Juanita's Mental Health Placement in Sri Lanka

Juanita Uribe Start Date: Oct 2, 2017 - End Date: May 19, 2018
  • Colombo, Western Province, Sri Lanka

My Travel Story

by: Juanita Uribe Start Date: Oct 2, 2017 - End Date: May 19, 2018
Hello! First off, thank you for taking the time to view my fundraising page detailing an exciting opportunity that has come my way. 

I have created this page because I have been offered a mental health placement position volunteering with SLV Global in Sri Lanka for 5 weeks (starting June 4th, 2018). This experience will allow me to work in community as well as clinical settings with individuals who experience mental illness through the facilitation of therapeutic activities.

Sri Lanka, the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean,” is still recovering from a 25-year civil war as well as a tsunami in 2004. Hence, a level of psychological support is needed that current resources unfortunately cannot provide. For example, there is often one psychiatrist for every 500,000 Sri Lankan individuals who experience mental health issues. With few psychologists and psychiatrists in residence, the main treatment provided to individuals who experience mental illness is medication.

SLV is an organization composed of volunteers who run projects to help local communities around the world while simultaneously helping students, like me, gain all-important experience and develop essential skills in the clinical field of psychology.

This incredible opportunity to volunteer with SLV means I will be able to help individuals with mental health problems as well as those suffering trauma. I will be working with other volunteers running activities for patients using sensory, music and creative therapies to engage with patients on a variety of wards in multiple institutions.

In addition to these projects, I will be working with individuals with special needs and teaching English to children and young people on vocational courses.

During my stay I will be living with other volunteers in a homestay provided by a Sri Lankan family and on weekends I will have the opportunity to explore the island with the other volunteers.

The Mental Health Placement that I will be participating in is voluntary and unpaid. I'm asking my friends, family and anyone who holds mental health close to their heart to please help sponsor my trip. If you are willing and able to help me get the ball rolling with this journey of a lifetime, I would be forever grateful! I would like to say a massive thank you in advance to anyone who donates, any donation big or small is greatly appreciated! I am so excited and grateful to have been given this opportunity and it is definitely a worthwhile cause for those in Sri Lanka as well as immensly helping me in my future within psychology.


  • Colombo, Western Province, Sri Lanka