Build homes for orphans

Product Details

Marco Polo considered Sri Lanka to be ‘the finest island of its size in all the world’. He wasn't wrong! For travellers searching for a taste of the real Sri Lanka, Kurunegala is a definite must. For half a decade this remarkable city was the country's capital, giving it a rich cultural history that can still be seen in the remains of the Temple of the Tooth Relic. The entire city is surrounded by seven mighty rocks that vaguely resemble animals in both shape and form. Legend has it that during a year of drought the animals threatened the city's water supply and were turned into stone.

Ethagala (the Elephant Rock) is the most famous of these rocky mounds and holds a giant statue of Buddha upon its peak. In the city's centre a vast clock tower stands in memory of the soldiers lost in both the first and second World Wars. The city boasts impressive transport links to the rest of the country and will put you in the perfect position for a bit of weekend exploration. Your experience of the city will be perfectly complimented by your work at a local project where you will be helping to build homes for orphaned children. This is a great opportunity to interact with local people and to catch a glimpse of a side of Sri Lanka that mainstream travellers will never see.

Project details:
Our building project in Sri Lanka is supporting the construction of a girl's home to shelter girls aged 5 to 18 years old. The girls are either from broken homes, have learning difficulties or have been left homeless as a result of the Tsunami. The eventual plan is to open up the home in late 2007 with a view to the girls starting school in early 2008. The aim of the home is to develop this group of girls up to educationally and socially well balanced girls so they can re-integrate into society.

Why the project needs volunteers:
While the project has received funding to build the home, they are still left short of adequate funds to pay for labourers. This is a real opportunity for i-to-i volunteers to get stuck into a large scale building project helping the local community, ensure a safe future for the girls and learn an array of construction skills in the process.

Your role as a volunteer:
You would be involved in fairly labour intensive work due to the nature of the project. There will be a vast array of different activities you can get involved in such as back filling and ramming of the foundation, concreting the floor, rubble work, tiling of various areas such as the bathroom etc, plastering and painting of walls, electrical wiring, excavation of the well, plumbing, excavation of a small pond and landscaping, fencing and even landscaping. Please note this will depend on the progression of the build.

Where the project is based:
The project is based in the small town of Kurunegala in the north western province. It is about 40kms from Kandy (home to the famous Temple of the Tooth), where you will have access to internet cafes. You may even take the opportunity to visit the magnificent rock fortress of Sigiriya.

Please book your flight to arrive into Colombo (airport code CMB) on the advertised arrival date to ensure your airport pickup.