Holiday to Sri Lanka: Taking donations/charity

[Couchto5ktowine]

Slightly odd one, but my partner and I are off to Sri Lanka next month. I’ve no knowledge about the country or what to expect, but my partner has travelled extensively in that part of the world and wants to take out charity donations with us. He's read that stationery for kids goes down particularly well? Has anyone been and has any insight?

If anyone’s reading and thinks that we’ve totally misread levels of income and what’s needed, then no offence is intended. We just want to help if we can.

We went on holiday to a 3rd world country in Africa last September
We took packs is of bubbles, bouncy balls and mini footballs, balloons
The kids we met absolutely loved them.
We also took far more toiletries than we needed (package holiday so very generous luggage allowance ) and left it all in the room when we left with a note for the staff

Having worked in such an area for over a decade, sometimes gifts end up being taken home by orphanage staff , or sold… They will use what you buy in front of you, and then do something else with it… So please… Be very careful. Sometimes what do you think you were doing can be more harmful than good. The same goes for what you give to street children. Please, please, do not give them sweets either as many cannot access a dentist.

Sri Lanka is a socialist country (of sorts). They have a good education system and the state provides (from the conversations I had with our drivers who had families) all books as well as uniforms (they were quite taken aback that we had to buy ours!). Education expectations are high and students encouraged to go on to further education. We went in April last year. Compared to the U.K., it’s not a rich country but neither did I see the poverty levels I’ve seen in other third world countries. My DH who has been in India the previous month felt it was markedly different in terms of overall levels of affluence. I didn’t see any begging.

Many years ago in Cuba, I remember swarms if children swarming our tour bus and handling out pens. There was absolutely nothing like that in Sri Lanka. Going up to random children and offering them stationery would be really rather odd (and I imagine the Sri Lankan’s might be potentially a little offended!).
If you want to bring stuff over from the U.K., why not contact a Sri Lankan charity that works with children or an orphanage and see what would be useful? Quite possibly that might be a financial donation to fund their work rather than felt tips but worth asking.

Apologies if this reads in anyway unsympathetic to what you are looking to do - I spent my first ten years in a genuinely third world country and quite honestly, while there is poor, there’s very very poor and the Sri Lanka we saw was definetely the former, not latter. It’s a beautiful country and I don’t think I’ve met nicer people, have a wonderful time! Any queries, happy to try and help!

Thanks both, this is really helpful!

@Hellokittymania sorry for my ignorance but when you say be careful do you mean, best to take nothing? Your point on sweets is well made and we won’t do that

TBH, I'd support a local charity rather than taking goods in kind: more chance that the money will be well used and made the most of.There are a good selection of local charities here if you'd rather one of those rather than Street child/Save the Children who I know both work in Sri Lanka.

We went last year, and made a point to tip generously; use local owned services and shops, as the tourist industry is huge in economic terms. It's a stunning country and wonderful people: you'll have a great holiday :-)

I agree with try and donate through a charity. You say you don’t know much about the country and therefore it’s best to leave it to those that do know (I.e a charity). It’s a really lovely and kind thought though but the risk of offending or looking like you think you are “white saviours” (which I know you don’t intend to) is too great

I wouldn't take stuff from the UK. It makes more sense to purchase goods out there (would work out much cheaper for you anyway!) as that's benefiting the country twice over. Having said that you can't just walk around handing stuff to random children you meet. Where in Sri Lanka are you going?

Realise I didn't share the link: www.globalgiving.org/search/?size=10&nextPage=1&sortField=sortorder&selectedCountries=00srilan&loadAllResults=true

Oh, and it's definitely not a country where there's an expectation of 'handouts' from locals: people may chat but it's in a spirit of friendliness: at no point did I feel like anyone was talking to me in the hope of getting some free stationary ;-) Oh: the other thing that I think is genuinely useful is: make sure that you leave reviews for great local cafes/safari organisers/eco-tourism places/locally owned hotels: a few 5 * reviews on trip advisor can make a huge difference for locally owned companies.

I don't recall seeing children hanging around in Sri Lanka like I have in other countries I've been to.
I also saw none of the awful 'come and stare at the poor orphaned children, and donate' trips that you see in a lot of places.

Be aware that they are a charitable people themselves and very unselfish. We went just after a terrible landslide that killed many, yet locals were out offering anyone, including westerners charity in the form of free food and drink as they truly enjoy and believe in helping others. It may be better to look for local charities to donate money to rather than goods.

@Couchto5ktowine, we were in a couple of cities and honestly, we were approached by neither children or adults. I saw no gangs of Street children. As above, my DH had been working in India the previous month and found it very very different, even as a passenger in a car there had been beggars knocking on the car windows. The only children we saw walking on their own were either on their way too or walking back from school in their (state funded uniforms). It was a matter of pride for the Sri Lankan’s we spoke to that their government had invested in education and everything is free of charge - they were taken aback that we had to pay for things! If you do want to help, speak to local charities.

@Hellokittymania

But the orphanage staff are probably also on the the bones of their arses.

Stationary is good.

And give that stationery to who? All education is free in Sri Lanka. At Secondary level, all books are free and subsidised school transport and health care provided for those in need of it. Rural schools are apparently in need of better facilities and supplies than city schools having just done a quick google to see if I could find a local Charity involved in supporting Schools. There are a couple of Chsrities who are involved in this - I suspect they’d appreciate donations more than biro’s though!

The reality is different in many areas

Check out this organisation. Looks like most things valued srilankadhara.org/inner_pages/donate.html

All really helpful, thanks everyone! Charity donation (and trip reviews!) it is.

I lived and worked in an orphanage in Sri Lanka a number of years ago. They have orphanages in several different towns of Sri Lanka and do wonderful work with the children. If you want a highly recommended charity, look into SOS Children's Villages.

Bringing bring, sadly some of them are doing quite well, because tourists come by over and over and bring gifts for the children that end up being taken home by people who work at the orphanage.

I have special needs, and I have also been robbed by people at the school for the blind in the place where I was working… Some people are there to take advantage, they really do. There have been lots of documentaries and things against going to different countries to volunteer. It’s a whole different thread topic though.

Dracsula, thank you for making a recommendation to a good place. And I’m glad to hear that some of the orphanages are doing a great job.

I have found over the years that the places that don’t have many tourists going by don’t have the issues that the very busy places do.