VOLUNTEERING IN SRI LANKA
In January-April 2013 I will be working as a volunteer in Sri Lanka, for an international development charity Challenges Worldwide. I will be teaching and helping to develop a counselling/psychotherapy training programme for local people in central Sri Lanka, focusing especially on treatment of Post Traumatic Stress. If you would like to sponsor this project, any donations, big or small, will be gratefully accepted - you can donate via the PayPay cart or alternatively please get in touch if you would prefer to donate by cheque or BACS.
You will be aware of the devastation the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami caused in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India and other countries - 35,000 Sri Lankans were killed, over 20,000 injured, and more than half a million people displaced as a result of one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history. The long-term armed conflict within Sri Lanka over a period of 26 years has resulted in between 60,000 and 100,000 deaths, and many thousands of people were displaced as a consequence of the war. My hope is that through sharing the therapeutic and counselling skills with the local people I will contribute to helping Sri Lankans to heal the many traumas of the past - if you can support this project, please make a donation now.
Challenges Worldwide is an international development charity based in Edinburgh. Since 1999 Challenges has recruited, trained and managed over 600 professionally skilled volunteers across 3 continents, matching volunteer skills and experience with the needs of its partner organisations. Volunteers are currently placed in India, Bangladesh, Belize and Sri Lanka, Kenya and Tanzania. My assignment in Sri Lanka will contribute to Challenges' aims of helping build the capacity of local people.
