How can I describe in a few lines what these five weeks have brought me? This trip came at a time in my life when I deeply needed it. From a personal point of view, this trip made me grow. Being on the other side of the world in a country you don't know, with people you don't know, with a completely new language and customs, can only make you grow. Responsibility, maturity, ambition. That's what this trip has given me. From a professional point of view, as a student nurse, this trip enabled me to measure how lucky we are in France to have access to care and a quality of care such as it is, despite its shortcomings. Adaptability and compassion are what Sri Lankan hospitals have enabled me to adopt. If there's one thing this trip has done for me, it's to want to go back as soon as possible!
It's very, very complicated to sort out what I liked best about this trip. Every second spent there was simply magical, but I'll try:
- During a weekend organized by one of our coordinators, "Kandy and Ella Trip", Falik (the coordinator in charge of this trip) was keen to show us a typical park in the Nuwara Eliya region. This park is frequented mainly by Sri Lankan locals. During our tour of the park, families were singing and dancing to music. One of the families invited us to join them for a dance. We sang and danced with them as if we were part of the family. It was a moment I'll never forget. The warm and friendly Sri Lankan welcome!
- A local cooking class organized by Falik. We thought we'd just be taking part in an ordinary cooking class in a restaurant, but no! Falik had organized the class for us at his best friend's house, which he considers his family. So we cooked and ate with the whole family (father, mother, children, grandmother and even the cat). We ate typical Sri Lankan dishes on the floor with our hands. This moment of sharing and exchange was so moving and powerful, yet so simple.
- A weekend with friends we met in Sri Lanka. In the volunteer house we inevitably met some exceptional people with whom we forged special bonds. For our last weekend in Sri Lanka, the 8 of us decided to go and meet the elephants in a refuge. The beauty of this experience is its multiculturalism. For this trip we were German, Norwegian, French and Peruvian. We didn't know each other before we left, and we ended up sharing the most beautiful experience of our lives together. Getting back to the weekend, we absolutely wanted to see elephants before leaving Asia. However, we didn't want to go to a tourist spot where the animals are mistreated and unhappy. So we searched for and found a shelter for two elephants, Kumari and Menike, who had been taken in after being exploited in the past. Respect and love reigned in this refuge. It was a time of great emotion and discovery.
Not only would I recommend this project to others, but of course I've already done it. This project is just exceptional in every way. 100% flawless in every aspect of the trip. The association is trustworthy and reliable, the country is sublime, the Sri Lankans are endearing, kind, welcoming and generous, the food is delicious, the fruit exquisite, the volunteer house is huge and contains all the necessities and more, the house staff is just INCREDIBLE!!!! The medical project is very well supervised, the caregivers are welcoming and understanding, they integrate us into the care and take care of us.
Of course! I'm also planning to go back with them, but this time to another continent. As said before, trustworthy, present, organized, understandable, goes the extra mile to meet all our needs. Perfect !!!!
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