Once you have secured your place, join regular video calls to meet your Program Manager and other volunteers before your trip.
Inspired to be a Special Needs Care volunteer in Sri Lanka? International Volunteer HQ’s Special Needs Care project empowers volunteers to assist in specialist schools, care centres and homes for people with disabilities. In Sri Lanka there is often a lack of knowledge and cultural acceptance about physical and mental disabilities so these facilities and the volunteers who help at them play an important part in making sure disabled people have access to quality care, education and social interaction.
Children and adults with physical and mental disabilities are often not well cared for in Sri Lanka due to a lack of information and acceptance within their communities. As a result, many are taken to special care facilities where they are able to receive appropriate treatment, care and education during the day.
As a Special Needs Care volunteer, you’ll help to entertain and educate disabled children and women with a range of mental and physical disabilities. You’ll be placed in special needs care centers in Kandy, many of which are under-resourced and can really benefit from your time and involvement.
Volunteers assist local staff with:
Volunteers with appropriate qualifications and experience may also be able to assist with hands-on physiotherapy and rehabilitation. Volunteers also with medical qualifications such as dermatologist or dentist are welcome, although they do not have any medical equipment at the project.
Please note, the project is not available on Thursdays and volunteers can either rest or help on the Construction and Renovation project. The project is open on the weekends if volunteers are wanting to do more hours.
When you volunteer with people with disabilities in Sri Lanka you’ll be adding value to the local community, while also developing personally and professionally by:
Submit a free application so we can confirm your eligibility and check availability for your preferred dates.
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Once you have secured your place, join regular video calls to meet your Program Manager and other volunteers before your trip.
I am so happy that I could experience these two weeks in Sri Lanka. I met so many amazing people and started to think about how privileged my life is a lot more. I know, that you don’t choose your privilege, or lack thereof; you’re born with it. And that´s why I want to use my privilege for the greater good.
I loved to spend time with the local kids and families and was sad when I had to leave. Next time I will stay for longer, that´s for sure.
IVHQ made me feel comfortable within the first few weeks of getting mentally prepared for the trip. So much travel anxiety was reduced by the program coordinator and the online resources.
The local support team was amazing! They were more than hospitable and made me feel right at home. I couldn't have asked for a better start to my journey!
The volunteering itself made me realize how much more needs to be done, and that I wanted to be a part of it since I was only able to do so much. I will be doing another project in the near future.
The accommodation was more than comfortable and the food was SO GOOD!! I was so sad to go back home because all the local Sri Lankan dishes we had made for us every night weren't around.
I feel like I gained a sense of understanding a third world country and how many struggles they have to endure daily. It made me appreciate the things I take for granted sometimes, whether it's hot running water, a toilet, certain social programs or even just some constructs. This project opened my eyes to the world around me, and how much more I want to see and immerse myself into.
The place I volunteered was definitely such a heartwarming place with lots of lovely people. The kids and ladies were really adorable. I had a good time feeding them and of course cleaning the big home and doing laundry. The residents were all so helpful and engaging.
If you are intending to reach out for people in need, this is the best platform. Don’t hesitate, get started. It warms your heart knowing that you gave something valuable to someone in need.
I loved the whole experience. The orientation week was great, as were our adventure weekends and my time at the placement.
Overall, my trip in Sri Lanka was the best trip I have ever been on. It was unlike any other volunteer trip or vacation I have been on. Being able to be immersed in the Sri Lankan culture by staying at a homestay was an experience of a lifetime. Volunteering at the Special Needs project was very rewarding and I learned a lot about myself as an individual. The children and women were so loving and you were able to bond with them instantly. It was very rewarding and heartwarming at the same time. If you love working with children, interacting with people, or working with special needs I definitely would recommend this project! I recommend future volunteers be open to learning about the local culture and embrace it as much as possible! The food, religious beliefs, and lifestyle may be different from your own but you will have experiences and memories you will never forget by embracing it all while you are there!
I volunteered for 2 weeks in the Special Needs project in Sri Lanka organized by IVHQ. At the end of the first day, I felt very sad for the students and the isolation they live in. Moreover, I felt satisfied and that if I was flying back home tomorrow, even the one-day experience was worth it (for me). At the end of the project, it was clear to me that the volunteers make a small positive impact on the day-to-day lives of the students with special needs, but this impact accumulates. You can understand this by students' developmental status progress since 6 years ago. This is very satisfying and rewarding to be part of such a project! The local team was extremely helpful and flexible! They responded quickly to every question and demand and did their best to make the volunteers feel safe, confident and comfortable in the foreign country. I'm very grateful for this experience!
To read all reviews, visit our reviews page.
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Known as the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean’, Sri Lanka is an island nation set off the south-east coast of India. Famous for its tea plantations, cinnamon exports and cricket rivalries, it also boasts a vast array of beaches, Buddhas and big beasts like elephants and whales.
While Sri Lanka is a well-developed country which has made great strides towards making sure its residents don’t live in extreme poverty, there are still many places outside of the main centres where people struggle to access good quality education, healthcare and earn a decent living to support themselves and their families. Volunteers can help in these areas by providing important support to local initiatives that aim to improve the quality of life for people in these disadvantaged areas.
Most of IVHQ’s Sri Lanka volunteer projects are based in the small, sacred city of Kandy.
The program orientation begins every Monday and volunteers need to arrive in Colombo on Sunday between 5am and 8pm to receive an airport pick up.
After you have registered for the program, please book your flights to arrive at the Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) on Sunday. Your airport pick-up on this day is included in your Program Fee. We recommend that volunteers under the age of 18 travel internationally with a notarized letter from their parents to support their documentation.
After you arrive, you will be greeted at the airport by a member of the local team and transported to the volunteer accommodation in Kandy. Your accommodation is covered by your Program Fee and includes the Sunday night before your program orientation.
If you are travelling in Sri Lanka prior to your volunteer program, you can meet the local team at the airport in Colombo on the Sunday before your program begins, or make your own way directly to the local team’s office in Kandy.
Orientation is run by the local team in Kandy, beginning on the Monday morning of your start date. Volunteers can choose to join a One-day Orientation or Introduction Week Orientation.
One-day Orientation: This provides you with all the key information you need, plus the chance to meet other volunteers and swap contact details for weekend travel and socialising. It includes an introduction to Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan customs, rules and expectations, safety in Sri Lanka, travel opportunities in Sri Lanka, an introduction to your volunteer project and placement, Kandy city tour, cultural show and basic Sinhala language lessons.
Introduction Week Orientation: This is a fantastic way to start your volunteer experience in Sri Lanka and gives you the time to dive deeper into the culture and activities. It will include everything on the One-Day Orientation as well as the following activities:
If you wish to participate in the Introduction Week, you can indicate this on your application form when you apply for the program or let your Program Manager know at least two weeks before you begin the program.
First Day
On your first day of volunteering, you will be escorted to your placement by a local coordinator and introduced to the placement staff you will be working with.
Weekdays - A typical volunteer day is as follows:
| 6:00 - 7:30 AM | Breakfast at the volunteer accommodation. |
| 7:45 AM | Volunteers leave home and travel to their placements. |
| 12:00 PM | Lunch |
| 3:00 PM | Work at the placement usually ends. Volunteers are free to travel home, prepare for the next day or do some shopping and sightseeing. |
| 9:00 PM | Dinner at the volunteer house. |
Weekends
During the weekends, volunteers are free to relax or take the opportunity to explore other parts of Kandy and Sri Lanka. Kandy itself is a UNESCO World Heritage site and has an exciting selection of things to see and do. You can visit a number of beautiful and ornate temples including the Temple of the Tooth - an important shrine housing a canine tooth said to belong to the Buddha; wander in the grand and impressive Royal Botanical Gardens of Peradeniya; tour a tea plantation and factory; sample the tasty and widely-regarded local cuisine; or take a walk up to the biggest Buddha statue in Sri Lanka and be rewarded with fantastic panoramic views of the city. Long weekends can be taken to travel further afield to destinations, such as Colombo, Galle or even Southern India.
Volunteers in Kandy are accommodated in a volunteer house. Bedrooms have bunk beds and you can expect to share a room with four to nine other volunteers of the same gender.
Living is comfortable and the accommodation has electricity, fans, running water. Bathrooms in the volunteer houses are all western style with a toilet, basin and a warm shower. Bedding is provided and includes a pillow with pillow case and top and bottom sheets. You will need to bring a towel, toiletries including hand soap and toilet paper, and a mosquito net if you wish to sleep with one.
The volunteer house has a safe member staying in the house at night and there is an 8:00pm curfew on weeknights and 12:00pm on weekends at the volunteer accommodation, please be considerate and reduce noise.
To access the internet during your program, we recommend bringing an unlocked mobile phone and purchasing a local SIM card when you arrive in Sri Lanka, as WiFi is not available in the volunteer accommodation.
Private rooms can be arranged for an additional $90 per person, per week, subject to availability at the time.
Please note that families with younger children are required to book a private room for their time on the program.
Volunteers on the Sri Lanka program are provided with three meals a day during the week and brunch and dinner during the weekend. Breakfast includes toast, eggs, fruit, tea, coffee and milk. Sri Lankan foods served for lunch and dinner include roti bread, dhal, curries, vegetables and salads. Meat is rarely eaten except on festive occasions.
Bottled water is readily available in Sri Lanka and volunteers should budget approximately AU$8 per week for 2 litres per day. There are also water filters in the volunteer houses. If you have any special dietary requirements, please let us know when you apply for the program so we can discuss this with you. However, you should not expect to eat as you normally do at home. The local team will do their best to see that you are well taken care of, but as a volunteer, there is a need to be flexible. If you wish to supplement some of your meals with home comforts, there are basic kitchen facilities available to use.
Spots are limited. For a Registration Fee of just US$299 (approximately AU$483) you secure your spot and unlock all our preparation and training tools.
You don't need to worry about paying your Program Fee until you get closer to your start date.
Duration |
Program FeeDue 30 days before you start, or within 48 hours if you register inside of 30 days. Covers the cost of hosting you.
|
|---|---|
| 1 week | $390 Equivalent to $56/day |
| 2 weeks | $542 Equivalent to $39/day |
| 3 weeks | $734 Equivalent to $35/day |
| 4 weeks | $906 Equivalent to $32/day |
| 5 weeks | $1,078 Equivalent to $31/day |
| 6 weeks | $1,250 Equivalent to $30/day |
| 8 weeks | $1,594 Equivalent to $28/day |
| 10 weeks | $1,938 Equivalent to $28/day |
| 12 weeks | $2,282 Equivalent to $27/day |
Learn more about what's included in your IVHQ Registration Fee and Program Fee.
Take your volunteer experience to the next level with these popular add-ons and experiences. Explore your options below and learn how to book them once you've been accepted onto the IVHQ Kandy program.
Embark on an unforgettable weekend getaway to Sigiriya, where ancient history and breathtaking nature await.
Discover the best of Sri Lanka on this week-long tour. Enjoy the diverse flora and fauna, take in stunning hilltop views, and ride the world’s most scenic train. Climb Lion’s Rock to explore the ancient kingdom’s ruins from 500 AD.
Enjoy a stress free ride from Kandy back to Bandaranaike International Airport arranged by our local team.
IVHQ follows best practice and industry-leading health and safety procedures, which are regularly reviewed and optimized as part of the B Corporation recertification.
| Capital | Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte |
| Population | 21.8 million |
| Languages | Sinhala and Tamil |
| Currency | Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR) |
| Time zone | UTC+05:30 |
Weather and climate
The climate is tropical and warm, due to the moderating effects of ocean winds. Mean temperature ranges from 17°C (62.6°F) in the central highlands, where frost may occur for several days in the winter, to a maximum of 33 °C (91.4°F) in other low-altitude areas.
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