SLV Global - www.slv.global

This experience taught me a lot of useful skills.

Being a Sri Lankan myself, I did not think that I would have new things to discover about Sri Lanka. However, I learnt a lot about Sri Lanka and the people of Sri Lanka whilst volunteering with SLV. During the weekend travels, you get to discover beautiful places that differ from one to the other, around the country.

The staff are very friendly, helpful and understanding. They will help you through the placement journey. Furthermore, though you receive a lot of help and guidance, the placement teaches you about the importance of teamwork as you plan all of your sessions together. This helps you to observe and learn at first, from the volunteers who have already been there for a while.

Moreover, the homestay families are very caring, attentive and kean to learn a lot about you! The families love to share their way of life and culture with you and are eager to do so.

After spending 12 weeks as a Special Needs volunteer/coordinator, I learnt a lot about myself and lots of new skills as to how it is important to be responsible, friendly and how important it is to really care about others. Furthermore, being on this placement taught me a lot about, how helpful therapy is as I do not come from a psychology background.

All in all, SLV really cares about YOUR experience and it also values teamwork, which combined together provides you a great platform to gain an absolutely great and useful experience in Sri Lanka.

had a nice time, thank you

I was a part of the January-April team.on.the mental health placement. I gained valuable experience and knowledge about mental health and worked along side such lovely people. I made life long friends and discovered an amazing country . Take me back!

I spent 3 months coordinating and volunteering with SLV last year and wish I could have stayed longer. I miss the projects, the people, the food, the evenings at the homestays, the weekend travels... I got to work as part of a team made up of really inspiring individuals and the amazing local volunteers and project managers were always on hand and offered a solid network of support. Work across the projects can be challenging and emotionally demanding but is ultimately really rewarding, and has been useful in so many different ways in job applications since. The variety of the projects is also a really great asset – working with people with special needs, for example, was something I had never done before; while it was initially intimidating, by the end these were some of the most enjoyable times and where some of my fondest memories are. I whole-heartedly recommend SLV to anyone who is thinking about it!

The Psychology Mental Health placement is a unique placement which gives you a broader perspective and an insight about working in a clinical setting. It helps you to understand the different areas of clinical psychology and gives you a better perspective to deal with various disorders. Talking about teaching which you need to be aware of before applying for the placement. Take teaching in a positive way cause it teaches different ways of non verbal communication and understanding views of kids and youth which indirectly is a part of psychology which helped in my clinical placement. Overall it was a wonderful experience. I am glad SLV gave me a completely different cultural perspective about working in mental health. I would surely recommend it for a insightful experience and to try something which you haven't before. Cheers!

I cannot recommended the psychology placement enough to anyone who is looking for a unique and insightful experience within mental health. SLV do all they can to make your experience the best it can be for you personally and everything is very well organised. Sri Lanka is a beautiful country with amazing culture which you get to experience first hand with SLV. I have learnt so much and I am grateful for all the support I received from SLV before, during and after my time in Sri Lanka. From a psychology perspective, although culturally different the work is varied and relevant and really useful for anyone looking for a career in this field.

From being a volunteer coordinator on the Graduate Mental Health Placement in January 2014, I can honestly say that SLV gives you a unique and eye-opening experience. Not only do SLV allow you to work with people in a different country and experience a whole new culture, but they fully support you and ensure a positive impact on the communities with which they work. The experience is definitely challenging, but it is also rewarding and I can't believe how much I learnt over my three months in Sri Lanka.

Had such an amazing experience with SLV, very supportive and welcoming with you for every step of the way. Would definitely recommend it to anyone that wants to volunteer abroad working with children. You get such a variety of experience working at the different projects. Living at a homestay with a Sri Lankan family was great too getting really involved in the culture.

I was a volunteer coordinator for SLV in January 2014, doing the Graduate Mental Health Placement. It was an amazing experience and I would love to go back. Expect more teaching than you think there will be - but actually I found I got the most in terms of skills out of my teaching projects rather than the special needs or psychology ones. The Sri Lankan team were so helpful and supportive. Living in a homestay with a Sri Lankan family made my experience so much more like actually living in the country and being a part of the community than you would get living elsewhere. I loved every minute of it and would definitely recommend it as an amazing way to "help" others, experience a new culture and help you in finding a job.

I had an amazing volunteer experience with SLV! I would recommend it to anyone interested in working abroad, especially if you are passionate about working with kids and youth.

I did the teaching placement and lived with a lovely family in Horana, which was great! I chose SLV because it seemed organized and professional and nothing disappointed me when I came down there and started working. It didn't take long until I felt as a part of the local community!:) People are REALLY hospitable and friendly in Sri Lanka!

During the week we got to do a lot of different work, and therefore I gained loads of new experiences during my two months stay. It was exhausting, but the lovely dinners in our homestay gave us the energy we needed! Having a loving family around every day really made me feel like home.

And Sri Lanka may be the most beautiful country I have ever visited! It's so much to see and do without being overcrowded. I hope to return one day! Good luck to all the new volunteers!