About Us
Volunteering is the ultimate expression of human connection and community spirit.”
Stephen R. Covey
About Us
United Volunteer is an organization that provides impactful, engaging, and affordable volunteering programs in Sri Lanka. The mission of the organization is to mutually benefit international volunteers and the local communities in Sri Lanka by aligning volunteers’ skills with communities’ needs. Volunteering placements and internship opportunities are offered in the fields of primary education, childcare and caregiving, medical, dentistry, special needs education, as well as women empowerment and education.
In a quest to offer a culturally engaging and rooted living experience to all participants, several trips mapping the heritage sites of the country are offered. These trips carefully blend volunteer work with travel around the country, encouraging responsible travel. Since 2014, United Volunteer has hosted over 4,500 volunteers and interns, providing them with opportunities for international volunteer work and internships while also exposing them to the local culture.
An essential component of the organization is that all staff coordinators at the respective placements are locals from the area, which helps facilitate meaningful volunteering and internship experiences. This local knowledge and expertise play a significant role in achieving the organization’s goals. Locally owned operations and management also lead to significantly lower costs compared to other international volunteering organizations.
We strive to provide a fulfilling experience for all our participants at reasonable costs while empowering local communities by injecting money into the local economy, utilizing local skills, and offering volunteer assistance wherever it is needed
Our Mission
Our mission is to encourage young people around the world to volunteer for worthwhile work in Sri Lanka. We are a non discriminatory and non religious organizationWe expect that doing this kind of voluntary work will in time become the norm. As more and more people join us, we aim to create a multi-national community with a passion to serve, to learn, to understand, to teach, to inspire, and to be inspired.
Our Values
Contribution – We believe in helping where help is needed, even in far-away places, whether it is needed by an individual, an organization, an environmental project, or an entire community; we respond to need as effectively as we can with our abilities and our resources.
Culture -We believe in the value of cultural exchange between young people from different communities; such exchange helps to create a world with greater mutual respect and understanding.
Our Impact
People sometimes wonder about the impact that one short-term volunteer can make. At first glance, it is sometimes hard to measure the difference one volunteer has made in a few weeks. But when thousands of people donate a short amount of time to the same long-term goals, we achieve massive progress together.
We know that with short-term volunteering, the onus is on the organization to provide support and resources. Our volunteers work with some of the most vulnerable groups in this country and we take that responsibility seriously. We are proud to provide the structure that our volunteers need to help change communities and explore the world in a meaningful way.
We invite you to become a life time member of Volunteer Lanka for free after you finish your volunteer work with us. We hope that you share your experiences with friends and family, and you encourage them to join the adventure of a life time Volunteer Lanka
Safety & Backup
We take your security in this island very seriously. We only send volunteers to places that are safe and politically stable. If they are not, we don’t go. We are constantly in contact with the city authorities regarding safety and stability. Of course, we have the added security of our own local staff who know the local area in detail.
We believe our in-country support to be unparalleled. Every single one of the cities we work in has paid members of staff. Each city has a local coordinator and various other members of staff. Some are trained in the United Kingdom, in Australia and in country to follow best practice procedures, including monitoring, security, and emergency procedures. The office acts as a point of contact with our staff and a general meeting point for volunteers. Our staff organizes the details of our placements and accommodation according to strict criteria and high standards. We are there to assist with any concerns, problems, advice, and general administration that may arise during your time away. We are available during the day as well as directly contactable 24 hours a day by phone.
