PMGY - Volunteer in Sri Lanka from $270

Its certainly something id recommend to everyone and its especially cheap as a location to stay
Over that the staff is extremely freindly and are essentially the nicest people ive come across abroad. I would generally strongly recommend this sort of trip to anyone as the experience is definetly one of a kind. Its especially good for students as it looks good on a CV as it helps with regards to personal statements helping with college applications.

Overall its something I personally would recommend to anyone and everyone to do atlest once i. Their life

Sri Lanka was a wonderfull experience in my opinion.
At first I was a bit worried that my total budget of €2000 would not be worth it, but luckily I was wrong te be worried.
I now know what the Money is used for and next tot that PMGY takes amazing care of all the volunteers. They will invest part of that budget into your own experience and it's worth it. This was my first time with PMGY and it definitely won't be my last.

My 4 weeks in Sri Lanka was the greatest, most mind-opening experience I have ever had. Along with the colourful vibrancy of Sri Lanka itself, the variety of programs available and the welcoming nature of all Sri Lankan people I met, my first Gap Year trip was one I will never forget. The coordinators were not only so friendly and easy to get along with, but ensured our safety throughout the time we spent there. Travelling alone can be something daunting, yet from the minute I arrived at New House in Sri Lanka, the organisation (despite the typical Sri Lankan lateness of course!) of the whole scheme made me feel confident that the trip would be a success. I cannot stress enough how influential this trip has been for me. The projects are so rewarding and you are able to not only have an impact on the life of others, yet also change yours for the better. For me, teaching children from the orphanage, made me realise how we take our Western education system for granted. Their flare for learning and their desire to succeed and aspire to greatness, was one of the most wonderful and inspiring things I have ever witnessed.
Looking back on my time in Sri Lanka now, I wish I had better savoured my time there: the affectionate thanks from the children at the orphanage; the constant laughter, and of course the time I spent with the other volunteers, who I now talk to and see regularly! Thank you PMGY and of course the Sri Lanka coordinators.

Originally I was going to do 4 weeks in the elephant project and then 4 weeks on the turtle programme. I really enjoyed the elephant project, you're able to get up close and personal with the elephants and create a bond with them. I would definitely recommend this to any animal lover. Although this project is really fun its quite repetitive as in you do exactly the same thing every day and that's why I decided to change my project after just 2 weeks. It was very easy to do this through the local coordinators and was not a problem at all. I feel like 2 weeks was the perfect amount of time to spend with the elephants, long enough to bond with them and enjoy your time but not too long that you get bored. I loved the turtle project as soon as I started, 6 weeks there flew by! I enjoyed everything from feeding to cleaning the turtles and it was the highlight of my trip, it was very well organised and varied day to day. Ash and all of the coordinators were such brilliant people. They were very professional but also very friendly. they would go out of their way to make you feel comfortable or help you in any way that they could. I couldn't have asked for better people to spend time with over my 2 months there. The whole trip was very organised and I would recommend it to everyone!!

The PMGY trip was nothing like I've ever done, it was my first time travelling alone and my first time in Sri Lanka and being with the program definitely was a memorable experience. Departure support and preparation for the trip was convenient and informative with the web seminars and sharing profiles on facebook so we could easily socialise. When I arrived the PMGY coordinators were very welcoming and helpful. The accommodation was well maintained by Sister and a very friendly environment. I would've liked more freedom with exercise activities as being in the house in between projects and at night and especially those just doing one project can get quite boring just sitting around. There were activities such as watching movies and playing card games available as well although which were great. Another useful recommendation would be to have just one computer or laptop lying around for volunteer use as many of us needed to check emails or skype family or send through university applications or like me, pay for the extra weekend trip which was difficult to do through the phone. I loved meeting new people, it was difficult to mix with those already there though I made some great bonds and made two very close friends! I worked on the elephant project, teaching kids English and did a day pass of turtle conservation. It was great that they allowed me to do the afternoon project on top of the initially booked elephant project as I would rather fulfil the experience and be busy all day. The projects were shorter than expected and to be truthful, the elephant project was a little beneath what I had expected. We cleaned the resting area, walked with the elephant and scrubbed the elephant clean in the lake. I was looking forward to the veterinary check up but that wasn't included and the project can get quite mundane for two weeks, although I understand with such great creatures it is difficult for young volunteers to contribute and interact too much. The teaching project was my favourite, it definitely felt like I was making an impact on the children and their education. I love that it was driven and dependent on the volunteers to organise and teach the class. It was heartbreaking to say goodbye to the children and I miss them all very much! The turtle experience was also amazing. We cut up fish, fed them, washed them and cleaned their water tanks. It was more hands on than elephants, more participation and chores to do which was great! The drive there was short and you could easily see the benefit the conservation program was doing for turtle populations and species. I did two weeks of the program and then did two weeks of travelling Sri Lanka which I think was a really good mix of volunteering and being able to see Sri Lanka. My advice to new volunteers would to definitely get in touch with ex-volunteers or even set up a list where ex-volunteers could put down their name to help out others on facebook as this is the most valuable source of advice you could get. Although the handbook was very detailed and helpful, there were a few tips, opinions and advice I would have liked to have known before I started for example what each project was like on a personal level, things to pack, things you don't need etc. The program is perfect for first-time travellers especially younger people in their 17, 18 and 19s. Overall, the experience was an incredible and unforgettable experience that I will treasure for life. The result of volunteering for worthwhile causes broadened my understanding of a different culture and lifestyle to my own and gives you a new perspective and appreciation of different worlds. Thank you so much for the opportunity!

The medical project was very insightful as it gave me an insight to the healthcare in Sri Lanka and taught me the key differences between UK and Sri Lankan healthcare. My medical project took place in a private hospital, however if you have a medical background you can volunteer in the government hospital. The medical project gave me an understanding of how a private hospital in Sri Lanka operates, I visited many different departments from laboratory to the out patient department and I also learnt about basic medical procedures such as nebulisation. I also had the opportunity to meet an ayurvedic doctor, which improved my understanding of traditional medicine in Sri lanka. I also originally had planned to just do the medical project but once I got there, the teaching project fascinated me and gave me an opportunity to make a difference to children's lives as I believe education is the most important key in life. The satisfaction you get from children learning and understanding something you taught is unreal. The children were so eager to learn that it made my job much easier than I thought it would be. Volunteering in the teaching project was one of the most amazing and unforgettable experiences of my life and I would strongly recommend in taking part in the teaching project. In the evening there are many activities you can do with your fellow volunteers from placing baby turtles in the sea for the first time to playing badminton, there is always something you can do.

Sri Lanka was AMAZING everyone I met there was friendly and kind! The sisters in the house were so kind and welcoming! I instantly fell in LOVE with Sri Lanka as you can probably tell! travelling with PMGY was the best decision I made - I felt safe and secure and able to travel knowing we had excellent support in country and out :) both before and during my trip the co-ordinators and the PMGY staff at home were always on hand to help if I had any questions which was amazing as I was a lone female traveller !! I made some great life-long friends that were in my volunteer house- when we returned we signed up to become alumni because we knew we would all be travelling with PMGY again:) we are all very much looking forward to our 2017 India trip!

Everything about this program was amazing. I went for 4 weeks to teach English. Even before I signed up, there were people willing to help with any question I could possibly have. The airport transfer was there on time and the warm welcome we got when we arrived at our house was refreshing. The accommodation was how they described it in the handbook. It was very basic but comfortable. The sisters who cleaned and cooked the house were friendly and so were the pmgy tuk tuk drivers. The weekend trips were everything I had hoped for. We did everything on the itineraries and the accommodations were very nice. I recommend signing up for as many as you can. To me, I was already spending a lot of money flying from the U.S., so I wanted to make sure it was worth it. The couple hundred extra I spent for a few weekend trips was so, so, so worth it. The teaching program itself was awesome. It was such a good experience and the kids I taught were energetic and very sweet. (And even though the program warns you to not get too attached to the kids, I couldn't help it. They were so amazing and kind and adorable). I could praise this program endlessly, but I'll end this by saying that, by the end of my trip, I wished I didn't have to go back home.