47 students from across the College are making final preparations to jet off to Sri Lanka on an experience of a lifetime to volunteer on a number of projects in the region. The students are due to travel to Sri Lanka in July and will be working on a range of volunteering projects such as marine, wildlife and rainforest conservation, English teaching and sports development.
The initiative is being offered through Travelteer which is an organisation set up to provide responsible travel and ethical volunteering opportunities in disadvantaged countries worldwide by using the skills and talents of volunteers to make a difference to communities they are volunteering in. During the trip, the students will also have a tour of the island, visit some temples, go on a safari, take a speed boat trip to an uninhabited island for snorkelling, go to surf camp and have lessons in the official language of Sri Lanka, Sinhalese.
The students have used their creativity to come up with lots of ideas to raise money, such as walking, running, mountain-climbing, bake sales, etc. Former Priestnall School pupil, Sarah Burridge is studying A Levels in English Literature, History and Spanish at Xaverian and, on participating in the trip, said: “I chose to join the Sri Lanka trip because I thought it would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, having never visited that part of the world before. I plan to get involved in teaching English to children as my volunteering activity, as I am interested in languages and would like to work in teaching in the future. My friends and I organised a hike up a mountain in Edale and through this I raised £100 for the charity. I’m feeling really excited for the trip, and especially for the opportunity to go on safari!”
Isabelle Cheesewright, from Manchester Enterprise Academy Central and studying A Levels in English Literature, German and Textiles at Xaverian, on joining the programme said: “I got involved because it seemed like the trip would be a lot of fun. It looked like a wonderful opportunity, and I’ve always wanted to explore outside of Europe. To raise the money, I mostly asked family and friends to sponsor me, as well as having bake sales at a dance class I go to and in college.
“In Sri Lanka, I hope to volunteer on the English development and wildlife conservation programmes, but I would also love to join in with a sport lesson or two. I think the programme’s focus on getting more girls involved in sport is so important. I’m really excited for the trip. I think most of all, I can’t wait to see and interact with animals, like elephants and turtles. I also can’t wait for the surfing lessons.”
Former Manchester High School for Girls pupil, Amelia Aslam, who is studying A Levels in English Literature, Philosophy, Ethics & Theology and Spanish at Xaverian, said: “I got involved in this programme because I thought it would be such a fun way to get to know other people and get involved in something that’s helping a whole different community. The volunteering programme I’m most looking forward to is the turtle conservation project as I really love animals and have always been so passionate about helping them. This will be such an amazing opportunity. To raise money, I did a sponsored hike with my friends, as well as selling things online, and I’ve raised £800. I’m looking forward to being with my friends on the trip and excited to share these experiences with them.”
Lydia Kerr-Pasiecznik, History Teacher at Xaverian and group leader for the trip, said: “Participation in the trip has been offered to Year12 students through the College’s ‘Xtras’ enrichment programme and has generated huge interest amongst students. Throughout the past few months, the students have been working hard in their fundraising activities to raise money to pay for the flight and donate to the Travelteer charity. It’s an amazing opportunity for them to visit a beautiful country and take part in volunteering activities that will make a difference to the country’s inhabitants and geographical area. We are making the final preparations for the trip, and I know the students are super-excited about what promises to be the adventure of a lifetime.”