Testimonial by Alison Gow:

In 2006 I spent 12 weeks as a volunteer in Sri Lanka. I taught conversational English in a secondary school, nursery and orphanage in a small town called Kurunegala.

As someone who had never travelled outside of Europe I was nervous and apprehensive of the unknown. However, Sri Lanka superseded all of my expectations and I even chose to extend my stay by 3 weeks.

It opened my eyes to life in a different part of the world and enabled me to immerse myself in a different culture; experiencing different foods, clothing, religion and language.

Most important of all, I was given the opportunity to help others who are less fortunate than I: children who came from families that could barely afford the clothes on their back and shoes on their feet, but yet were filled with happiness, energy and enthusiasm to learn.

I found the kindness and generosity of the people overwhelming. My host family, in particular, treated me as if I was part of their own family and three years later I am still in touch with them. I have many fond memories from my time in Sri Lanka and I cannot emphasise enough the life changing experience that this opportunity offers. You’ll love it!

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