During the summer of 2014, I journeyed to Sri Lanka to undergo a volunteering trip to teach English in an orphanage. Without the Aaron Lewis Foundation this would never have been possible and I am so grateful for all their financial support to make this dream a reality.

The company I went with was Projects Abroad and they had given me a host family to live with. Mine consisted of a mother and two children; all speaking English and all welcoming. The mother cooked me three meals a day – all of which consisted of curry! I stayed with another English volunteer and every day we would walk to the orphanage through the gutters and busy roads, getting a king coconut on the way.

My job was to be a teacher and general family member to the orphans, starting the day with lessons and ending it with painting or sports. I was amongst a group of international volunteers and it was crazy how quickly we all got on; sharing stories of our countries and teaching each other the different languages. There was never a dull day.

My trip was unforgettable and humbling and has made me realise how fortunate I am.

You can see the video of Daniella’s trip here.