We both wanted to travel differently, to experience another culture, meet local people, and contribute to their community. It was going to be a mother/daughter adventure! With Zoe’s keen interest in audiovisual techniques and my equipment, we offered to film local projects for Volunteer Worldwide in Sri Lanka. And so our plans became concrete, and on the 30th of June we set off for 17 days towards Colombo.

The first two days were spent with our local project coordinator, Harsha, and his exceptionally welcoming and warm-hearted family. Here we also met a final-year student from Switzerland who was volunteering on the medical project. This project is particularly interesting for students who haven’t yet started medical studies but are considering them, as it gives them a first insight into the medical world.

After our stay in Colombo, we headed to Galle. In Galle, we actively participated in the pre-school and turtle projects. We also visited several beautiful locations in the surrounding area, all very impressive. We met a particularly friendly local host family but stayed at the resort where many volunteers can stay together. It was a beautiful location where, just like in Colombo, we enjoyed delicious meals and a stunning garden with playful monkeys, other tropical animals, and a lovely swimming pool.

We had been really looking forward to this adventure, and in no way were we disappointed.

After six days in Galle, we moved inland to Badulla. In Badulla, we were warmly welcomed by Shiwanthi and her family. Together with three other volunteers, we stayed in her home and enjoyed her wonderful cooking. We visited the local pre-school, a school for young people with disabilities, and a senior citizens’ home. Alongside the other volunteers, we actively participated in the activities and got to know the local people and their customs. In the Badulla area, we visited Sri Lanka’s second-highest waterfall and took the train to Ella, with its beautiful tea plantations and rock formations.

We had been incredibly excited about this adventure before leaving, and in no way were we disappointed. Everywhere we went, we were met with extraordinary warmth, got to experience their culture, and participate in activities. We would absolutely do it all over again if we could. During this adventure, our role was to document the projects on film. Next time, we would choose one or at most two projects to allow us to prepare properly in advance so we could also organise activities on-site ourselves. This is especially recommended for the pre-school projects, but also for the school for children with disabilities and the senior citizens’ home.

This adventure has left us wanting more, and we hope to travel again with Volunteer Worldwide in the future.

- Kristal and Zoe