Sri Lanka Aid Work

Hey all,

I spent a couple of weeks in Sri Lanka in late 2007 travelling and adored the place more than anywhere i have ever been.

Due to a few personal circumstances (age - i%26#39;m 24, lack of work here - ie the recession here in ireland, not married yet etc) combined with the current situation in sri lanka with the war possibly coming to some kind of end.

I%26#39;ve decided that now is defintely the best period in my life to do some aid work/volunteering and I would really like to do this in Sri Lanka. I have done some very vague googling of it but apart from that I don%26#39;t really know much in general about the possibility/type of aid work there is needed in Sri Lanka.

Bits of info, I would ideally like to go for at least 3-6 months maybe up to a year and am physically fit and quite intelligent. I have no skills as such (doctor/builder or anything like that) but would be adept at most things I turn my hand to. I wouldn%26#39;t be looking to leave for around 6 months so this is very much at the early stage of researching into this.

I would love to teach out there or help in whatever way is needed - ideally not in colombo but anywhere else really.

Can anyone help point me in roughly the right track on this one? is it going to be best setting all this up myself rather than going through some kind of aid agency?

on a completely random sidenote - does anybody have any interesting books about sri lanka they could recommend?

many thanks in advance for the help

s

Sri Lanka Aid Work

Hi S,

Just some general comments:

* On a tourist visa, even the ones for 3 months which might be extensible for upto 6 months per year, you can NOT do work. Not even any %26#39;volunteer%26#39; work where at least your cost of living is sponsored. Also if you hope to stay %26gt;6 months, really a sponsored visa is better than the uncertain paths of tourist visas.

* So, despite there being many options welcoming volunteers (who pay their own expenses), seems best to first try through a formal NGO. E.g. VSO in the UK which has a worldwide network.

* If you go self-organised, then indeed many many poor places where help is needed...

* Interesting books on Lanka - depends on what your angle is. If you want to understand the society more deeply and also part of it%26#39;s politics I%26#39;d recommend the two books organised by UNTHR-J (University Teachers of Human Rights-Jaffna.). I got my hands on one of them (and will at the right time find the other) and use it as kind of %26#39;bible%26#39; in the rare cases that I advice Western people on Lankan society - e.g. a talk for a small university audience last year...

All the best,

%26lt;Erik%26gt; %26amp; [Sandya]

Sri Lanka Aid Work

have a look at the Foundation of Goodness (www.unconditionalcompassion.com) for details of a really well organised (and well resourced) Sri Lankan outfit, which I have personal experience of. If you need something less well sorted contact me for more details.

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