About i-to-i What i-to-i trips and TEFL are, how and why we do what we do!
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About i-to-i What i-to-i trips and TEFL are, how and why we do what we do!
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Marco Polo described the island of Sri Lanka as the finest of its size in the world and he obviously knew his stuff. Legend has it that it’s shaped like a tear drop because the mainland was so upset to see the island become cut off, and we can understand what they mean. But their loss is your gain because left to its own devices it has developed a unique natural environment full of surprises for you to enjoy. Save some energy for the project though because you can make a real difference to young people's lives by providing support with homework and English language lessons, as well as generating creative play through games, sports, singing, dancing and drama.
Welcome to Sri Lanka! Today you will be met at the airport and taken directly to the hotel which will be your home for the first night of your stay in Sri Lanka. You will have the rest of the day to rest and recover from your journey. If you are feeling adventurous you can head out and start exploring your surroundings!
If you arrive in time then one of our team members will be available for an informal orientation at the hotel from 6:30pm until 8:30pm, and dinner is included.
If you aren’t able to arrange a flight to get you into Colombo on the specified arrival date we’d recommend you fly in a day early. We can arrange an early airport pick-up for you including one night’s accommodation, please call us for more information.
Today is orientation day. Orientation will take place at 8:30am in the hotel where you’re staying in Colombo. All new arrivals will have their orientation together, and this will cover important information such as what it’s going to be like at your project, dos and don’ts, fun things to do in Sri Lanka, a language lesson and how to stay safe on your trip. This is your prime opportunity to ask any burning questions that you haven’t yet had answered and to meet your fellow volunteers!
In the afternoon the team will arrange for you to transfer to your permanent accommodation for the remained of your trip. You’ll have the rest of the day to relax and settle into your new home.
Today you’ll be up bright and early to make the journey to your project and meet the staff who will be your day to day contacts. The in-country team are always available if you need them, but the project staff will be your daily point of contact.
You’ll be shown around the project, agree on your work schedule and spend the rest of the day learning the ropes and getting stuck into some volunteering.
Now you know your way around you can really get to work! You’ll be working alongside the full time Sri Lankan staff members and will be involved in a wide variety of tasks depending on the needs of the project. You could be singing and dancing, teaching informal English to children and adults, playing games and giving out cuddles, helping with the day to day running of the centre or helping with the homework when the children come back from school. Be flexible and proactive as the more you put into volunteering the more you’ll get out!
Your weekends are free to spend as you chose so this is your chance to explore Sri Lanka and all it has to offer. You can use your free time to relax, write a journal or get to know Sri Lanka a little bit more.
There are opportunities to enjoy weekend trips to visit the tourist areas and stunning ancient cities such as Kandy, Polonnaruwa and Anuradapura. Further up North you can visit Nuwara eEiya and down south the beautiful beaches of Sri Lanka. These trips aren’t included in your placement fee but the i-to-i team will be happy to offer advice and help you plan your weekends.
The following weeks will follow a similar pattern of volunteering during the week and relaxing and exploring Sri Lanka during your weekends. Time will fly by so make the most of every minute in this paradise location!
Having said goodbye to all your new friends, taken your final photos and packed your bag full of souvenirs you’ll travel back to the airport. The return transfer from your home stay to Colombo airport is not covered within your project fee, but i-to-i staff will be able to make recommendations, the costs will be around US$15
In Colombo, we work with a few different community development projects based around the capital city of Sri Lanka.
The projects are orphanages or children's homes which house male and female children from disadvantaged backgrounds, aged up to 18 years. Some of the children are orphans, some would otherwise be homeless, and some have been abused or sent to live at the homes following court cases, or by single parents who can no longer afford to care for them. All of the children are now cared for, and are given an education. Your help as a volunteer is invaluable to help them rebuild their lives and improve their future prospects.
Most of the projects are under resourced and the children and young people are from disadvantaged backgrounds, with many of them being orphans. They will have had tough starts to their lives and you should be prepared for some challenging behaviour and emotional insecurities.
Volunteers at this project should have a genuine love of children and young people. Although you do not require any special skills, any experience working with children or young people would be valuable. Volunteers must be able to use their initiative and be motivated to work without guidance. Volunteers should be patient, compassionate, flexible, resourceful and imaginative.
Colombo is a bustling, vibrant city close to the coast, where you will be well placed for travel to other parts of the island and will have easy access to local amenities. The projects you’ll be volunteering at are in quieter areas just on the outskirts of the main city.
You will be volunteering Monday to Friday with your weekends free to spend as you chose. Your schedule will be agreed during your introductions at the project and could consist of morning, lunch, afternoon or evening shifts, so you should be prepared to be flexible! Any extra time you want to give to the project will be greatly appreciated.
Please be aware that the work pattern is different in Sri Lanka to most Western countries: the pace of work is often slower and more sporadic. You should not expect to work the same number of hours every day. Also, there may be some unscheduled breaks from your work due to the frequency of public holidays in Sri Lanka.
You may become involved in a variety of activities, including homework support, arts and crafts activities, games, songs and social education. All of the projects involve an element of English teaching, but the amount required and the method of teaching will vary from project to project.
Your schedule will be flexible and will depend on the needs of the project. You may be asked to help the staff members improve their English or IT skills, or you may become involved with fundraising or improving the appearance of the project. You may also be involved in various extra curricular activities such as dancing, music, art and craft.
As the children go to school during the day you will be helping around the centre or looking after the younger children who do not go to school by teaching them English through songs and games. You will also be helping the children when they come back from school with their homework, playing games and just having fun!
All of the projects are under resourced so you will need to use your initiative when planning activities! Have a brainstorm of ideas for songs, games and simple lessons that you can do with the children that don’t require too many props (Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes is always popular) and don’t forget they are of different ages and abilities so think of a variety of ideas.
If you’d like to make a donation to your project then things like stickers, craft materials, stationary, toys, clothes and books are always welcomed. A lot of these resources can be purchased when you get to Sri Lanka, which will have the added bonus of helping the local economy as well as saving space in your luggage!
Books with English words, flash cards and souvenirs from your home country (flags, postcards, traditional items etc) are a great way to introduce yourself to the people at the project and help them to learn about you and your culture.
Please remember that you will be acting as a role model to the children and should therefore behave and dress appropriately. You should not wear revealing clothes (keep shoulders, tummy and knees covered), or t-shirts with slogans that may cause offence The children will look to you to learn social skills and manners, so save the dirty jokes for when you’re letting your hair down at the weekends and in the evenings please!
It may seem like a strange concept to pay for your volunteer experience. You'd be right if you think you shouldn't and the truth is you actually don't! Your placement is free; it's the benefits around it that you pay for. It's important to note that i-to-i is a travel company and not a charity. We provide a professional travel service. We are responsible for finding and assessing worthwhile projects across the world, preparing you fora the volunteering experience and supporting you whilst you're there.
Here’s some more information about what your placement fee covers….
We work with hundreds of locally run partner projects around the world and are constantly sourcing new opportunities. We visit all projects to check that they are worthwhile and legitimate and we also conduct a thorough safety assessment before we'll send volunteers there. More
Almost everyone who works for i-to-i has traveled extensively or worked overseas. This means we're a goldmine of information; we're always available to offer support and guidance before, during and after your trip.
Once you book on to a project you'll receive a Welcome Pack that contains loads of general information about volunteering, about your chosen country and how to have fun and stay safe. We'll also give you advice on visas and inoculations.
It can be pretty daunting arriving in a different country for the first time - especially after a long flight! If you arrive on your project start date, there'll be a welcoming face at the airport to pick you up and take you to your accommodation.
Soon after you arrive you will attend a thorough orientation with our in-country team. This is to cover important safety and security information. You'll also get some tips about sight-seeing options for your time off and maybe even learn some of the local lingo!
Accommodation is included with all projects and meals are even included with some. We only use locally-owned and operated accommodation so that part of your placement fee is filtering back into the local economy. Most projects offer homestay, guesthouse or shared volunteer houses as standard accommodation, but some offer the chance to upgrade to a more comfortable living standard. More
Your in-country team will arrange a pick-up for you at the airport and will conduct your orientation upon arrival. All coordination teams are English speaking and are locals of your destination country. They won't be at your project every day, but will be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week if you need them. More
Aside from the local support from your in-country team you'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line manned by our response team in case any problem should arise while you're overseas. We also hire crisis management professionals to be on hand in case of a situation that requires additional expert support. More
The safety and security of our volunteers is paramount. For this reason we provide ongoing crisis management and emergency response training to our local teams around the world. We also fly in our in-country coordinators to the UK regularly for thorough training to help them offer the best safety to the thousands of volunteers they support each year. More
We don't fund our projects directly from the project fee that you pay us. Instead we choose to support a number of projects every year through a grant scheme for tangible long-term initiatives. In the last 3 years we have distributed over US$250,000 to our most needy projects to help them in the great work they do.
We make no secrets of the fact that part of your placement fee is reinvested in to recruiting volunteers just like you! The volunteers recruited in one week will typically deliver over 2000 man-days of service. The difference this makes to projects overseas is immeasurable. Many of our overseas projects rely on assistance from international volunteers, so it's necessary for us to put together brochures and websites to find the people who can support them. This recruitment process is vital to ensure programs have a constant stream of reliable volunteers.
Volunteering through a company like i-to-i has a lot of intangible benefits to developing overseas communities and the individual projects that we work with. To find out more about our placements. click here
We aim to provide you with a safe and soft landing into your destination by picking you up from the airport, giving you an orientation that helps to settle you into the country as quickly as possible. Its also the best time to ask any questions you have about your time in Sri Lanka.
You will arrive on the Arrival date - Sunday and will be met at the airport on that day and will be taken to the Ranveli Beach Hotel (see contact details below) where you will have the first day/night to recover from your flight. One of our team will be there on hand to advise you about the area and show you around and to take you to the Mount Lavinia hotel, where our volunteers can rest by the pool. The member of the team is on hand for an informal orientation before dinner at the Ranveli Beach Hotel at 18.30 to 20.30 hours.
If you're arriving early we can arrange a meet and greet for you. If you require this please contact us to arrange this service. If you wish to make your own way please arrange to be at the address below on the arrival date:
Ranveli Beach Resort 56/9 De Saram Road Mount Lavinia Telephone 0112 717385 Contact person Mr SusanthaYour orientation will take place the next morning, Monday, at 08.30 hrs and you will be taken to your projects and permanent accommodation at about 13.00 hrs after the orientation. Tuesday will be the first day that you meet your project and start working as a volunteer.
It's important that you get adequate travel insurance for your i-to-i experience and as many of you will be working this often means standard policies won’t work. The good news is that no matter where your coming from we have already found a policy to suit you.
The best time to get your insurance is when you book your project as this means you can get a fully tailored policy exclusive to i-to-i, just ask your consultant for further details at the time of booking.
EU Customers – find out more here >>
Australian customers - find out more here >>
All other customers - find out more here >>
As with insurance we advise you get these booked as early as possible to avoid high prices and to make sure you arrive on the right day. The i-to-i team is right up to date with the best deals no matter where you’re flying from; their insider knowledge could save you some time and money.
If you are arriving before your designated arrival date, we can arrange for an extra meet and greet service for you. For an extra supplement we will be there to meet you at the airport and take you to your orientation accommodation. One additional night a
The cost of this Early Pick-up service is US$ 100.00
When you arrive into Colombo airport, you will spend your first night in a hotel in Colombo where you’ll recover from your flight and settle into life in Sri Lanka. The Ranvali Beach Resort has a restaurant, bar, internet access and is right at the beach! i-to-i volunteers can also use the swimming pool of the nearby Mount Lavinia Hotel if they wish, which will be shown to you by one of our team members when you arrive.
The following information relates to the accommodation you will be using for the majority of your stay, while participating in the volunteer project.
The accommodation you stay in will depend on which project you’re placed at. You will be staying in accommodation on site or in a separate room within the children`s home itself. All of the accommodations are twin share, so you will sharing your bedroom with another volunteer of the same gender as yourself.
The facilities will vary according to which accommodation you are in. All of the accommodations are what we call basic but comfortable! You will have a fan, showers, running water and western style toilets, and there will be a fridge and somewhere to lock your valuables away safely.
Please bear in mind that due to the temperature in Sri Lanka, most locals wash in cold water. Some of the accommodations may have hot running water, but it’s not the norm so you should see it as an added luxury!
There will be laundry and internet facilities either on site or nearby and all accommodations have electricity for charging your gadgets!
The accommodations are all around Colombo, and you will be in easy reach of all amenities.
You will be living on site so you will not have too far to walk each morning to work!
Sri Lanka’s history is interwoven with myths and religious beliefs. In the central hill country, Adams Peak is fabled as the first place that Adam set foot after being cast out of Eden – his footprint is set in the rock seems indelible proof. Buddhists claim that the footprint is proof that Buddha placed a holy foot in Sri Lanka en route to paradise. To the north of the country a series of islands runs north to India – these are believed to be the stepping stones that Rama crossed in order to rescue his wife Sita from Rawana, the devilish King of Lanka. One thing that these myths do prove is that the religious and cultural history is both diverse and complex.
The Veddahs were the original inhabitants of the island, but they were gradually displaced by Sinhalese migrants from northern India. This migration took place from around the 6th century BC and led to the founding of the first great Sinhalese empire, Anuradhapura in the 4th century BC. This kingdom was converted to Buddhism in the 3rd century by Mahinda and the country has remained largely Buddhist ever since.
The city of Anuradhapura was the centre of Sinhalese culture for over 1500 years until invasion by Southern Indian kingdoms gradually eroded its power and Vijayabahu I abandoned for the more southerly and more easily defended Polonnaruwa. This kingdom lasted for another 2 centuries until the excesses of its rulers and increasing invasions from India led to a dispersal of the Sinhalese culture and the emergence of a strong Tamil presence in the north of the country.
The Portuguese trader, Lorenço de Almeida, arrived in 1505 and began friendly relations with the king of Kotte, establishing a Portuguese monopoly on the lucrative spice trade. Over time the trade relationship changed from co-operation to colonisation and the Portuguese gradually gained control of the whole island. The Portuguese (like all colonial powers) exploited the island and ruled through a mixture of greed, avarice and intolerance. In an attempt to free themselves Portuguese rule the northern kingdom of Kandy enlisted the help of the Dutch, whose concerns were primarily mercantile and less intolerant of Sinhalese customs.
The Dutch ruled most of Sri Lanka until 1796, when the British swept to power. Over the next 150 years the British colonisers changed land laws and introduced the widespread planting of cash crops such as coffee, coconuts and cinnamon. The demands of these huge plantations saw a further migration of Tamil workers from Southern India, which would have devastating long-term effects on the future stability of Sri Lanka.
After India gained independence from British rule, the British government was under increasing pressure to grant independence to Sri Lanka and in February 1948 Sri Lanka became a sovereign state and a member of the British Commonwealth. In the years since independence tensions have run high between the Buddhist Sinhalese majority in the South and West and the Hindu Tamil minority in the North and East. Many wars have been fought, many ceasefires broken and an estimated 60,000 people have been killed and over a million displaced. At the time of writing, a Norwegian brokered ceasefire had been broken and fighting was raging in the around the eastern town of Vaharai.
As with much of Southern Asia, the country’s weather is dominated by the monsoon. To make things even trickier Sri Lanka experiences two monsoons!
The yala season runs from early May until August and sees the southwest monsoon hit the south and west coasts and the central highlands. The second monsoon – the Maha season – affects the north and east of the island between October and January. Dry season in this part of Sri Lanka runs from May to September while in the south and west it runs from December to March.
Temperatures during the dry season can climb to the mid-30ºC, but the central highlands around Kandy can offer respite from the heat and warm jumpers are a common sight in the evenings. The seas around Sri Lanka remain warm all year but can be rough and sometimes dangerous during monsoon.
Travelling in Sri Lanka is can be a hugely frustrating experience. The only compensation that the traveller can gain from travelling in Sri Lanka is that the distances are relatively short. Whatever journeys you do decide to make in Sri Lanka, check security warnings from the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (see links below) before travelling to the north and east of the country.
When travelling by bus it is virtually impossible to reserve a seat. The only way to guarantee a seat is to arrive at the bus station a good half an hour before the scheduled departure time and hang on to your seat for dear life. There are a wide variety of bus services ranging from largely slow and uncomfortable CTB buses (Central Tourist Board) to privately run air-conditioned inter-city services that are faster and more comfortable.
Train travel can be a more relaxing option than travelling by bus. There are three main lines: Colombo to Matara, Colombo to Badulla and Colombo to Anuradhapura. There are also two branch lines one to Trincomalee on the east coast and another to Polonnuruwa. Because of the relatively short distances involved there a very few overnight sleeper services. It is usually best to take a second-class seat as the seats are padded and they are usually slightly less crowded. For journeys along the south coast train travel is definitely the best option. Although the trains are often late, they are infinitely better than trying to negotiate the traffic jams, crashes and pollution of the Colombo to Galle road and there are normally people selling great food on the trains – corn on the cob, Sri Lankan sweets and fried prawns.
While travelling around Colombo taxis and tuk-tuks are a great option. It is a good idea to arrange a fixed price before setting off. For longer distances car hire can be a great way to get around. Although the costs are relatively high, they offer larger groups more freedom and comfort. One consideration that should be taken into account are the state of some of the countries roads and the over-riding lunacy of many of the countries drivers –Sri Lanka is not a great place for inexperienced drivers, especially on the Colombo-Galle road. Another option is to hire a car and a driver. Again this is a relatively expensive option, but if you’re short on time and have a little money too spare it can be a good option as not only do you get transport but you get a local guide into the bargain.
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s website provides up-to-date political news, travel advice and information on visas.
A locally run car hire company with a main office in Colombo.
Avis have offices in Colombo.
Official website of Sri Lanka tourism board.
We work in partnership with hundreds of established projects that are run by local communities. The information on our website comes directly from the projects and we work with them to ensure this information is as accurate as possible. However, due to the very nature of the projects themselves the exact details of what happens on a daily basis can change with little or no notice. If you have travelled with us and have any updates to this information, please let us know.
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