SLV.GLOBAL is a voluntary organisation which was founded back in 2010 by Lucy Nightingale, a Psychology graduate and Yasintha Rathnayake, a youth worker in Sri Lanka. This organisation helps run projects providing care and support for people suffering from mental health problems in countries that have limited resources to care for these individuals. These countries include Bali, India and Sri Lanka. Simultaneously, SLV helps Psychology students like myself, gain valuable experience and skills in and around the clinical setting. It allows students to not only gain these skills and widen their knowledge around Psychology, but it allows them to dive into a new culture. It truly is an amazing opportunity! I will begin my mental health placement in Sri Lanka on 9th July 2018 for 5 weeks and will be returning on 10th August 2018. Therefore, I am fundraising as much as possible to help in this exciting new journey that I can’t wait to start!

During my time in Sri Lanka, I will be trained by local professionals and learn their skills on how to support these individuals as they have not been provided with mental health care and support which we

are so use to in the Western World. I will be working in Psychiatric units and helping patients with mental illnesses at different stages of their recovery. I will be working as an Activity Support Worker, which means I will be organising various creative and sensory activities to help stimulate the patients and help them engage with one another. I will also be working with children who have specific needs and need to be cared for, also children who have experienced civil-conflict in Sri Lanka and have been marginalised by poverty in their community.

I shall be attending workshops ran by Samutthana, the King’s College London resource centre for trauma, displacement and Mental Health. Where I learn more about how mental health issues are treated in Sri Lanka and I will pick up hands-on experience, for example, for how to respond to the needs of trauma victims.

In addition to these projects, I’ll also be teaching English to young children and people from the local community. English is perceived as a necessity in the Sri Lankan community and by helping teach English, it increases their career prospects and helps them increase their confidence.  

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this! I am very excited to start this once in a life time opportunity and I am extremely grateful for any donations to help me raise funds for my time volunteering in Sri Lanka. If you would like to know more information about the placement, please don’t hesitate to contact via email -  lucyscott23@outlook.com

Thank you again!