A childcare volunteer in Sri Lanka can make a vital contribution to brighten up the daily lives of children from challenging backgrounds. From supporting educational development and encouraging a positive lifestyle, you can play a key role in making a positive impact on the local community. The projects we work with provide a vital safety net for these children. The more help and encouragement they can get from volunteers, the better and brighter their future.
In Sri Lanka today, care homes are the fate of many children for a multitude of reasons. According to UNICEF, out of over 21,000 children in children’s home’s in Sri Lanka, one or both parents of over 19,000 of them are still alive. Poverty is a root cause with families feeling they cannot afford to adequately provide for the child, to give them the education and start in life they need and deserve.
These children may have been abandoned by their parents, abused, lost both parents or not have a family who is able to support them. In addition, there are also a lot of children in care due to the high number of people who seek employment outside of Sri Lanka, especially in the Middle East. As there are not enough jobs available or a sustainable income in Sri Lanka, many parents are forced to find work abroad. In these cases, their child may be temporarily living in care.
If you volunteer in Sri Lanka with children, you'll find it is a highly rewarding experience and one that people from all backgrounds can get involved in. You can support these children's homes to ensure the kids get a positive start to their education and development. Sharing your time, skills and affection as a childcare volunteer in Sri Lanka will be deeply appreciated by the families affected. Finally, there are also a range of animal volunteering abroad projects in Sri Lanka you can support.
You will be working with projects that are either founded by the local team or ran by the local community who require additional volunteer support at the project.
Each childcare volunteer in Sri Lanka has the opportunity to join this morning project. You’ll be providing much-needed help to the local community and working parents, who otherwise would not be able to afford quality care for their young children. PMGY provides a fully-funded safe environment for children aged 1-4 years old. Subsequently, this allows parents to work and earn an income, generally in local cinnamon or garment factories, in order to provide for their families.
At the preschool, the childcare volunteers will be supporting the preschool with basic education. In addition to assisting local teachers, volunteers will get creative leading dance and exercise classes, teaching poems and helping with hand craft activities.
Travel tips
You should arrive into Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo (airport code CMB) on the selected Saturday start date. Programmes start on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month. You will be met at the airport by one of our local staff or an appointed driver who will be holding a named sign. They will take you to your accommodation where you will spend the rest of your day at leisure.
The programme ends on the Saturday of your final week and you should depart the accommodation on this day.
Can I use this program as part of a university or college placement?
It is certainly possible to use one of PMGY’s programmes as part of your university or college placement. Project staff can sign off any paperwork required by your course tutors. PMGY regularly receives medical, childcare, psychology and nursing placement students at our projects around the world and we have ties with some of the leading universities.
If you’re a course tutor and would like further information about how one of PMGY’s programmes could meet the placement requirements for your degree course then please contact us.
Is it safe to travel to PMGY destinations?
Although our volunteers work in the developing world, we always ensure our host locations are safe. Each programme has been extensively researched and has passed our strict vetting process. Our UK team undergo an extensive routine when establishing our in-country infrastructures and we continue to monitor our safety procedures on a regular basis. Furthermore, we monitor the stability of our volunteer destinations on a daily basis. Through our constant contact with consulates and embassies and our reports from our overseas teams, we are able to ensure that our volunteers are never placed in unstable regions.
The PMGY team have visited and participated in every programme we offer and verified them based on our own independent criteria. We carefully inspect every little detail of our set-up. From inspecting the living conditions, checking out the neighbourhoods you’ll be staying in, to tasting the food you’ll be eating – each and every programme we establish has gone through a lengthy and rigorous vetting process. Risk assessments have been written for all areas in which PMGY operate and our experienced local coordinators are always on-hand to manage any emergencies that may occur. Our UK team are always on the road reviewing our risk management procedures in the field and monitoring local conditions.
In emergency situations we have the necessary protocols and equipment in place and we are able to evacuate our volunteers from potential dangers. Our local coordinators are trained to deal with emergency circumstances.
When you join PMGY we will send you a Volunteer Handbook. This document addresses a range of issues such as health, safety, visa issues etc. Furthermore, our UK team are only ever a phone call away should you wish to discuss any aspect of your upcoming programme. When you arrive in-country, you’ll be given a comprehensive safety briefing during your orientation course by our local coordinators. We will go through everything from emergency procedures, how to use local transport and cultural differences. You’ll also be given the opportunity to purchase a local SIM card, something we strongly suggest, so you’re contactable at all times. We will provide you with a full list of the important contact numbers that you’ll need to know.
All our local teams are experienced development professionals who have years of experience in hosting international volunteers. They are our representatives on the ground and will assist you 24/7 throughout your stay. Whether you need to call home, travel at the weekend or require urgent assistance – they are there to support you.
While we cannot guarantee your volunteer experience to be 100% trouble free we have taken all the necessary precautions to make sure each programme is as safe as possible.