local professionals and NGO’s who are familiar with the local context and the local solutions needed to address the situation specific needs of beneficiaries. Topics include ‘working with abused children’ and ‘working with persons with specific needs’.
SL Volunteers employ people from the Sri Lanka to support volunteers and all UK Assistant Coordinators are voluntary.