Wonderful first experience volunteering abroad!

Volunteering at SLWCS in Sri Lanka was in every way an amazing experience. The program is located in a small village of around 300 in a rural area about 5 hours from Kandy. The location is beautiful. You really have the opportunity to be immersed in the culture. The volunteer house is a very simple style of living, which is actually a beautiful thing to experience if you give it a chance. There is a cook who makes delicious local style meals each day.

The staff on the project was incredible. Not only did they teach me a lot about human - elephant conflict, they taught me a lot about the local life. They were friendly, caring and they had a great sense of humor.

The project itself is very data related for research purposes. There are usually two activities a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I think one of the most beautiful things is the fact that you never know what you may see day to day, as some days you may see a huge herd of elephants while another you may not see any.

I feel like I was able to see a lot of the country by traveling on the weekends. The project was flexible and I was able to see a lot of the island. I got a good balance of volunteering and personal travel.

I feel like everyone who comes on this program can have a completely different experience from the next, which is awesome. You can make this program what you like it to be. You can come as a couple, you can come alone, you can come with friends. You can see whatever you would like to see on the weekends. All while helping some wonderful people make a difference.

There's not a single bad thing I have to say about my time in Sri Lanka. It was a total life changing experience and a lot of what I learned I will always carry with me. All I can say is how grateful I am that I could have this experience.

If you are at all interested in this program, go. You will have a great time and you will be so glad that you went!