Sri Lanka
- Population : 21 Million
- Main Religion : Buddhist
- Language(s) : Sinhala, Tamil
- Capital : Colombo
- GNP per capita : £2500
- Population below poverty line : 22%
Sri Lanka is a truly beautiful island and a fantastic country to volunteer in. For an island of its size it is packed full of things to see and do; it has countless ancient monuments, breathtaking views and stunning beaches as well as many game parks, great towns and even rainforest!
What volunteers take most from living and working in Sri Lanka is an opportunity to share time with the wonderful Sri Lankan people and learn about their culture and way of life.
VESL volunteers have returned to the UK with huge enthusiasm for the country and many exciting stories to tell (such as new-found curry making skills, a unique insight into Buddhism and a great many new friends!)
VESL started sending volunteers to Sri Lanka in 2003. Since then it has sent volunteers to projects in the North, East, Southern, Central, Western and Uva provinces. It has worked in the Singhalese, Tamil, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Christian communities.
During the last year our activities in Sri Lanka have been restricted to the Central, Western, Southern and Uva provinces as the current situation within the country has made it extremely difficult to work in our projects in Jaffna, Trincomalee and Battacaloa.
The safety of our volunteers is of utmost importance to us. We would never allow volunteers to go to a project that we were not confident was safe. VESL always makes sure we have the latest information from the FCO and our Programme Managers, in-country coordinators and resident representatives all monitor the situation on a daily basis.