Media Centre for Volunteer in Ghana

Jo Illingworth

I had never experienced another culture before, so arriving in Pussellayaya for the first time was a shock. The village is very spread out, consisting of very simple houses (some of which are made only of sticks and mud), and with dusty tracks for roads. The villagers rely mainly on crops for their livelihood and have an extremely rural and simple lifestyle. Staying in the village for six weeks allowed me to really experience everyday life there. The project house is basic – it is constructed from sticks and mud with a metal roof - but it has flushing toilets, mosquito nets, and solar powered lights. Be prepared to share it with lizards, skinny dogs, frogs and ants – none of these were any problem but they made life interesting! The food is excellent (mainly rice with a great selection of mild vegetarian curries) and prepared using simple traditional methods. Despite cultural differences the local people are extremely friendly and welcoming. The children loved to crowd around us and practise their English, and they were invariably smiling and bursting with energy! Spending time with the field scouts (young people from the local villages in their early twenties, who lead the field work) was a great opportunity to find out what life was like there for somebody my own age. You will make good friends with the field scouts; they speak excellent English, they are really helpful and eager to learn about your country and they know how to have fun! The field work we did in the mornings was hard, particularly because I was there in the dry season and the heat was intense. Typically we would cycle to a research site, collect data on foot, then cycle back to the project house and collapse before summoning the energy for a wonderfully freezing cold shower! Because of the heat, the pace of the work was unhurried and we usually returned by lunchtime. We spent the afternoons either at the project house, exploring the local area, swimming, or on a weekly visit into the National Park. The trips into the Park were a great opportunity to watch elephant behaviour – during my time there I saw a bull in musth breaking down trees, and herds drinking, bathing, feeding and having dust baths. You may also have the opportunity to see them at uncomfortably close range! The tree huts are also great for seeing elephants if they are in the area. These are simple, roofed platforms up in the trees – the local people often sleep in them overlooking their paddy fields, to watch for elephants that come into the village at night to raid the crops. It is an interesting experience to sleep up in the trees and to listen out for the sounds of elephants above the roar of Harsha’s snoring! Harsha and Chandeep, the researchers leading the project, had a great understanding of the issues involved and were always eager to share this understanding with us. Also, they both made every effort to make the experience a rewarding one and I really enjoyed my time with them! Overall, I had a great time and recommend the project to anybody with an interest in wildlife research – and Sri Lanka is an incredible country. However, be surprised if anything happens on time (see Lonely Planet’s description of the lateness of Sri Lankan buses being measured in fractions of the day). Plans are also constantly changing with the situation – but this is unavoidable given the nature of the work and it keeps things interesting. Be relaxed, adaptable and willing to work hard and you will have an amazing time!!