Quentin Lefevre spent 4 weeks as an ecovolunteer with an elephant conservation foundation in Sri Lanka.
> In a few lines, what did your international ecovolunteering experience bring you?
I gained a lot from this project. First of all, it sheds light on the condition of animals in Asia, and more specifically that of elephants. You make contact with the elephants, which is different from what an ordinary tourist might do. What's more, you get to meet people who are equally pleasant and interesting. Everyone has a different itinerary, but they all end up in the same place with the same goal.
> What were your best memories?
Every stay is a good memory, it's impossible to find memories that aren't as good as others!
> How would you rate the project?
Favorably, both from the point of view of the information received before departure, and the support provided by the volunteers on site...
>Would you recommend this project to others? Why or why not?
I would recommend the elephant protection mission in Sri Lanka to passionate people who want to make a contribution and who are motivated. No one will force you to do anything in the foundation, but it will always be in demand of hard-working volunteers. It's an extraordinary experience that I highly recommend for all motivated people!
> Would you recommend Freepackers for international projects? Why or why not?
Yes, I would. Freepackers has been very professional throughout the project. Similarly, the coordinators seem to go out of their way to meet our expectations, and that's very pleasing.
Jessica Bodner also spent two weeks at the Elephant Foundation in Sri Lanka. She comments:
"These two weeks at the Elephant Foundation in Sri Lanka were a real enrichment from both a personal and cultural point of view.
First of all, I was perfectly welcomed by Jade, the person in charge on site, as well as Evy and Ryan, who supervise the ecovolunteers during the day.
The site is located away from the city, close to the jungle, in a very pleasant and relaxing setting.
The communal areas, rooms, toilets and showers are quite decent, with plenty of outdoor hammocks, board games and a ping-pong table.
As for the work, we're up close and personal with the elephants. The manager entrusts us with an elephant for the duration of our stay.
There's no pressure to work long hours, and we can take breaks if we need to, or even stop.
There's a real shared knowledge of the pachyderm and we find ourselves ambassadors for the foundation among its visitors. I 100% recommend the elephant protection project in Sri Lanka!"
An article by Freepackers