Journeys Near and Far

GoPhilanthropic - Meaningful Intelligent Travel

Changing the Way We See the World

One of the beauties of travel is that it affects us, has us coming home with a broader richer view of the world we live in.

  -- GoPhilanthropic

A couple of weeks ago while at the New York Times Travel Show, I wandered by the booth of an innovative company:   GoPhilanthropic. 

Unsure exactly what type of travel they offer, I asked if this was a type of voluntourism. Lydia Dean of GoPhilanthropic kindly took a few minutes to explain the concept of Meaningful Intelligent Travel.

An Alternative to Voluntourism

This is an alternative to Voluntourism because it meets the needs of a larger market of people.  Most folks don't want to volunteer for their entire vacation.  Instead, GoPhilanthropic weaves elements of philanthropy into their trip.

The company embraces the concept of travel philanthropy combined with sustainable travel, coupling luxury vacations with support for social and conservation projects around the world.  The idea is to give travelers an authentic and meaningful exchange with local communities and a chance to contribute their efforts.

This type of travel typically appeals to the over-40 crowd who prefer some comfort but would like to give back somehow.

What You'll Do

Visitors might spend an afternoon donating school supplies and books or a local well; or they might spend time meeting candidates for micro-loans.  They'll explore each country with a private, local guide, stay in exceptional accommodations such as locally run B&Bs, Eco-Conscious Inns or luxury hotels, and indulge in activities of their choice such as taking cooking classes, going for walks, enjoying cultural experiences or participating in adventure activities.

The goal of GoPhilanthropic is to connect you with well-run, worthy projects during your travel.  They'll provide you with background information on each project so that you can consider how you can contribute.  Whether you're traveling alone or with a group, the tours are custom tailored to meet your interests, time and budget. 

For example

Take Cambodia.   I looked on GoPhilanthropic's website under "Suggested Itineraries," and saw five different possibilities that range from 4 to 16 nights long.  Elements "Unique to You" can be added.  For instance, would you like to see an Apsara dance performance?  Go for an elephant ride?  Have a massage? 

Then you'll choose your mode of transport.  Car?  Tuk-tuk?  Bike?

The projects for Cambodia include orphanage visits, helping to install wells or supporting a company that offers micro-loans.  And Cambodia is only one of the many countries you can visit.

This sounds like a great idea to me for a future trip; I'll definitely be looking into it further.

For more information visit GoPhilanthropic at www.gophilanthropic.com.

 

 

 

Heifer Ranch: Educating People about the Needs of the World

Each holiday season an unusual catalog arrives in my mailbox...

...the non-profit organization Heifer International's book of "Udderly" original gifts -- gifts of livestock that make a difference in the lives of poverty-stricken families around the world.  And each year I send Heifer a check to cover a gift of honeybees, a share of a llama, or a trio of rabbits.

Heifer's mission is commendable:  to work with communities to end hunger and poverty and care for the earth.  They accomplish this by giving cows, goats and other food and income producing livestock to impoverished families around the world.  But it wasn't until I attended a recent conference in Little Rock, Arkansas, that I understood the full scale of this organization's impact.

The conference featured an optional trip to Heifer Ranch, a working farm and ranch with certified organic gardens and a conference and retreat center that promotes sustainable solutions to global hunger, poverty and environmental degradation.  Because I wanted to learn more about Heifer International's work, I immediately signed up for the tour.

At Heifer Ranch, located on 1,200 acres in the midst of the beautiful Ouachita Mountains, visitors partcipate in seminars, service learning projects and in-depth educational experiences, giving them a better understanding of how their choices affect the world.

Ranch volunteer Berta Rieby met our bus as we arrived, then led us to a building where we'd watch a video narrated by Ed Asner that would tell us about Heifer's history.  Heifer International, we learned, buys animals locally then trains people around the world in environmentally sound agricultural practices, integrating crops and animals.  Heifer International bought the ranch in 1971 to educate people about the needs of the world.

After watching the video, we headed outside.  The smell of fresh hay filled the air as we climbed aboard a wagon for a ride though Ranch property, winding along roads with evocative names such as "Pig Trail" and "Llama Loop."  Rieby pointed out the conference center, the Show Barn, and the "Heifer Hilton Bunk Barn", a name fondly given to a dorm where volunteers sleep.  She also showed us dairy and horse barns and pastures in which cattle, water buffalo, and llamas grazed.

As we headed back to our bus, Rieby said, "We think Heifer is about animals, but it isn't.  Heifer is about people.  We're trying to help people."

And so far, Heifer's done a remarkable job of that.  I thought of how much prosperity and hope the gift of just one animal can bring to a family in need.  This year, I decided, when I receive my catalog of "Udderly" original gifts, not only would I share it with my friends, but I'd add a gift of a goat to my order as well.

• Learn more about Heifer International by watching this three-minute video.
• Like to volunteer?  Some 250 people volunteer at the Ranch each year.  Learn how you can join them.

I recommend:   Bill Clinton's inspiring new book, Giving.  This book shows how we can all help to save lives or solve problems, no matter how much or how little we have to give.

Heifer International is featured in Chapter 7:  Gifts that Keep on Giving.  One of Heifer's unique concepts is "Passing on the Gift."  Recipients of  livestock are required to share some of the offspring their animals produce with others in need, multiplying Heifer's impact dramatically. 

For example, in China, a project begun in the 1980s with 105 rabbits has generated hundreds of thousands of offspring that have helped more than 2,200 families.

Ambassadors for Children

If you love to travel and want to make a difference, consider a short-term humanitarian trip

In January when I attended the Adventures in Travel Expo in New York City I met representatives from an organization I'd never heard of before:  Ambassadors for Children (AFC).  AFC is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving children around the world through short-term humanitarian trips and sustainable projects.

Founded in 1998 by Sally Brown, a former president and CEO of the largest travel club in the United States, AFC supports children in approximately 20 locations around the world.  Some of their sustainable programs include:

• Building a school in Uganda
• Building and supporting and orphanage in India
• Supplying and shipping medical equipment to Serbia, El Salvador, Malawi and Jordan
• Providing books and financial support for children's libraries in Nepal, Guatemala, Jordan and Native American Reservations

With AFC, volunteers can travel on short-term humanitarian trips to participate in a variety of activities, such as:

• Teaching English as a second language
• Supervising sporting or recreational activities at orphanages, schools and communities
• Assisting in small construction projects
• Delivering school supplies, books and other items

Upcoming trips include Guatemala, Jordan, Kenya, Jamaica, India, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Mexico and Uganda.

To give you an idea of what one of these trip itineraries is like, on an upcoming Guatemala trip, travelers, after enjoying a walking tour of Antigua and a free afternoon exploring the city, will spend a day volunteering with Open Windows Foundation, then a day with Vamos Adelante Foundation, followed by two days exploring Lake Atitlán and the colorful villages that surround it.  Their last day will be free to do visit a coffee plantation, hike to Pacaya Volcano, or do something else.

The trip itineraries are online, and they do sell out so book early if you can.  Each trip is graded "Beginner Trip", "Moderate Trip", or "Advanced Trip", depending on your level of travel experience, flexibility, and how adventurous you are, so you really can't go wrong when you make your choice.

If you're interested in a rewarding trip that combines travel with volunteer service in order to fill a specific need in the community, Ambassadors for Children could be just what you're looking for.  I haven't had the chance to go on one of their trips yet; if you go on one, please let me know about your experience!

Note:  If you can't participate in any of AFC's upcoming trips, you can still help out by donating needed items.  And they've got some great travel tips on their site.

Photos courtesy of Ambassadors for Children.