voluntourism - Blogs - Tripatini2024-03-28T17:25:22Zhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/voluntourismGiving Thanks for Voluntourismhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/giving-thanks-for-voluntourism2016-11-24T18:04:00.000Z2016-11-24T18:04:00.000ZDavid Paul Appellhttps://tripatini.com/members/DavidPaulAppell16<div><p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/L2F-May-15-pic-voluntourism-school-group-shot-Flickr-Hug-It-Forward.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/L2F-May-15-pic-voluntourism-school-group-shot-Flickr-Hug-It-Forward.jpg?width=800" width="800" class="align-center" alt="L2F-May-15-pic-voluntourism-school-group-shot-Flickr-Hug-It-Forward.jpg?width=800" /></a></p>
<p><br /> It's Thanksgiving Day in the USA, and despite all the world's controversies and problems, many pause to reflect on what in their lives they're thankful for, and perhaps, too, the travel-minded a bit on how they can give a little back of their own good fortune the next time they travel. <br /> <br /> It's certainly true that more travelers than ever (especially young women, it seems) are taking a break from the usual “turn-and-burn” vacations or hedonistic city sojourns in favor of <strong>travel with a purpose</strong>. And most often that purpose is to help the disadvantaged and/or the environment, both in their own countries and abroad. It used to be that international volunteering was the province of formal programs such as America’s <strong>Peace Corps</strong>. and Britain’s <strong>InterVol</strong>. But now everyone can get in on the act, with the trend of “<strong>voluntourism</strong>“, aka “<strong>volunteer holidays</strong>” and “<strong>solidarity tourism</strong>“, has been one of the hottest in travel for several years now, and shows no sign of abating.<br /> <br /> All this interest and activity has spawned a huge, sprawling field, with thousands of programs, millions participating, and billions being spent for the privilege of, say, building houses and schools; teaching English; cleaning up national parks; caring for orphans; and assisting ecological groups in wildlife monitoring or rescue. These experiences range from “voluntourism lite”, such as day programs for guests at fancy resorts or cruise ships, to multi-month gigs. Participants may live with host families or a variety of other arrangements, from private accommodations to dormitory-style digs. There is often a program fee on top of travel costs.<br /> <br /> Naturally, too, there are thorns amid the roses. For starters, it has become so lucrative for travel sellers that many piled onto the bandwagon in a big way, while other new players have sprung up. And of course this means not all of them are of top quality (or even, in some cases, reputable). You definitely need to do a bit of homework when researching <strong>volunteer vacations</strong>.<br /></p>
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/L2F-May-15-voluntourism-Flickr-Hug-It-Forward.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/L2F-May-15-voluntourism-Flickr-Hug-It-Forward.jpg?width=240" width="240" class="align-right" alt="L2F-May-15-voluntourism-Flickr-Hug-It-Forward.jpg?width=240" /></a>And even when all goes smoothly, sometimes these programs can be ineffectual or even an impediment, if you get well-intentioned but unskilled volunteers essentially parachuting into a destination for several days to perform tasks they often have little or experience or training in (I’ve heard more than one story of shoddy construction work that had to be redone by locals – a waste of time and resources).</p>
<p><br /> But doing the homework and choosing the right agencies, destinations, and projects can help reduce these kinds of problems. For example, organisations like four-year-old <a href="http://movingworlds.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Moving Worlds</strong></a> focus on matching volunteer opportunities with people with some amount of expertise in various fields – say, people with organising experience to help run day camps at a school in <strong>Costa Rica</strong>‘s <strong>Osa Peninsula</strong>.</p>
<p><br /> Even the unskilled, however, can make a contribution through well established, reputable programs and tour operators such as <strong><a href="http://www.crossculturalsolutions.org/" target="_blank">Cross-Cultural Solutions</a></strong>, <strong><a href="http://www.rei.com/adventures/trips/volunteer-vacations" target="_blank">REI Adventures</a></strong>, <strong><a href="http://www.travel-to-teach.org/" target="_blank">Travel to Teach</a></strong>, and others. Another good option is to browse online clearinghouses such as <strong><a href="http://www.globalvolunteers.org/" target="_blank">Global Volunteers</a></strong>, <strong><a href="http://www.projects-abroad.org/" target="_blank">Projects-Abroad.org</a>, </strong>and <strong><a href="http://www.voluntourism.org/" target="_blank">Voluntourism.org</a></strong>.</p>
<p><br /> And finally, enquire with the airline you plan to fly, as some, such as <strong>Iberia</strong> have added <a href="http://grupo.iberia.es/portal/site/WebCorporativa/menuitem.abb717cb888166100cd0cbfdf34e51ca?ib_contentId=bb0e5eca23a2c410VgnVCM2000008ee815acRCRD#.VVOIFPlViko" target="_blank">special fares</a> for passengers travelling for humanitarian purposes, which feature relaxed conditions in terms of ticket changes and checked baggage; they are available through agencies and tour operators which arrange volunteer travel.</p>
<p><br /> Get away and give back! It just might change your life.</p>
<p><em><span><br /></span> <span class="font-size-1">photos: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hugitforward/15517622545/sizes/n/" target="_blank">Hug It Forward </a></span></em></p>
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<p></p></div>How Will You Experience 'Experiential' Travel?https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/experiential-local-travel2015-04-04T22:00:00.000Z2015-04-04T22:00:00.000ZNicholas Kontishttps://tripatini.com/members/NicholasKontis<div><p class="lead"><strong><a href="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Nick-Peru-with-Local-Ladies-in-Cuzco.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-33433" alt="Nick - Peru with Local Ladies in Cuzco" src="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Nick-Peru-with-Local-Ladies-in-Cuzco.jpg" /></a></strong></p><p> </p><p>If a picture is worth 1,000 words, what is an experience worth? The experiences of travel are what make one’s journey priceless. The memories of these experiences are what make travel last forever.<br /> <br /> Perhaps this is because I have been to 85 countries, but when I travel, it’s no longer stunning sites that fuel my wanderlust, but rather the connections that I make with local people. I cherish the memories I have of making new friends from around the world while immersing myself in local culture that makes an area genuine and unique.<br /> <br /> Modern travelers seem to seek these experiences as well. In 2014, the travel industry was abuzz about the possibilities of "experiential travel": living like a local (or even better, with a local), taking cooking classes, volunteering, and more. Today’s travelers seek more than amenities and creature comforts, more than getting their picture taken on the Golden Gate Bridge or under the Eiffel Tower, and more than quick stops at crowded monuments and museums and a quick stop by the gift shop for baubles. Real experiences – real connections – are what compel people to travel.<br /> <br /> I began to see the benefits of “going local” at an early age. During my childhood, my parents and I traveled from San Francisco to Greece each summer. In Greece, I learned to bake bread when I was 12 years old. When we ate at restaurants, they were authentic and frequented almost exclusively by locals. The experience of cooking and eating with family and friends in Greece has profoundly shaped my outlook on travel, food, and culture.<br /> <br /> Because of my upbringing and experiences, this “new” phenomenon of experiential travel seems natural to me. Doesn’t everyone want to live like a local when they travel? Doesn’t everyone want to learn to cook a wonderful seafood risotto in Bologna, to visit a coffee shop or a happy hour among a city’s real inhabitants, and to hike off the beaten path on a remote island in the Azores? Seeking out and engaging in an unfamiliar culture is what travel is all about.<br /> <br /> There are so many ways to “go local.” When I was younger, and backpacking in Athens, I spent a week sleeping on a local family’s roof and eating meals in their home. This was a great way for a 18-year-old to save money and learn from a native family an amazing city.<br /> <br /> Amazing things can happen when you immerse yourself in local culture. I was at an ultra-cool, Polynesian themed tiki bar, Sugar Cane, in Clapham, London, when I met Alex and Jenny, art enthusiasts, and fellow fans of uncommon, inebriating watering holes. After many a fruity rum drink and shots of tequila (bad combination), my newfound friends invited me to their home for supper. The next night, I ate a most memorable meal of <em>canard à l’orange</em> in their Mayfair home. What better way to make friends than over a home-cooked meal and bottle or two of wine? My experience in Alex and Jenny’s welcoming home is unforgettable.<br /> <br /> On another trip to London for the annual World Travel Market, my wife and I met a wonderful couple, Dave and Jen, who managed a bar in the London neighborhood of Acton. Oddly enough, we had met over social media – LinkedIn and Facebook. My wife and I were lucky to meet our new friends in person and stay in a room above their pub, the George & Dragon. I would come back from a hard day’s work at the travel convention, explore the new neighborhood around the pub, and afterwards, go behind the bar and pour myself a pint of Guinness. My hosts were amazing; the experience of sleeping above their bar will be etched in my mind forever. My chance online encounter with this couple, and other coincidental encounters like it, can make travel experiences unbelievable.<br /> <br /> Today, online resources make going local easier than ever before. Far before Airbnb, I lived abroad with relatives and friends, and even “couch surfed” in the homes of locals that I did not know. Now, there are now websites dedicated to every aspect of experiential travel. You can stay in a real French home, help build homes in Africa, assist marine biologists in Thailand, and even take cooking classes in Tuscany.<br /> <br /> There are so many ways to blend into your new stomping ground using technology. You may know that you can stay in a local’s home using Airbnb. Another great service, homeexchange.com, allows you to swap homes with another traveler and exchange your amazing travel experience for theirs. And through couchsurfing.com you can stay on someone’s living room couch or in a spare room very economically. While using any of these services, your new neighbors during your stay can be wonderful sources of information and help you blend into local society. Living in a local home or apartment can change your perspective of a new place in a profound and meaningful way and make traveling anywhere in the world a one-of-a-kind social experience.<br /> <br /> Another opportunity for unique experiences abroad is sharing meals. Food sharing sites like eatwith.com, mealsharing.com, and festly.com connect travelers with local hosts to experience home-cooked meals. These sites are all about immersing oneself in local society and culture. Ten years ago, hardly any of us were self-proclaimed foodies. Now, local cuisine has become an important factor in choosing travel destinations. In the last decade, some chefs have skyrocketed to celebrity status. Travelers now often seek vacations in beautiful and relaxing locations, but the focal point of a journey is to experience the local gastronomy. Consider the timeless and refined cuisines of Paris, Rome, and Athens. Combining a culinary excursion with the richness of a historical destination can make for a wonderful holiday experience.<br /> <br /> You can also immerse yourself in another culture through volunteering. There are so many ways to make the world a better place, and what greater satisfaction is there than knowing that you’re making a positive difference in a new place? International Student Volunteers (ISV) works with grassroots initiatives to offer volunteer projects in Costa Rica. ISV volunteer programs directly benefit the local communities of Costa Rica and offer a wide range of volunteer positions in wildlife conservation, community development, children’s programs, and environmental management. However you wish to make an impact, there is a volunteer project for you with ISV in Costa Rica. There are also many other volunteer experiences elsewhere. You can travel to save tigers in Taman Negara, or turtles on the Perhentian Islands in Malaysia. Wherever you go, GoOverseas.com offers the experience living with a local family while you volunteer. The possibilities to make the world a better place are endless.<br /> <br /> The next time you travel, truly experience a new place. Go to a local happy hour and work on learning a new language over a pint. Make friends by sharing a meal or renting a room in a local home. Research volunteer experiences and homestays. Richer, more authentic travels further the international community, enrich the senses, make travel more fulfilling, and truly make the world a better place.</p><div class="postEdit"><p class="tags"></p><p class="tags"></p></div></div>BBC Africa Ignites Our Passion For Conservationhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/bbc-africa-ignites-our-passion-for-conservation2013-02-18T14:48:51.000Z2013-02-18T14:48:51.000ZSam Wardhttps://tripatini.com/members/SamWard<div><p></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008754253,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008754253,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-full" alt="9008754253?profile=original" /></a></p><p>The BBC Africa series had everybody glued to their safari seats, and the last program was no different. Hosted by veteran natural history presenter, Sir David Attenborough, the focus was on various conservation initiatives including, attempts by armed guards to stem the extinction of the critically endangered rhino, and a project led by a Masai warrior who is hoping to protect the lions that his tribe once hunted. </p><p><br />Before the last installment aired there was also the option to quiz the revered celebrity on Twitter and Facebook, an enormous number of fans and followers tuning in. A series that was an undoubted success, it’s certainly got armchair travellers thinking, and Acacia Africa have come up with a top three life changing holidays for adventurers with a conscience.<br /> <br /><a href="http://bit.ly/J3ggHZ" target="_blank">Voluntours</a> are one way to change the status quo, those who take on a stint in Africa also helping to further research by monitoring population growth and the behaviour of various wildlife. There are even opportunities to work with the continents various communities, and as Leanne Haigh, Sales & Marketing Manager at Acacia Africa comments, “Both travellers and the people of Africa have a huge part to play when it comes to the survival of any species, whether they are on the vulnerable or the endangered hit list.”</p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008754098,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008754098,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-full" alt="9008754098?profile=original" /></a></p><p>The Rhino is a case in point and the tour operator has recently made a sizeable donation to Save The Rhino International, the organisation’s logo making a prominent appearance on Acacia Africa’s brochure. But, says Haigh, “even visiting the parks can make a valuable difference, as the entry fees will go a long way in assisting the rangers with projects and will help to pay for ongoing research and expertise.”<br /> <br />Classified as near threatened by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the White Rhino population stands at around 20,600. Divided into Southern and Northern species there are now only seven of the latter left in the world. Visit the <a href="http://bit.ly/UyGLx4" target="_blank">Hluhulwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve</a> home to Operation Rhino for a glimpse of one of the best-loved Big Five.</p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008754876,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008754876,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-full" alt="9008754876?profile=original" /></a>A cross cultural voluntour, adventurers on Acacia Africa’s <a href="http://bit.ly/15ptnhM" target="_blank">26-day Masai Mara Conservation & Wildlife Safari</a> will have the chance to take part in the research and monitoring of various wildlife. Learning from Masai guides about life in the African bush, and assisting and empowering the local tribal communities to value their environment through conservation education are also key aspects of the program. <br /> <br />While the itinerary runs year round, when the Annual Migration is at its height the research aspects of this voluntour are undoubtedly more exciting, the first 13 days of the trip dedicated to preserving the wildlife in Kenya’s best-loved game reserve. At the tail end of the tour there is also the option to experience game drives in the Mara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater - a stay on the sun kissed island of Zanzibar completing the holiday.<br /> <br />Livingstone may be more well-known for its numerous adrenaline pumping pursuits, but the adventure capital is also home to the Lion Encounter. While the big cats fall onto the vulnerable as opposed to endangered list, the organisation is focused on lion rehabilitation & their eventual release into the wild. Budding conservationists have the opportunity to go <a href="http://bit.ly/VqSQDw" target="_blank">walking with lions in Zambia</a>.</p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008755281,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008755281,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-full" alt="9008755281?profile=original" /></a></p><p>South Africa, Kenya and Zambia feature in Acacia Africa’s 18th birthday free seat giveaway. The tour operator will be holding 18 random draws in May, with double draws on 3, 10, 17 and 21 May. Follow #Acacia18 on Twitter for updates. For a full list of T&Cs and details on how to to enter visit the <a href="http://on.fb.me/14VR6VK" target="_blank">Facebook Win! App</a> <br /> <br /><a href="http://bit.ly/ybaHPA" target="_blank">Acacia Africa</a>: 020 7706 4700; info@acacia-africa.com; <a href="http://www.acacia-africa.com">www.acacia-africa.com</a>. Members of AITO. ATOL 6499 and ABTA W4093 PROTECTED.</p></div>"Go Local!" and You Just Might Return a Better Personhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/go-local-and-you-just-might-return-a-better-person2014-06-19T13:27:31.000Z2014-06-19T13:27:31.000ZNicholas Kontishttps://tripatini.com/members/NicholasKontis<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008852857,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008852857,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9008852857?profile=original" /></a></p><p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Having started my career in the travel industry right after I returned from a yearlong backpacking excursion, I learned at a young age how to live with locals and experience familiarity wherever I traveled.</font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">And now, over the past few years there has been a shift in travel values. More than ever, travelers are seeking out original experiences to get immersed into a culture by living like and with the local people. Traveling to a new destination is exhilarating , staying with someone who knows the destination opens many doors. You even end up taking the road less traveled and find yourself off the beaten path, visiting more than just the typical travel sites of your new turf.</font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">We should all want to live like a local, learning about other cultures from the people who live in the region. To be chameleon-like blending into the ingrained population. Travelers seek that unique and authentic experience wherever they may roam. Experiential travel is all the rage. Life should not be about wealth, but about the experiences one gathers in a lifetime.</font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">With the advent of social media and websites catering to in-country experiences, never before has it been so easy to seek out what it feels like to live day to day in a new destination. Websites such as toursbylocals.com and homeexchange.com give one a local's experience. Who better to guide you than someone born and raised there? Sure, you want to see the Eiffel Tower, but it's that little hang out in St. Michel, that you might have never found that molds your perspective on a new destination. Having an expert in the region to guide you opens your mind to a way of thinking that you can then experience by yourself. You live day to day as if this new harbor is your home.</font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Many times you will discover places that you would miss as a tourist or traveler on your own. Travelers want to eat and drink where the natives go, not follow the tourist trail. With Home Exchange, I can trade my beach home in Puerto Vallarta for, perhaps, someone's home in the south of France.</font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Airbnb.com also has many unique experiences for a once in a lifetime stay, living local. Residing out of an apartment or a home, not only will be less expensive, but will be a more rewarding experience than your average hotel stay.</font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Every November I travel to London for the world's second largest travel trade show, World Travel Market at London's Excel. Two years ago, I had one of my most enjoyable accommodations ever. I stayed above a pub called the George & Dragon, in the working class neighborhood of Acton. Not only did I sleep in a room above the pub, but I was able to mingle with the bar patrons. I'll never forget the experience of coming home from a long day of networking, only to actually pour my own pint of Guinness.</font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Last November, my wife and I were able to get acquainted with Airbnb.com. Our first experience would be in London's Mayfair district. The London borough of Westminster, near Hyde Park, is one of my favorite areas of London, and also one of London's priciest. Not only did we stay in an amazing, affordable apartment, but our host, who was not present at the time, just happened to be connected to discount theater tickets and even got us into a sold-out show. Later in our stay we were invited for tea at a neighbor's home. This truly enhanced our stay, and enriching experiences are what change lives.</font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">There is something local out there for everyone. There are historical societies who plan unique stays. Womenwelcomewomen.org deals solely with female travelers. One can even get local by sleeping on someone's couch. The web site, couchsurfing.com can make that happen for you. You will not only save money, but you make new friends in your current destination that will last a lifetime. You can't get a more local feel than sharing one's living quarters in your new stomping ground.</font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Accommodations can vary from the aforementioned stay on a sofa or spare room to more exotic locales such as lighthouses, universities, wineries, monasteries, churches, even small islands. In Costa Rica one can stay in a converted 727 airplane surrounded by thick jungle, overlooking the Pacific.</font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Another way to experience local culture is through volunteer tourism. The desire to give back to a community is something that is engrained in all of us. Working in a village in Africa, growing organic food in Guatemala, picking tea leaves in Sri Lanka, helping build houses in a Peruvian village, building schools in Bangladesh, assisting in marine conservation while on holiday in Thailand. Take your pick, learning how to be sustainable in the world in which we live in are all possible experiences for you. Globalvolunteers.org and earthwatch.org can assist in reaching your goal in helping others on your travels.</font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Supporting a cause is an excellent way to go local. Recently, many have taken up the cause to save sea turtles from poaching and replenishing the amount these beautiful reptiles. The volunteer site parisminaturtles.org allows you to make a difference in Costa Rica, and to protect the Leatherbacks and other species of sea turtles. Through such activism, poaching on Costa Rica's, Parismina Beach has decreased from 98% to 38%. Perhaps there is no greater satisfaction than protecting the flora and fauna of our planet.</font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Helping others is not only a rewarding way to travel, but the memories you will bring home will last a lifetime. Life is about experiences, and what better travel experience is there than knowing you might have helped change a few lives yourself on your trip? What greater satisfaction is there than knowing that your tourism dollars went directly to benefit a local community? Giving something back to the world can be highly rewarding and a life changing experience.</font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">So, on your next journey, ditch the idea of staying in an all-inclusive or high rise hotel. Make a positive mark on our planet. Become a better traveler.</font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Go and find an authentic, original experience and "go local."</font></p><p></p><p></p><p style="line-height:14.25pt;"><span style="color:#333333;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:10pt;">About the Author: Nic</span><span style="color:#1f497d;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:10pt;">holas</span> <span style="color:#333333;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:10pt;">Kontis - Travel Expert and Founder of World Travel List</span></p><p style="line-height:14.25pt;"><span style="color:#1f497d;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:10pt;">Born on the one of the most beautiful Islands in the world, Santorini, Greece and raised in America’s culture capital of San Francisco.</span> <span style="color:#333333;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:10pt;">Nick Kontis started out as a world traveler at an early age traveling back and forth between California and</span> <span style="color:#333333;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:10pt;">Greece every summer. But it was a backpacking trip around the world at age 24 that proved to be a life changing experience. After traveling by car, train, plane, bike and, boat around the world, it would be this trip of a lifetime that would lead to a life as a travel entrepreneur and world traveler. Nick has been on both radio and television. Featured on Arthur Frommer’s television show, and referred by Lonely Planet writers</span> <span style="color:#1f497d;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:10pt;">as a leader in discount airfares.</span> <span style="color:#333333;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:10pt;">Frequently mentioned as the “father of around the world airfares.” Arthur Frommer once said, “If Jules Verne were alive today he would use Nick to go around the world in 80 days.” Nick and his various travel companies</span> <span style="color:#1f497d;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:10pt;">and agents</span> <span style="color:#333333;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:10pt;">have sent over 10,000 people</span> <span style="color:#1f497d;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:10pt;">around the world.</span> <span style="color:#333333;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:10pt;">Now</span><span style="color:#1f497d;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:10pt;">,</span> <span style="color:#333333;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:10pt;">Nick promotes travel through his World Travel List and ‘Trip Rambler’ by World Travel List. Having traveled to over 80 countries Nick hopes to inspire others to travel the world. Follow Nick's "passion for travel" on the World Travel List.</span></p><p style="line-height:14.25pt;"><span style="color:#1f497d;font-family:Calibri, 'sans-serif';font-size:11pt;"><a href="http://worldtravellist.com/"><font color="#0000FF">http://worldtravellist.com</font></a></span></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p></div>Volunteering in Africahttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/volunteering-in-africa2011-08-26T14:20:27.000Z2011-08-26T14:20:27.000ZZablon Mukubahttps://tripatini.com/members/ZablonMukuba<div><p>“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” <br /> – Mark Twain <br /><br />Most volunteers who go abroad, like to volunteer in places where they feel they can make a difference. This is what makes volunteering abroad a noble choice for many. Apart from volunteer work, there are also a number of other things that one can do in these countries. Here we will look at a number of countries in Africa and what one can do while volunteering in these countries.</p><p> </p><p>First off we look into volunteering in Kenya. Kenya has a lot to offer a volunteer not just in terms of volunteer work but also as a tourist destination. First off on your arrival to the capital city Nairobi you will be eager to visit the Nairobi national park, only a few kilometers away from the Nairobi town center. While in Kenya you can trek the snow heights of mount Kenya, visit Fort Jesus in Mombasa, a Portuguese fort, built in The 1593,visit the ancient Gedi ruins, a historical town founded in the 13<sup>th</sup> century, do some water rafting and enjoy the sandy beaches, all within your volunteer visit.</p><p> </p><p>Next up we move to West Africa, where we have Ghana. Ghana being one of the faster growing democracies in Africa at the moment has a lot to of tour sites available to anyone who travels there. All from your arrival at the capital in Accra, you can head to visit the Nkuruma mausoleum. In addition to the mausoleum you can go to any number of these famous attractions; Elmina Castle which was a slave trading, shipping center for the slave trade to America ,the West-African museum at Cape Coast Castle , Kakum National Park with its canopy walk, the oldest mosque in West-Africa at Larabanga, the waterfall at Kintampo , sail with the ferry from Akosombo all the way up north on the Volta lake, visit the lagoons in the Volta estuary ,take a visit to Navrongo with its Roman Catholic Cathedral made out of clay and spend some time on their lovely beaches from Half Assini till Aflao .</p><p> </p><p>South Africa has many beautiful places that a volunteer can visit. Doing volunteer work in Africa’s leading economy comes with a number of attraction’s that can help take your mind off of any stress you may have as a result of your volunteer work. South Africa has within it numerous sites such as the Kruger national park, which has more species of wildlife than any other one in Africa, taking in the view along the Garden Route, which runs along the beautiful coastline in south-western Cape. The narrow coastal plain is also well forested, and mostly bordered by extensive lagoons. You can also make a visit to the cape wine yards, or drive down to the Kwa Zulu natal coast for scuba diving and snorkeling, among other numerous tourist attractions in the country.</p><p> </p><p>Lastly we take a look at Morocco in the northern end of the continent. While in Morocco then one of the best places you can visit during your volunteer work are the imperial cities of Marrakech, Fes and Meknes. Other than these famous attractions, one can take Sahara desert tours, trek through the atlas mountains, or if you enjoy beaches and the ocean just make shore excursions from Casablanca, Tangier and Agadir ports.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>For more free information and low cost volunteer abroad programs in Africa visit <a href="http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/tanzania.aspx">http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/tanzania.aspx</a></p></div>Volunteer-Abroad Insurance Tipshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/volunteer-abroad-insurance-tips2011-08-04T14:10:12.000Z2011-08-04T14:10:12.000ZZablon Mukubahttps://tripatini.com/members/ZablonMukuba<div><p>“Its success lies in the fact that it's an insurance plan, not an investment plan or a welfare plan.” -James Roosevelt. As any volunteer abroad would attest, travelling just like everything else comes with its risks, some are foreseeable therefore avoidable but a good number are not. To make sure you are not very highly affected by such risks, it is beneficial to most volunteer to purchase some travel insurance when they leave their countries. This is just in case anything goes wrong shortly before they leave; on their way to their volunteer destination; during their volunteer work and on their way back home.</p><p> </p><p>A basic description of travel insurance is that it provides coverage for unsuspected risk and financial loss that can occur before a trip starts. This includes cancellation, baggage loss or delay, and medical emergencies. Remember that coverage and limitations depends on the insurance company issuing the policy. There are up to four general types of travel insurance, they range from trip cancellation; we also have trip delay, accident/sickness medical expenses; medical evacuation/ emergency transportation; and supplier default and baggage/ personal effects, loss or delay.</p><p> </p><p> As a volunteer you are probably going to spend quite some time at your destination. Your medical cover may be limited to your country of residence. It will also not be able to cover any medical evacuation you may need in case of an emergency.</p><p> </p><p>Travel insurance covers a number of things, but the fine print in the policy is usually very strenuous to get through or understand. You need to know that travel insurance does not cover a number of scenarios: any pre existing medical conditions; medical tourism, that is a situation where you are travelling to another country to get medical attention there; failure of a travel planner to deliver the travel arrangements you had previously agreed on; any losses due to war that has been declared or not, military action, civil disorder or riots. The policies also never cover losses due to psychological disorders like depression; any losses incurred while the insured volunteer is participating in an unlawful act, and losses incurred while the insured is legally drunk or under the influence of drugs.</p><p> </p><p>Buying travel insurance is as easy making any other purchases, you can either do it from your travel agent or you can do it online. The travel agent is already trained to make this sale and will steer the conversation towards what direction he/ she wants you to take, remember, they also get a commission from this. It is therefore cheaper for you to shop for a policy on line, the argument here is that by passing the middle man, the policy becomes cheaper by up to 50% less, buying from a travel agent will cost you 5-8% of your travel cost.</p><p> </p><p>The best time for you to purchase a policy is immediately after you have made your payments for your deposits, this way you get maximum coverage. Before you buy any policy you need to ask an expert, and make sure you compare prices and levels of cover for different policies from different companies. Make sure you declare any medical conditions that you may have before purchase, read the small print carefully and check the excesses. One more tip that may come in handy is that it is cheaper to buy your travel insurance in numbers, possibly with any fellow volunteers you may be travelling with, but be careful to make sure that the policy you get does not always limit you to travel together, and if making your purchase online, try and make sure to correctly fill in the form, so that you do not have a hard time when you are trying to make a claim. So get yourself some travel insurance for your volunteer work, it will come in handy in case worst comes to worst. </p><p> </p><p>For more free information and low cost volunteer abroad programs in south America visit <a href="http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/ecuador.aspx">http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/ecuador.aspx</a></p></div>Documenting Your Volunteer Abroad Experiencehttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/documenting-your-volunteer2011-07-25T13:47:46.000Z2011-07-25T13:47:46.000ZZablon Mukubahttps://tripatini.com/members/ZablonMukuba<div><p>“I never kept a diary, but I wrote detailed notes of my travels.”- David Rockefeller. Your volunteer experience abroad, makes up part of your life as an individual; it basically shapes who you are at the present. Most volunteers change their outlook towards life after spending some time working with people who are often less fortunate than they are. It is therefore a good idea to keep a record what the experience brought to you. Once you have documented your experience you can keep what you came across to yourself or share what you have gone through with other people who are interested.</p><p> </p><p>One way to document your volunteering experience is to take some time at the end of your day and write down activities in a diary or journal. This can be your own personal account of your time in the country you are volunteering in. The decision lies with you whether to share these experiences with others or just keep it as a reminder to yourself of the time you had abroad.</p><p> </p><p>For those who are willing to share their experiences then there are a number of avenues available for you. There are various blog platforms available for you to blog about your volunteer work; there are blogger, wordpress and many others. The blogs would be published online and many of your friends, family and future volunteers will read what you post. Most blogs are personal views on life and as you write people will get to understand what you are going through. Whenever you update your blog, your followers will be sent an email about new activity about your blog. Blogs are free to open and maintain all they need is your input.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to blogging there are online forums where you could talk about your life. The forums are truetravellers, travelblogexchange, boomersabroad and traveldudes. These forums are a great support network and give you ideas on how to live your life abroad. If you are feeling a bit down or like you are alone you can join in a forum for other volunteers, and where you share in your experiences while still volunteering. You can also use the forum to keep in touch with people who you find you are like minded with, this way you keep your experiences alive through each other.</p><p> </p><p>If you are not a camera shy individual, then carry along your camera with you to work, and record a video blog that you can share online. You can share your experience through Video Podcasts, Youtube and Vimeo. This will let other people see what you are doing or meet the local people you are working with. This is also an avenue share with the people the sites you may have visited during your stay in the foreign country.</p><p> </p><p>Along with videos you can also document your experience through photographs. Pictures will always tell a story of their own, and sometimes you can pick up things through photographs that you may not have seen with your bare eyes, and they are easy to share with family and friends while catching up during holidays. Pictures can be shared through Picasa, Flikr and facebook.</p><p> </p><p>Another way of recording your experience while volunteering abroad is through using social networks like twitter and facebook. These networks keep you in touch with friends and family and in some cases people that are interested in volunteer work. If you can find some time in your day you can just update your activities on these networks and start communicating with people around the world. You can use the networks to post your photos, and in some cases you can make use of some of the applications on the networks that tell the people looking at your updates exactly where you are while making the updates, this brings them closer to you and you closer to the outside world.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>For more free information and low cost volunteer abroad programs in south America visit <a href="http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/ecuador.aspx">http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/ecuador.aspx</a></p></div>Volunteering Abroad in The Movieshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/volunteering-abroad-in-the2011-07-22T15:18:13.000Z2011-07-22T15:18:13.000ZZablon Mukubahttps://tripatini.com/members/ZablonMukuba<div><p>“Everybody's a filmmaker today.” -John Milius. Many willing volunteers for any project often lack the complete picture of what exactly is in store for them when they leave and what they are going do. Well if you are in any of these categories then volunteer movies and documentaries are just what you need. Movies about volunteering have a revealing quality to new volunteer, memories for those who were once volunteers and that basic information for those not in the know. Here is a look into some volunteer movies:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Jimi Sir: An American peace core volunteer in Nepal</p><p> </p><p>This award winning documentary, by Claude Von Roesgen, will take you through the lives of Nepal nationals living in the town of Melung, and the experience of Jimi sir during his two year stay while in his tour with the peace corps. It gives you a firsthand overview of the day to day running’s of Jimi sir, while carrying out his duties as the English and science teacher in the local high school, where he is also building a science laboratory and a working on a latrine, before he has to go back to his life in the states, where he thinks of life as totally different and easier. Jimi lives at the health post, because he prefers to have a space away from everyone else, but he makes sure to have a meal with Tapas family; one of his local friends. This is how he gets to interact with the locals, and learn their culture. Jimi is however already fluent in the local language and has an easy time speaking with his local friends and fellow teachers while he is in Melung.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Living in emergency, stories of doctors without borders</p><p> </p><p>This yet to be released documentary, directed by Mark Hopkins, takes you through the lives of some of the doctors working with the not for profit organisation, doctors without borders. While watching what promises to be a very riveting and dramatic narration from some of the doctors working in these regions filled with conflict and disease. You will get to see the fear in them as they start off working in these regions, and get to view and experience their frustrations in the operating room. The movie shows how they sometimes lose confidence in being doctors, see the anguish on the relatives of the sick an injured, and learn how these experiences change most of the doctors forever. Finally their different reasons for choosing to be there and finally the countless limitations they run into to provide this much needed service.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Imagine Africa</p><p> </p><p>This is a film suited to those people who are drawn towards learning the cultures of different people around the world, specifically Africa. It is a well timed production that puts you in contact with the people and their diversity in different countries of Africa. You get to see the great landscape and scenery that Africa has to offer, from the rainforests in Uganda and Rwanda, to the Deserts of Kenya, Botswana, and Namibia. You will get to see the several cities that are developing within Africa, each with their own unique urban lifestyle. Along with that travel to the Maasai Mara and the Serengeti to watch what is now one of the wonders of the world, the spectacular wilder beast migration. You will get all this just while sitting in front of your screen. Don’t wait to hear about it from friends, it’s a great film for you to watch.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>For more free information and low cost volunteer abroad programs in south America visit <a href="http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/ecuador.aspx">http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/ecuador.aspx</a></p></div>Fundraising and Volunteering Abroadhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/fundraising-and-volunteering2011-06-25T10:07:44.000Z2011-06-25T10:07:44.000ZZablon Mukubahttps://tripatini.com/members/ZablonMukuba<div><p>“Donors don't give to institutions. They invest in ideas and people in whom they believe.” <b>-</b> G.T. Smith<b>.</b> Volunteering abroad can be expensive to the individual; most people use their own money to cover expenses while they volunteer in a foreign country. Especially, if you want to volunteer and you are either in high school or college, with no source of income. To decrease financial burdens on yourself, you can carry out some fundraising campaigns maybe from organizations or even from other individuals. Fundraising is not necessarily an expensive process, it’s simply a process to solicit and gather money, by requesting for donations from organizations or individuals.</p><p> </p><p>As an individual you may need some key principles as to how you may approach potential donors. The first thing is that; you need to ask clearly for what you want or expect. In this regard you also need to have some knowledge towards the donors’ ability and willingness to give. With this information it’s easier for the donor to spend money on you.</p><p> </p><p>As a fundraiser you have to make use of the personal approach. Remember that the more personal your approach is, then the more effective it will be, asking a person for funds face to face will be better than even giving a presentation to a group of people. Using the phone or letters to ask for funds are not effective way to go about getting funding. You are always the best person to do the asking.</p><p> </p><p>Whenever you approach a new or potential donor, try and understand the donors view point. A donor being an organization or an individual does not mean that they lack personal inclinations toward some causes. Donors might have personal reasons for wanting to give or build on whatever you are interested in doing while volunteering abroad. In such a case then you need to remember that in supporting your cause then they are supporting their own causes as well. The situation may also work against you, if the cause you are working towards is one that the donor does not particularly care for. In this case then you need to be careful how you approach the donor, and avoid any mention of what may a affect the donor negatively, which may lead to the donor turning you down.</p><p> </p><p>Keep in mind that fundraising is a peoples business. You need to show the donor how you are helping people with your volunteer work, show them how you are going to change peoples’ lives. You can illustrate this through photos or even some statistics, but always try and focus on a specific project where you are planning to do the most good. It will be easier to excite the donor with one particular project than other several achievements that you would like to accomplish while volunteering abroad</p><p> </p><p>When fundraising remember that as much as you are asking for money, you are also selling an idea to the donor. You need to convince them to contribute to your volunteer work. Remember that you are trying to persuade people and organizations to help you, so you have to give them reasons as to why their donations to you are important, and how in some way they will also be doing some good. It will help you much if you guide the donors on your expectations, you do this through asking the donor for a specific amount for a specific item or for a specific expenditure you will have during your volunteer work.</p><p> </p><p>After all this is done, thank your donors for their contributions and try and tell them how you plan to use their money. You can do this through sharing correspondence with them on how your volunteer work is coming along, and if it’s possible you can report back to them specifically how you have used the money they gave to you.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>For more free information and low cost volunteer abroad programs visit <a href="http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/tanzania.aspx">http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org</a></p></div>Students Internships available in Ghana with Blazing Sun Travelshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/students-internships-available2011-03-13T17:35:35.000Z2011-03-13T17:35:35.000ZBlazing Sun Travelshttps://tripatini.com/members/BlazingSunTravels<div><p> </p><p>Blazing Sun Travels is a full service destination management company based in Ghana. Our primary focus is providing ground-handling services for you or your group. The tours we offer consist of an array of interests and experiences, ranging from cultural, educational, to adventure/eco and we can customize programs to meet your needs and interests.</p><p> </p><p>We are proud to be the leading Ghana’s travel and tour Company for independent-minded and adventurous travellers who are passionately in love with Africa and want to explore both the beauty and the primitive side of Africa either for pleasure, business or educational purposes.</p><p> </p><p>Our Service of specialization includes the following: </p><p> </p><p> * Ecological Tours Flora and Fauna (National Parks)</p><p> * Educational Tours (Exchange programs)</p><p> * Hotel Reservation</p><p> * Stay With A Host Family</p><p> * Students Internship</p><p> * Domestic tourism</p><p> * Volunteer Programs</p><p> * History and Slave Routes Tours</p><p> * Cultural Tours (Festivals and Traditions)</p><p> * Leisure /Pleasure Tours</p><p> * Conferences & Events</p><p> * Business & Investment Consultancy</p><p> </p><p>For more information:</p><p> </p><p>Join us on Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/bsghana">www.facebook.com/bsghana</a></p><p>Follow us on Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/VisitGhana2011">www.twitter.com/VisitGhana2011</a></p><p> </p><p>Web: <a href="http://www.bsghana.com/">www.bsghana.com</a></p><p>Email: <a href="mailto:info@bsghana.com">info@bsghana.com</a></p><p>Tel: +233207057001</p></div>India, Social Media and Sewing for Widows: Blogging from Coimbatorehttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/india-social-media-and-sewing-for-widows-blogging-from-coimbatore2013-02-11T23:31:36.000Z2013-02-11T23:31:36.000ZKaleel Sakakeenyhttps://tripatini.com/members/KaleelSakakeeny<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008749894,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008749894,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="300" alt="9008749894?profile=original" /></a><a href="http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/life-ashes-story-indias-widows" target="_blank">Radio Netherlands</a>: <strong>"There are more than 40 million widows in India - 10 percent of the country's female population. And for the majority of these women, life is what some have described as a "living sati", a reference to the now outlawed practice of widow burning."</strong><br /> <br />Enter Nicki and Kria.<br /> <br /> Blog Entry: Late January: <a href="http://www.frombostontobindis.com/from-the-imagined-to-the-real/" target="_blank">BostontoBindis</a><br /> <br /> <em>"Thursday night Nicki and I sat in front of a group of about fifty widows and single women. They sang for us, covered our shoulders in white shawls, had us light a candle and tossed sweet flower petals over our heads. Several of the Sisters explained to them in Tamil, how far we’d traveled in the hopes of bringing them support and opportunity. Their language is poetic and inspiring, speaking about the seed of this project taking root and the light of God directing us."</em><br /> <br /> Months ago, these two bright 30-something professional women took a deep look at the "way of women in India." Especially the country's widows, and were disturbed. And angry.<br /> They were also moved to do something that wasn't just "feel good," but would teach some of these widows to sew, and produce a line of organic, fair-trade children's dresses. They would create a cooperative together, a business that would benefit the women there, and the two entrepreneurs here.<br /> <br /> The stuff of <em>Fast Company</em>. Entrepreneurism, with a heart and Social Media plan.<br /> <br /> They took a few bucks and went to India.<br /> They managed the chaos, colors and perpetual motion of Mumbai, and flew onward to Coimbatore, the south of India (Tamill-Nadu)<br /> They traveled the faith and good wishes of their family and friends.<br /> They packed weeks of research with them, and put Social Media platforms in place to share their story.<br /> They took a couple of terrific samples made by Kria's mom.<br /> And they had email exchanges with contacts in the Franciscan convent in Coimbatore.<br /> <br /> Blog entry. Early February: <a href="http://www.frombostontobindis.com/from-the-imagined-to-the-real/" target="_blank">BostontoBindis</a><br /> <br /> <em>"Our goal is twofold: to help establish The Women of a New Era sewing cooperative and to become their first client by commissioning them to produce an environmentally responsible children’s clothing line that will be sold in the United States."</em><br /> <br /> Kria and Nicki have jobs. They work for a prestigious global health organizations in the Staes, a mission-driven nonprofit with a strong history of delivering medical and humanitarian services in Haiti and Africa.<br /> <br /> But this was their personal and business mission: Organic, fair-trade children's clothes made by widows with little futures.<br /> <br /> Blog Entry. Early February: <a href="http://www.frombostontobindis.com/from-the-imagined-to-the-real/" target="_blank">BostontoBindis</a><br /> <br /> <em>"Then, with perfect timing, the three shiny new black singer sewing machines arrived. Nicki and I, along with Sister Stella and Christina bought the machines from a small vendor earlier in the morning. After struggling with some basic math, we took out wads of rupees from the ATM around the corner (1 dollar is 50 rupees). The store owners delivered the machines in the small new room for the cooperative, and Josephine Margaret and Christina, eagerly set them up. They looked so beautiful and real."</em><br /> <br /> <br /> They were tired and according to emails, slept poorly because of the noise. They were shocked by the plastic bags clinging to trees, the piles of refuse on the streets, the proverbially poor.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.frombostontobindis.com/from-the-imagined-to-the-real/" target="_blank">Blog Entry</a>, Early February<br /> <br /> <em>"On Wednesday, we drove to Tirupur, a textile city about one hour northeast of Coimbatore, to find an organic cotton producer. With a list of five companies in hand, we were certain that this would be an easy task. Our first stop! Seemed promising, but after two hours we realized that the company had no existing contacts with organic cotton mills, even though they led us to believe otherwise. We spent the next three hours searching for addresses that did not exist and calling phone numbers that were disconnected. We were beginning to feel disheartened."Upon our return, Sriram’s daughter had been waiting eagerly to meet us and give us small gifts that she had made. The generosity and kindness of the Indian people is a theme that we have seen over and over again.</em><br /> <br /> <br /> <strong>Response from friends and family from home: Blog Post:</strong> <br /> <br /> " i’m nervous to drive down an unfamiliar road in needham! you are my heroes!!!! I love reading all about your travels and i especially love when i can see you in a picture<br /> <br /> " Beautiful!! What a wonderful new beginning :)"<br /> <br /> " how wonderful it would be to make clothes from the Gandhi cloth that you discovered!"<br /> <br /> Last Blog- <a href="(http%3A//www.facebook.com/travelvideopostcard?v=wall#!/ksakakeeny%E2%88%9A" target="_blank">Facebook</a> Entry To Date: February 3:<br /> <br /> <em>"Today I wad blessed by an elephant. I put ten rupees in his trunk and he gently touched my forehead. I worry that he's lonely because he's the only elephant in the the Hindu temple we visited. But we're told they send all the elephants in the area to a one-month vacation where they can meet other elephants, exercise and play. Thank goodness!"</em><br /> <br /> <br /> Follow Kria and Nicki at Bostontobindis, and wish them well. Social Media and good works in acttion.<br /><br /><br /></p></div>In Peru, Why Were Grandma & Grandpa Showered With Guinea Pigs & Potatoes?https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/in-peru-why-were-grandma-amp2013-04-15T14:33:11.000Z2013-04-15T14:33:11.000ZJacquie Whitthttps://tripatini.com/members/JacquieWhitt<div><p>If you suddenly discover that your children's grandparents have gone missing, check their closets to see if their <a href="http://www.brmsstore.com/index.php?category_id=82&PHPSESSID=aa87d57b061cea46acdb0ced03663a36" target="_blank">backpacks-on-wheels</a> are gone. Then check your email to see if they sent a quick message from an internet cafe in a <a href="http://adventureholidaysperu.com/" target="_blank">South American</a> city. They may have done it again.</p><p></p><p>Grandma and Grandpa went to do a service project somewhere. More than likely, it's remote and off-the-grid. You might not hear much from<br /> them, until they return home with photos of mud-brick homes and barefoot<br /> children with smudgy faces. They are having a blast and changing the<br /> world at the same time. "Best vacation ever."</p><p></p><p>To all our senior citizens, "would you please retire!" "No, no come back! We need you to be volunteers."</p><p>While you're looking for contained, sterilized cruise ships with pools and rock walls for you and your kids, Grandma is sleeping in the home of<br /> a Qechua family in a village with a name you can't pronounce. She<br /> might be teaching English to the local children or handing up mud-bricks<br /> as she works side-by-side with local people trying to build a school or<br /> community shelter.</p><p>Used to be that only adventurous college kids would throw on a backpack and head off to a bushy, wet place without a bathroom and learn how to<br /> live. Now, Grandma and Grandpa are grabbing their<br /> ergonomically-correct, wheeled luggage and waving good-by (if there's<br /> time for such frivolity) to their kids and grandkids as they head off to<br /> explore the remaining remote corners of the planet.</p><p></p><p>These old, former Peace Corp volunteers want to do what they did when they were young. They've raised you while being gainfully employed as<br /> teachers, doctors and lawyers in corporations and if they had any doubts<br /> about what is important in life when they were young, they have no<br /> doubts now.</p><p>They volunteer in droves in local hospitals, parks, libraries and schools. They take volunteer vacations. They work hard and recently<br /> there have been some questions about whether older travelers are getting<br /> themselves into physical trouble in their pursuit of adventure.<br /> Apparently, they're not aware of this "problem," and the complaints<br /> appear to be coming from sedentary newspaper columnists sitting at<br /> computers. (ahem!)</p><p></p><p>Adios Adventure Travel worked closely with a group from the Appalachian Trail Club, who ranged in age, from 40 to early 70s, organize a volunteer vacation to Peru. They spent<br /> 6 months getting prepped, then flew down in late June for 2 weeks. My<br /> Peruvian partner and I knew they were hikers and used to hard work, so<br /> we planned a service project that would require living in primitive<br /> conditions for the duration. They slept in tents and there was no<br /> plumbing.</p><p>After the 4 day service project, they were scheduled to have one day of rest and showers, then hike the Inca Trail. Not an easy stroll. You'll<br /> have <a href="http://adventureholidaysperu.com/index.php?id=22" target="_blank">to read up on it</a>, on your own time. I hiked it at the age of 51 and lived to tell the story. (I'm kidding!)</p><p></p><p>This group of 12 participated in a vacation that, in their words was</p><p style="text-align:left;"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008561290,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="" /></p><p>"life-changing." Some had never traveled like this before.</p><p>When they weren't installing clay tiles on the roof, or tossing up mud-bricks, they were handing out school supplies to the local<br /> children. The grateful villagers showered them with the one thing they<br /> had, guinea pigs and potatoes. The women brought baskets of food as<br /> gifts. (see photo slide show).</p><p></p><p>Grandparents today are modeling a new way of spending time (and money) in retirement. The only thing that's better than that, is if you and<br /> your kids join them on their next "vacation."</p></div>Kenya Voluntary & Community Development Projecthttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/kenya-voluntary-community-development-projevt2012-11-12T19:00:00.000Z2012-11-12T19:00:00.000ZLydia Adhiambo Omondihttps://tripatini.com/members/LydiaAdhiamboOmondi<div><p></p><p><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;color:#808000;"><span style="font-family:impact, chicago;">Kenya Voluntary & Community Development Project( KVCDP)<br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;color:#808000;"><span style="font-family:impact, chicago;">Volunteer in Kenya for a life changing experience</span></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family:impact, chicago;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span class="font-size-4" style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family:impact, chicago;"><span style="font-family:'andale mono', times;"><span style="color:#808000;">KVCDP</span> is a non-governmental organization working with both local and international volunteers to bring change at the grass-root level mainly rural areas. <span style="color:#808000;">KVCDP</span> has it's head office in Nairobi with operational programs in Wagusu village-Bondo. The programs were chosen according to the pressing needs of the rural set ups.<br /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span class="font-size-4" style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family:impact, chicago;"><span style="font-family:'andale mono', times;"><span style="color:#808000;">KVCDP</span> operates by placing volunteers in their various programs this has enable the volunteers and interns to use their skills, talents, <br /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span class="font-size-4" style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family:impact, chicago;"><span style="font-family:'andale mono', times;">and experience in different programs as indicated below:<br /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span class="font-size-4" style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family:impact, chicago;"><span style="font-family:'andale mono', times;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span class="font-size-4" style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family:impact, chicago;"><span style="font-family:'andale mono', times;">-Children-Orphanages/day care centers <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9296570861,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="162" class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9296570861,original{{/staticFileLink}}" height="174" alt="9296570861?profile=original" /></a><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span class="font-size-4" style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family:impact, chicago;"><span style="font-family:'andale mono', times;">-Health/medical<br /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span class="font-size-4" style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family:impact, chicago;"><span style="font-family:'andale mono', times;">-Sports <br /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span class="font-size-4" style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family:impact, chicago;"><span style="font-family:'andale mono', times;">-Environmental conservation.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span class="font-size-4" style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family:impact, chicago;"><span style="font-family:'andale mono', times;">-Youths<br /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span class="font-size-4" style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family:impact, chicago;"><span style="font-family:'andale mono', times;">-Teaching in local schools. <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008726487,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="219" class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008726487,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9008726487?profile=original" /></a><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span class="font-size-4" style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family:impact, chicago;"><span style="font-family:'andale mono', times;">-HIV/AIDS<br /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span class="font-size-4" style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family:impact, chicago;"><span style="font-family:'andale mono', times;"><span style="text-decoration:underline;color:#808000;"><strong>Program fee for 2013</strong></span><br /></span></span></span></p><ul><li><span class="font-size-4">Cost for two weeks $480</span></li><li><span class="font-size-4">Cost for three weeks $587</span></li><li><span class="font-size-4">Cost for one Month $694</span></li><li><span class="font-size-4">Cost for five weeks $801</span></li><li><span class="font-size-4">Cost for six weeks $9O8 <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008727260,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008727260,original{{/staticFileLink}}" height="133" alt="9008727260?profile=original" /></a><br /></span></li><li><span class="font-size-4">Cost for seven weeks $1015</span></li><li><span class="font-size-4">Cost for two Months $1122</span></li></ul><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:#808000;" class="font-size-4"><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Shangilia Day care center</span></strong></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"></p><p><span class="font-size-4">As an organization working with orphans and vulnerable children we realize that during early childhood, children are learning to get along with others. Early social skill is important in children's overall development as children build a sense of their abilities at a very early age. In addition, social interactions play an important role in other developmental domains.</span></p><p><span class="font-size-4">For example, children use social interactions as a way to practice language and problem solving skills. In fact, children who interact most often with peers are the children who have the best-developed language skills. And, of course children enjoy interacting with peers as other children are more likely to share the same interests and have similar abilities. When children have healthy social interaction skills we find that by age three they are interacting more with peers than with the teachers in the classroom. That is why the organization built Shangilia Day care as shown below.<br /></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;"> </span></strong></p><p style="text-align:left;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008727081,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008727081,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9008727081?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:left;"></p><p style="text-align:left;"></p><p> For more information please go to.<a href="http://www.kvcdp.org" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/KenyaVoluntaryAndCommunityDevelopmentProject?ref=ts&fref=ts</a></p><p style="text-align:left;"></p><p> </p><p style="text-align:left;"></p><p> </p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family:impact, chicago;"><span class="font-size-5" style="font-family:'andale mono', times;"><strong> </strong></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family:impact, chicago;"><span class="font-size-5" style="font-family:'andale mono', times;"> </span></span></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family:impact, chicago;"><span class="font-size-5" style="font-family:'andale mono', times;"> </span></span></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family:impact, chicago;"><span class="font-size-5" style="font-family:'andale mono', times;"> </span></span></span></p></div>Voluntourism in Vietnam: Ruralkidshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/voluntourism-in-vietnam-ruralkids2012-08-26T15:26:31.000Z2012-08-26T15:26:31.000ZNguyen Quoc Tuanhttps://tripatini.com/members/NguyenQuocTuan<div><p><br /> CDS Rural Education Development Organization (<a class="auto-link" title="Click here for Vietnam" href="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/vietnam">Vietnam</a>) is looking for interested volunteers who would like to share their time and talents with the staff and students of our school. Volunteers strengthen and enrich educational programs and foster greater cooperation among all the partners in our rural school community.</p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008725686,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008725686,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="340" alt="9008725686?profile=original" /></a><br /> <br /> Our school welcomes volunteer involvement in a variety of areas and capacities. Volunteers may provide short term or long term commitment to carry out maximum support in improving capacities, knowledge and skills through informal education to give them opportunities access with high quality educational service, enable them to become the excellence farmers and leaders of their local community, Volunteers derive a great sense of fulfillment and satisfaction from their work and our school life is certainly very much enhanced by their generous efforts.</p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008726670,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" height="162" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008726670,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="253" alt="9008726670?profile=original" /></a><br /> <br /> ABOUT US<br /> <br /> Established by CDS, Rural Education Development Organization is a non governmental education organization operating in the North of Vietnam. Its goal is to help disadvantaged children and young people realize their potential by expanding collaboration with international volunteering human resource, international development organizations, donor groups, member governments and civil society.<br /> <br /> Rural Education Development Organization carries out maximum support in improving capacities, knowledge and skills through informal education to give them opportunities access with high quality educational service, enable them to become the excellence farmers and leaders of their local community.<br /> <br /> BLENDED LEARNING PROGRAM<br /> <br /> Our Blended Learning Program is to help these teenagers realize more of their potential and enjoy expanded capabilities to address the increasing global social, economic and environmental challenges we face on. This will be done in real work situations and organize training courses about the Essential Successful Living Skills. They include:<br /> <br /> •Maintaining a positive outlook<br /> <br /> • Setting and managing goals<br /> <br /> • Finding a source of self-motivation<br /> <br /> • Making the best use of time<br /> <br /> • Effectively managing income and resources.<br /> <br /> • Solving problems creatively<br /> <br /> • Presentation skills<br /> <br /> • Creating and holding on to your vision<br /> <br /> • Receiving guidance from your heart<br /> <br /> • Being willing to embrace change<br /> <br /> • Communicating your ideas<br /> <br /> • Collaborating with others (Especial English skills is strongly focus as an effective tool for the integration and globalization)<br /> <br /> WHY PROGRAM NEED YOU<br /> <br /> No one person can do everything, but each of us can do something. We need to find something that moves us and act on it. We have ongoing needs for volunteers with different backgrounds. reflect the rich diversity of a global community in race, all are united by their common desire to help others. Taking part in this program, international Volunteers can help with different activities:<br /> <br /> • Assist the local staffs in developing and implementing educational games about Essential Successful Living Skills<br /> <br /> • Organizing practice English lessons for rural youth, improving capacity to use English as an effective tool<br /> <br /> • Help organize seminar series, seminar subjects, conferences, forums and short- term training courses, within the frame work of the center<br /> <br /> • Support the school for other activities to be realized with students<br /> <br /> AT A GLANCE<br /> <br /> Location: North Vietnam</p><p>Minimum program length: 02 weeks - 200$/week</p><p>Accomodation & food: Furnished comfortable accommodations at the International Guest House, including a shared kitchen and Internet capabilities We provide 03 meals per day for free. We also provide home-stay with local families.</p><p>Work hours: 5-6 hour per day.</p><p>Fee: No require, but volunteer must cover Flights, Insurance, Visas by yourself .</p></div>Voluntourism in Kenya - Volunteer Safarishttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/kenya-volunteer-safaris-voluntourism2012-04-24T18:09:39.000Z2012-04-24T18:09:39.000ZAdventure Panorama Tourshttps://tripatini.com/members/AdventurePanoramaTours<div><p>The word “Kenya voluntourism” means a responsible tour or safari that is either preceded or succeeded by <a href="http://vastkenya.com/volunteer%20projects.htm" target="_blank">charity work in Kenya</a>. As the days of our lives on earth go on rolling like grits of sand through the hour glass, our comprehension and appreciation of the fabulous nature surrounding us keeps on getting more and more intimate.</p><p>This is an inevitable and a natural fact and we have to call a spade a spade, not a big spoon. I am in Africa, writing this article under an acacia tree, and a family of brimstone canary and the blue-napped mouse birds are so busy engaged in their domestic conversations, seemingly inquiring from each other how their day had been!</p><p>During <a href="http://www.adventurepanoramasafaris.com/index.php/7-days-kenya-adventure-tour" target="_blank">responsible safari trips</a> to Africa, you will realize that it takes one pretty long time to understand nature yet it's so interesting and informative. It is a golden opportunity for foreign volunteers to spare just a few days to visit game reserves and national parks in Kenya and Tanzania, and a percentage of their tour fee is also used to support orphans and carry out Home Based Care activities among other programs in western Kenya.</p><p>This is also applicable to a normal budget adventure and luxury tourist who can take this chance to travel to rural Kenya and share a firsthand experience with <a href="http://www.accessaidmission.org" target="_blank">Access Aid Mission</a></p><p>Voluntourism is therefore one of the best chance that a volunteer or a tourist can make use of during a visit to Kenya or Tanzania. This would also help create an international open forum for free exchange of ideas. The programs including volunteer work, a visit to parks, game reserves or even Mount Kenya climbing or Kilimanjaro trekking can be tailored to suit a client's special interest and request.</p><p>At the end of your responsible travel activity in Africa, we organize for a farewell party, normally at the village and includes everybody that took part in the community activities just to celebrate the success of the rendered efforts. The third and optional step after hard days of toiling during the community service projects and hot dusty <a href="http://adventurepanorama.com/" target="_blank">Africa safari</a> during the game drives in the parks is a beach holiday. This provides a wonderful conclusion by taking you a step back in time at Tiwi beach.</p><p>This is a fantastic beach with the whitest sands and a horizon that goes on forever. The pleasures that await at the Tiwi beach resort is just irresistible. <a href="http://www.adventurepanoramasafaris.com/index.php/kenya-marine-safari" target="_blank">Kenya's coastal</a> region is one of the most pristine and beautiful tropical areas. It retains its ancient Swahili culture after centuries of trade with Arabs. This culture can be seen in architecture, people and historical sites of this fascinating region. Probably you were not aware of this, now I am glad to have let you know and pass this wonderful message to your friends and the people that you see around to help open up the world for everybody to enjoy and appreciate this fantastic nature!</p><p></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008696674,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008696674,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="720" alt="9008696674?profile=original" /></a></p></div>Kapawi Eco Lodge, Ecuadorhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/kapawi-eco-lodge-equadore2012-02-20T23:00:00.000Z2012-02-20T23:00:00.000ZUwe Ahlgrimmhttps://tripatini.com/members/UweAhlgrimm175<div><p><strong>WELCOME TO THE LAND WHERE WE COURAGEOUSLY DEFEND OUR TERRITORY.</strong></p><p>“We the Achuar were born in the forest. Our traditions are still intact, our land untouched by logging or oil companies and our skies covered by flocks of colorful Macaws. Kapawi is an important part of our plans to preserve our culture and conserve the rainforest for our children and grandchildren. We want a sustainable future, and we invite you to be part of it.”</p><p>Germán Freire<br /> Achuar President</p><p><img class="aligncenter" src="http://www.kapawi.com/images/stories/photos/index-02.jpg" alt="Kapawi Ecolodge and Reserve" width="500" height="300" /></p><p>Kapawi is one of the most remote, ecologically responsible and culturally sensitive ecolodges in the world.</p><p>Your visit helps the Achuar people in their work to preserve their nearly two million acres of pristine rainforest in the heart of the Ecuadorian Amazon.<iframe width="600" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ita9WCJz8jo?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p>Kapawi Eco Lodge camp, Reserve is located in one of the most remote and well protected parts of the Ecuadorian Amazon. Deep in the nearly two million acres of the Achuar people’s territory, Kapawi is accessible only by air—flying in small planes over an unbroken green expanse of rainforest. <img class="aligncenter" src="http://www.kapawi.com/images/stories/photos/index-03.jpg" alt="Kapawi Eco Lodge and Reserve" width="211" height="251" />In addition to consistently receiving high praise for its gracious hospitality,</p><p><img src="http://www.kapawi.com/images/stories/ng-aword.gif" alt="National Geography Aword" /><img src="http://www.kapawi.com/images/stories/equator-prize.jpg" alt="equator-prize" /><img src="http://www.kapawi.com/images/stories/exellence-logo.gif" alt="Ecotourism Excellence Award 2000" /><iframe width="600" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/H1gtzyWrYR4?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p><strong>The Management of Eco Lodge Register extends it’s admiration to the Achuar people and to their Leader Germán Freire Achuar President , for this great accomplishment, as we have promised to support Indigenous people in their goal to stay self sufficient, we are offering our Gold subscription to you , for as long as we are publishing this Register, as a Free Contribution, Uwe Ahlgrimm, Founder and CEO!</strong></p><p><strong>May our contribution provide you with a Global following and add to your celebration of a long and profitable future in support of the Achuar people.</strong></p><p><strong>contact: editor@ecolodgeregister.com</strong></p><p><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=U5NcXVOW06c&offerid=191979.10001941&subid=0&type=4" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Flight Deals Banner (468x60)" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=U5NcXVOW06c&bids=191979.10001941&subid=0&type=4&gridnum=1" /></a></p></div>Saving Money While Volunteering Abroadhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/saving-money-while-volunteering-abroad2011-10-31T15:02:04.000Z2011-10-31T15:02:04.000ZZablon Mukubahttps://tripatini.com/members/ZablonMukuba<div><p> <em>"</em><em>If you would be wealthy, think of saving as well as getting."<br /></em><i>-</i> Benjamin Franklin <br /><br />Many volunteers do not go abroad with an aim of over spending their hard earned cash, for many it is a chance to give back to society and many a case to those less fortunate than themselves. As much as one would like to enjoy their experience while in a foreign country, a situation may arise where you may need to save and budgeted as such. A number of tips are provided here to help you curb your spending to a minimum, during your volunteer tour.</p><p> </p><p>First place where you can make some savings is on accommodation. You do not have to stay in a hotel or an expensive resort when volunteering abroad. One sure way to make some savings is to get in touch with volunteer organisations that will help you to get cheaper accommodation from local families living in the area where you are carrying out your volunteer work. Alternatively you can make friends with the locals in the area and ask them to accommodate you for a small fee, either way it beats most hotel rates, and you might get to learn about the cultures of the people you are working with better.</p><p> </p><p>Another tip to avoid over spending is to avoid eating out in hotels and restaurants, though one may get homesick and crave some of their home countries cuisine. It may work to your benefit if you try and get used to some of the local foods which are cheaper than imported foods. Once you are used to the local meals, then you can have your meals with the local family you are living with. This guarantees you homemade meals and in general may work to your favour in terms of health.</p><p> </p><p>When in a country that is not very well developed most foreigners tend to feel like they have to use taxis to get around, most of these countries do not have very good public transport industries, they may not have subways or good bus systems. But it will be to an advantage to you if you get to learn how to use the public transport in such countries, because they tend to be much cheaper, and are not likely to over charge you just because you are a tourist, which is common with a number of taxi drivers in such regions.</p><p> </p><p>Lastly when in a volunteer tour in a foreign country, try to reduce your spending by limiting your shopping sprees. A souvenir here and there may not be out of place but going on an all-out shopping spree on artistic memorabilia of the country or countries you are visiting, may cause a permanent dent in your pocket. As is the case with everything when you are abroad these items are more likely to be expensive to foreigners, so one should spend on a limited number of artefacts, to keep within your budget.</p><p> </p><p>Therefore mentioned areas can act as a start to you, aiding you in making some savings when you are abroad doing volunteer work. You never know if at the end of your visit you have made some good savings then you may be able to treat yourself before you depart for home, knowing that you still have some savings that will assist you back home</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>For more free information and low cost volunteer abroad programs in Africa visit <a href="http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/tanzania.aspx">http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/tanzania.aspx</a></p></div>Voluntourism and the Joy of Travelhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/voluntourism-and-the-joy-of-travel2011-09-22T13:30:00.000Z2011-09-22T13:30:00.000ZElizabeth Hansenhttps://tripatini.com/members/ElizabethHansen<div><p><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008655695,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="360" class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008655695,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9008655695?profile=original" /></a></strong></span></p><p><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>Customized itineraries</strong></span> are an important aspect of <a href="http://www.authenticluxurytravel.net/2011/01/what-is-authentic-luxury-travel.html">authentic luxury travel</a>. These days we like to focus on our individual interests and leave room in the trip plan for spontaneous detours. <br /> <br /> This flexibility may enable staying longer than expected at a colorful marketplace or hiking farther than originally planned. It may also mean, as I learned a few years ago, <strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">being able to seize the moment and lend a hand in a developing country.</span></strong><br /> <br /> We stayed at the best hotels in <strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">Costa Rica</span></strong> and zoomed over the rainforest on a zipline, but <span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>my favorite memories of this country come from the <span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008655887,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a></strong></span>village school we visited one afternoon</strong></span>. I hadn’t pre-planned the stop, but when I expressed interest – our driver made it possible.<br /> <br /> To this day, the shy smiles of the children we met are locked in my heart, as is the gratitude expressed by the headmaster when I contributed enough cash to repair their only computer. <br /> <br /> As the travel editor at a luxury lifestyle magazine, I’ve been sleeping on high-thread-count linens and enjoying 24/7 room service for a long time. However, <span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>I didn’t discover the true joy in travel until I started reaching out and finding small ways to make a difference in the developing world.</strong></span><br /> <br /> I call what I do <a href="http://www.elizabethhansen.net/voluntourism.htm">“Voluntourism Lite.”</a> Not everyone can build a house with Habitat for Humanity, but every traveler has a hug, a smile, and can pack a few gifts to share.<br /> <br /> My first experience was in northern <strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">Vietnam</span></strong>, when – at the suggestion of our guide - I bought notebooks, pens, and pencils before heading out to visit ethnic hill tribe communities.<br /> <br /> The beautiful families we visited welcomed us into their humble homes and were delighted with everything we brought them. When I admired their colorful tribal clothing, they insisted I try it on – which caused giggles all around. At the end of the day, I felt a “high” that far exceeded the pleasures of a luxury spa or yet another gourmet meal.<br /> <br /> I have subsequently known the joy of heart-to-heart contacts in <strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa</span></strong> and <span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>South Luanga, Zambia</strong></span> where bags of school supplies carried from California were warmly received.<br /> <br /> These gestures aren’t grand, but the rewards of <a href="http://www.elizabethhansen.net/writingClips.htm">voluntourism</a> are great. Each time I reach out, I experience the joy that comes from <a href="http://authenticluxurytravel.elizabethhansen.net/2011/07/travel-trends-hot-topics.html">being an authentic traveler, having real experiences, and seizing an opportunity to connect with the local culture</a>. <br /> <br /> <span style="color:#cc0000;font-size:large;">It <em>is</em> far better to give....</span></p><div style="clear:both;"></div><div class="post"><div class="post-footer-line post-footer-line-1"><div class="post-share-buttons goog-inline-block"><span class="post"> </span></div></div><div class="post-footer-line post-footer-line-3"></div></div></div>9/11 and Travel, Ten Years Onhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/9-11-and-travel-ten-years-on2011-09-11T16:30:00.000Z2011-09-11T16:30:00.000ZDavid Paul Appellhttps://tripatini.com/members/DavidPaulAppell16<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008652064,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" width="300" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008652064,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9008652064?profile=original" /></a>On the lovely morning of September 11, 2001, I was working as usual in my 7th Avenue Manhattan office as executive editor of <em>Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel</em>, when thanks to somebody over on the publishing side with a dinky in-office TV came word that a plane had hit the north tower of the World Trade Center. As we sat there increasingly nervous yet numbed, trying to continue to work with one eye on the news, one editorial assistant admitted to me at one point, "people here are scared, they don't know what to do."<br /><br />As things went from bad to unimaginably worse downtown, Arthur and I finally made the inevitable decision and sent everyone home, especially since with bridges and tunnels closed, some of them were going to be spending the rest of the day just getting there. I myself wandered down 7th Avenue to my Chelsea apartment 21 blocks south, through streets filled with similarly disoriented and shocked New Yorkers, almost like something in one of those urban post-apocalypse scare flicks. I thank heaven that I lost no one I knew in the catastrophe, but like many New Yorkers I lived with grief, anger, and anxiety for months afterward. Within four months I 'd sold my apartment and left New York.<br /><br />Now, as the landmark 10th anniversary arrives this weekend, we've all been seeing, hearing, and reading a flood of coverage on what it all has meant for the United States and the world in this past decade. At the time, my boss Arthur Frommer was pretty pessimistic about 9/11's effect on travel, and in many ways he was right, especially in the short and even medium term. The business -- and we, the media covering it -- took a scary hit in those next months, and some at the time wondered how and even if it could ever recover. Of course the industry did eventually climb back, and then some, but not unchanged -- for example, most of us are all too familiar with how airline travel lost whatever residual pleasure it might've clung to and turned into even more of an almighty hassle (just going through Newark Airport a few months ago got me so aggravated it made ME wanna bomb something). And of course the Internet has quickly revolutionized the business and experience of travel, from researching to booking to sharing -- including of course, my own two-year-old site, Tripatini.com, which does all of the above.<br /><br />And on September 11, 2011, with a chunk of the Western world at least still reeling from the long hangover to 9/11 -- endless war mixed with endless shopping, the hollowing-out of America thanks to a wildly irresponsible ride filled with credit/real estate bubbles and rising income inequality -- it's also clear the threats to travel these days are mostly more economic than political, martial, criminal, or terroristic (well, depending on where, of course; I don't exactly notice a booming, er, I mean robust tourism industry in Afghanistan, Iraq, or Somalia).<br /><br />And so now, precisely a decade later, here I sit at our TravelBloggerShow in the world's gaudiest tourist trap, go-go Las Vegas, listening to some of the stars of today's travel media universe -- folks like Grant Martin of Gadling.com, George Hobica of AirfareWatchdog.com, and Wil Klass of SpotCoolStuff.com -- prognosticate to an audience of bloggers and travel industry pros on how to make it in these challenging times and what the future may hold. <br /><br />Besides the changes in travel I mentioned above, we've also seen a broadening and deepening of the offerings out there, both geographically and otherwise. Senior citizens who might've simply opted for Vegas once upon a time, and families for Disney World can now be found ziplining in Costa Rica or on safari in India. Other blooming trends, of course, include adventure travel, extreme adventure travel, ecotourism, voluntourism, learning vacations, and a host of others. In other words, let a thousand travels bloom.</p>
<p><br />On the tech side, it's amazing to think that while Web sites have been around in numbers since the 1990s, Facebook and the explosion of social media has only been a real phenomenon for half a decade or so. <em>Half a decade,</em> think of it -- and it has almost completely transformed the landscape. That alone tells me that anyone who tries to predict the future of travel -- even by extrapolating more of same -- is on a fool's errand. I do think, though, it's safe to say that diversification will only increase, both technologically and in terms of where, why, and how we travel. And it's a journey I'm still excited to be on.</p></div>Volunteers Abroad and Vaccinationshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/volunteers-abroad-and-vaccinations2011-08-14T16:31:05.000Z2011-08-14T16:31:05.000ZZablon Mukubahttps://tripatini.com/members/ZablonMukuba<div><p>“Vaccination is the medical sacrament corresponding to baptism.” - Samuel Butler. No one likes to fall ill when travelling, be it for volunteer work, but more so if you are taking a trip as a tourist. The risk for catching disease is increased when travelling to another continent. It is therefore advisable when you are travelling to any country for you to make sure you have all your immunization shots. Immunization schedules are usual personalized according to an individual immunization history, the countries to be visited, the duration of travel and the amount of time available before departure. Here is a brief overview.</p><p> </p><p>First of all for those travelling with infants then the primary vaccination series with diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis, polio, <i>Haemophilus influenzae</i> type b (DTaP-IPV-Hib) and pneumococcal conjugate can be started as young as 6 weeks of age.</p><p> </p><p>The most common disease that requires vaccination from most countries, especially as a regulation from the world health organization is yellow fever. Yellow fever is a virus infection, which cause a serious hepatitis. Getting a vaccine will provide protection for 10 years after a single injection. Countries where yellow fever is present are entitled to request a valid certificate documenting a vaccination against yellow fever at least 10 days before entry. The certificate is a stamp in the WHO yellow book. If travelling to Africa, it is mandatory for you to get vaccination in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Eritrea, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, and Togo. There are some countries within Africa where yellow fever is not very much a threat, however in such countries you are required to have a certificate of vaccination if you are coming from countries where yellow fever is endemic. These countries include Algeria, Burundi, Egypt, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Kenya.</p><p> </p><p>Typhoid vaccine is recommended for travellers who will have prolonged exposure i.e. more than four weeks, to potentially contaminated food and water. However, getting a vaccination against typhoid is recommended in all countries in Africa, as much as it is not a requirement for entry to most. The same goes for tetanus and polio.</p><p> </p><p>Diphtheria is a serious throat infection, which infects from person-to-person through the air. The vaccination should be less than 10 years old otherwise a booster is needed. The diphtheria vaccine is recommended for all African countries, especially for people planning to stay for a long period of time, that being three months or more.</p><p> </p><p>Lastly we take a look at hepatitis. Infectious hepatitis infects through contaminated food and water. Vaccination consists of two injections about 12 months apart, which protects for up to 25 years. The hepatitis A vaccine can be combined with hepatitis B. Travelers, who will be residing in areas with high levels of endemic hepatitis B or working in health care facilities, are most recommended to take this vaccine. Hepatitis B vaccines are recommended for all countries in Africa, where a person plans to stay for three months or more. Also note that since hepatitis B carrier rates are much higher in developing countries, every effort should be made to arrange full hepatitis B immunization for children of any age.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>For more free information and low cost volunteer abroad programs in south America visit <a href="http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/ecuador.aspx">http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/ecuador.aspx</a></p></div>When Volunteers Abroad Commit Crimeshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/whenvolunteersabroadcommitcrimes2011-08-11T13:31:37.000Z2011-08-11T13:31:37.000ZZablon Mukubahttps://tripatini.com/members/ZablonMukuba<div><p>Choosing to be a volunteer is a noble choice for many. There is a lot of good that comes from volunteer work, but sometimes we have a few volunteers who for lack of a better term find themselves falling through the cracks and committing serious crimes while in the course of their volunteer work abroad. <br />To get a clear perspective on this we will take an example from a recent crime committed by a former American Peace Corp volunteer in South Africa. According to media reports, Jesse Osmun, 31, worked at an AIDS center in Greytown, South Africa, that provided education, food and other services to children between the ages of 3 and 15. Osmun, while volunteering at the center's preschool facility, allegedly sexually molested at least five girls under the age of 6. He is also alleged to have engaged in illicit sexual conduct with one of the girls, approximately 5 years old, twice a week for five months.<br />A pre school teacher, walked into a room where Jesse was playing with three girls, and on realizing, he was no longer alone, jerry shot up and pulled up his zipper. The pre school teacher reported this incident, and Jesse was confronted by the AIDS center program manager in May 2011.<br />According to the official complaint on Jesse, he initially denied any illicit activity but, subsequently admitted that he had touched one of the children under her clothes. One child also came forward and said that Jesse had given her candy in exchange for oral sex. Shortly afterwards, Jesse resigned from the Peace Corps and went back to the USA on June 2nd 2011.<br />An investigation was launched into the sexual allegations, and Jesse was arrested at his home in Milford, Connecticut. Where, the complaint states, Jesse began to admit that he molested children (at the preschool) and provide details about the molestation. “He appeared before a federal judge in Bridgeport and was detained.<br />This horrific crime is only one of the more recent cases that happen to have been reported, and hopefully a conviction will be made. Many other crimes go unnoticed, many of them involving drug abuse and trafficking, all the way to prostitution and fraud.<br />For many volunteers abroad, involvement in prostitution may not be a chosen way of life; some may find themselves in unusual circumstances. Like being the victim of a robbery, where they are forced to engage in prostitution in order to find their way back home. But in such situations you need to remember that prostitution is illegal in most countries, and more so in Arab speaking nations, it may therefore land in you a fatal sentence like getting stoned to death. Always try and look for a way out through contacting your embassy or even fellow volunteers.<br />Asian countries do not tolerate drug abuse and trafficking. In these countries such crimes carry very steep sentences, where one may not even be allowed legal representation before sentencing, or contact with their families. So think long and hard about it, when you go to do your volunteer work abroad is it really worth the risk to involve yourself in criminal activities. That may mean you never seeing your family or friends again and jail time in a foreign prison. Jesse can consider himself lucky not to have been arrested and prosecuted in a South African prison.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>For more free information and low cost volunteer abroad programs in south America visit <a href="http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/ecuador.aspx">http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/ecuador.aspx</a></p><p> </p><br /></div>Choosing a Volunteer-Abroad Programhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/choosing-a-volunteer-abroad-program2011-08-19T15:06:21.000Z2011-08-19T15:06:21.000ZZablon Mukubahttps://tripatini.com/members/ZablonMukuba<div><p>“It’s easy to make a buck; it’s a lot tougher to make a difference.” – Tom Brokaw. There are many volunteer opportunities out there for anyone interested in doing volunteer work, more so abroad. Where as some people go into the volunteer world for just the simple experience, some go towards it as a vocational calling, or as a stepping stone for their future careers. It is best to choose a volunteering program that will be most beneficial to you and to those that you intend to help. Here is a look into some programs you can look into while trying to make your decision.</p><p> </p><p>We will kick off by looking at volunteering as a teacher. This is one of the most fulfilling paths one can take as a volunteer. Volunteering as a teacher has a long term outcome in the community you are volunteering in. if you can help educate just a few people from a community that has suffered less fortune than yourself then this few individuals will in turn uplift the whole community with time. If you have qualifications as a teacher the better but you do not have to teach strictly in the class room, teaching can be in many forms including just showing a community how they build a latrine to ensure that their water is not contaminated. In the end it is all worthwhile.</p><p> </p><p>Let’s look at those who may be interested in volunteering in healthcare. You can therefore help in this regard all over the world. Those interested in healthcare can have a choice in working in places where disaster has struck or picking one specific location along the globe where you would like to help out. How you help does not have to be strictly in a medical sense, you can do your part by simply distributing mosquito nets to area where malaria is highly occurring, or start a campaign to make sure every household in an area where there have been cholera outbreaks has a means to boil or purify their water. The end result of all these efforts is that you have helped keep a community healthier.</p><p> </p><p>The saying goes that children are our future, so let’s look at those of us who would like to volunteer in children homes or with orphans. In this field you get to mold a person who will go off into the world someday, and make something of themselves because you had the courtesy to be involved in their lives. In an orphanage you can provide healthcare, teach, work in the kitchen as a cook, build a dormitory, clean up the compound or even do some missionary work while there. And the beauty of all this is you can commit yourself to one or more of the causes above all at the same time; you therefore get to touch a life on several fronts.</p><p> </p><p>If you like animals and the environment around you, the one program you can look into is volunteering in wildlife conservation. Here you get to work with all sorts of wildlife from those that live in the savannah to marine animals, in the process you also get to interact with the environment as you spend a lot of time in the field, sometimes even spending nights outdoors camping, depending on how adventurous you are. Here is a clear instance where you can have some fun while doing your volunteer work.</p><p> </p><p>There are many other potential programs for volunteers out there, including community development, construction work or even missionary work. Once you have made a clear choice on what you want to work in then the next step is to get your hands dirty and join in the volunteer community around the world.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>For more free information and low cost volunteer abroad programs in South America visit <a href="http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/ecuador.aspx">http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/ecuador.aspx</a></p></div>Online Fundraising for Volunteering Abroadhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/online-fundraising-for-volunteering-abroad2011-08-08T18:54:37.000Z2011-08-08T18:54:37.000ZZablon Mukubahttps://tripatini.com/members/ZablonMukuba<div><p>“You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.”- Winston Churchill. Fundraising is a concept that is not strange to many of us; it’s basically a form of raising money towards a given cause. There are newer more popular ways coming up which a volunteer can use to fundraise; one of them is online fundraising. Fundraising through online websites is a way for you as a volunteer to get more money, and people involved. It also helps you to build a network of well wishers and donors to your cause. There are a number of websites that can help you to do your fundraising online. A brief description is provided below.</p><p> </p><p>The first website we will look at is Crowdrise empowers online fundraisers to reach out to their friends, family, classmates, co-workers and other members of the Crowdrise community. Crowdrise’s online fundraising tools allow you to tell your story using compelling photos and videos to connect with your supporters. You can also share your projects with everyone you know by sending them a link to your project page via email, Facebook and Twitter. All you need to do is create your own personalized Profile Page. Your profile is meant to showcase everything you're doing as an online fundraiser and volunteer.</p><p> </p><p>Another website you can look out for is Give2gether was founded in 2007, and to date it has enabled various Non Profit organizations to successfully raise funds for various purposes. The process here is quite simple; the first step for you on this website is to customize your web page. Through clicking on the icons provided, you can upload your organization’s logo, and then add a text of what you want to go with your main image. The next step is for you to upload your donors’ details, and then set up your introductory email announcing the campaign to existing donors. This will enable you to get the word out there of your cause, as your donors will start to reach out to their own networks. Once this is done then you only need to give your donors a thank you note, and get your fundraising on the way. Don’t forget to put a link to your website on your fundraising page. So that donors have proper access to you.</p><p> </p><p>We also have FirstGiving was founded in 2003. It is founded by JustGiving, the UK-based pioneer of online fundraising. Together, FirstGiving and JustGiving form The Giving Group. This group is dedicated to one purpose: empowering passionate nonprofit supporters to raise more money than they ever thought possible for the causes they care about. They partner with nonprofit organizations to allow them to plan, execute, and measure successful online fundraising campaigns and charity fundraising events with. For individual fundraisers, they aim to make it easy, effective, and even fun to raise money online</p><p>Lastly we have Ukvirginmomneygiving, this idea came as a result of Virgin Money’s sponsorship of the London Marathon. Having taken a look at how runners raised money, it became clear to them that there was a better way of doing things. One that would help people involved in all sorts of fundraising activities and leaves everyone better off in the long run. It works through you linking up your cause with their website and spreading the word to your friends who get to more donors for you, just like the other sites we have looked at.</p><p> </p><p>For more free information and low-cost volunteer-abroad programs in South America, visit <a href="http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/ecuador.aspx">http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/ecuador.aspx</a></p></div>Voluntourist Packing Tipshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/volunteer-abroad-packing-tips2011-08-01T12:06:56.000Z2011-08-01T12:06:56.000ZZablon Mukubahttps://tripatini.com/members/ZablonMukuba<div><p>“I'm very strict with my packing and have everything in its right place. I never change a rule. I hardly use anything in the hotel room. I wheel my own wardrobe in and that's it.” - Charlie Watts<b>.</b> How you pack when you leave home for volunteer work, will determine how you get off to work on your project. Many volunteers, especially first time travelers, have a problem in knowing what to carry with them abroad, and how best to do their packing. Add to that the hustles of the airport and being in foreign land where you may not have someone to help you get started. Then, you may end up very confused, during the first few days of your volunteer work. Here is a brief overview off what to pack and how best to do so.</p><p> </p><p>The golden rule is to pack light. The best advice is to bring out everything you would like to bring along with you on your trip, and then divide it in half. Once this is done then you need to pick the lightest suitcase you can find. When packing your suitcase, make sure to put the heavier things on the bottom while the lighter ones go on top, however if you are using a bag pack then you need to put the lighter things at the bottom and the heavier on top, this will aid you in making your luggage lighter to carry around with you, especially soon after arrival.</p><p> </p><p>When packing, put plastic bags at the bottom as well as using them as layers, this will help you to reduce wrinkling, another way to make your packing convenient is to put different clothing in different clear bags with a zip lock, this way it’s easier to identify different bags with different clothing when unpacking, it may also come in handy at customs if you need to open up your luggage.</p><p> </p><p>Roll your cloths tightly when packing them into a bag pack; it often carries more this way. Make sure you have any necessary medication and essential documents with you on your carryon bag. Along with these, carry a change of clothes with you on your carryon luggage, just in case you need to freshen up after your flight. If you are travelling with a group then you can split up your clothes with other people. This way if any of you lose their luggage while travelling, then you will have a change of clothes for the first few days while efforts are being made to locate your luggage.</p><p> </p><p>When doing your actual packing, remember you are packing for comfort, not glamour. The less jewelry you carry with you the better, it will make you less of a target for opportunistic criminals. When it comes to footwear, its best to choose waterproof or oiled footwear. It is not a bad idea to carry sandals or open shoes they may come in handy especially in households where shoes are not allowed. It is better for you to carry clothes that you can hand wash and carry with you some dark or neutral colored clothing.</p><p align="right"> </p><p>Use small colorless bottles to carry toiletries around, it is better to refill than carry big bottles with you, put socks inside shoes and put the shoes in a plastic bag to avoid any messes. Make sure you carry a hat with you, woolen hats for cold weather and a baseball cap for sunny weather. For the ladies, expect to bring along at least one dress or skirt for going out to restaurants or other occasions, pants may not be commonly allowed in some communities, especially at certain events.</p><p> </p><p>Some other things that you may need to carry with you are a small first aid kit, an electrical converter if you plan to carry a laptop or any electronics, raincoat or umbrella for the rain, a flash light with batteries. Also carry with you a money belt or a neck wallet to keep with you at all times, where you may keep your important travel documents, including your passport, money and credit cards.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>For more free information and low cost volunteer abroad programs in south America visit <a href="http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/ecuador.aspx">http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/ecuador.aspx</a></p></div>Tips For Your First Volunteer-Abroad Triphttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/tips-for-your-first-volunteer2011-07-19T13:03:56.000Z2011-07-19T13:03:56.000ZZablon Mukubahttps://tripatini.com/members/ZablonMukuba<div><p>There is a first time for everything, most people are nervous the first time they leave their home towns or cities for a different country. You have to leave your support system behind, which includes your family and friends. Instead you are headed to a destination that shares possibly a totally different culture than you are used to, and maybe just a few people that you are familiar with. In addition you are not a very well travelled person then you start to be more nervous as your date of departure draws closer. Here are some tips on how you can make your first travel experience easier on yourself, and consequently more memorable and enjoyable.</p><p> </p><p>To begin with, let’s start with what you need to be aware of while at the airport. The golden rule here is always arriving at the airport early for check in, and make sure you have all your travel documents in order and with you. You also need to ensure that all your volunteer paper work is in order, so that when you land there are no surprises waiting to meet you, especially with the authorities. There are a number of new security procedures nowadays at most airports, and it will be harder for you as a first time traveler as you may not be really aware of some of them. The golden rule here is to try and get to the airport at least 2 hours before your scheduled departure time. This way you will have time to relax before your flight leaves.</p><p> </p><p>To help you on your journey, try and eat before you get to the airport. The home meal will be healthier and at the same time cheaper than whatever food you may find at airport restaurants. Also remember to take plenty of fluids and if possible avoid alcoholic beverages, this will help you to avoid jetlag, sleep is also your friend in this regard, so if necessary take some sleeping pills, especially if it’s a long international flight.</p><p> </p><p>The first time you are travelling to a foreign country it is important to you to pack light and only what you need in your trip. A small bag will be less hectic to check out when you arrive and will also be of less hustle when you are making your way around once you reach your destination. A good approach is to carry with you only what you need while travelling and buying new things you feel you need at your destination country.</p><p> </p><p>Once you arrive get yourself enough of the local currency to cover your time in the country, if you plan to volunteer for a long while, then make sure before you leave that you credit card is accepted in the country you are headed to, if not then ensure you carry enough cash with you for the duration of your volunteer work.</p><p> </p><p>Remember you are in a foreign country, so you need to respect the cultures of the locals, try and learn them. Also try not to draw too much attention to yourself through fancy clothing and jewelry; this is how people become victims of criminals. Make sure you check in to wherever you are going to be staying during your visit, as soon as you leave the airport, and once there keep your documents in a safe place, but have copies of them with you, to walk around with.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>For more free information and low cost volunteer abroad programs in south America visit <a href="http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/ecuador.aspx">http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/ecuador.aspx</a></p></div>Volunteer Visas in Ecuadorhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/volunteer-visas-in-ecuador2011-06-17T12:48:18.000Z2011-06-17T12:48:18.000ZZablon Mukubahttps://tripatini.com/members/ZablonMukuba<div><p>Obtaining a volunteer visa is one of the sure ways to avoid getting fined or deported for not having the proper paper work to be in a country. For instance in Ecuador if you over stay say with a tourist visa, even for one day then you stand a chance of paying an outright $ 200 in fines, and if you stay longer then you may pay up to $ 2000. So to be on the safe side for a volunteer you need to make sure you apply for the proper volunteer visa, to avoid these problems.</p><p> </p><p>When planning to go for volunteer work in Ecuador, have in mind that each embassy or consulate around the world has its own set of requirements for procuring a visa. Check with the embassy or consulate closest to you for accurate information applicable to your situation. Anyone can come into Ecuador by acquiring a tourist visa, but once you have obtained this visa you cannot apply for any other kind of visa while in the country, you will have to go back to your home country and apply for the volunteer visa there. However, you can apply for a volunteer visa in the country, if you did not enter the country with a tourist visa already in place, you can do this with the help of the organization you are working with.</p><p> </p><p>The proper visa for a volunteer in Ecuador is called the religious and volunteer visa. To apply for this visa it will cost you application fees of $ 30 and Visa fees of 150$. To obtain this visa you will require the following; "Aplicación de Visa", that is a Visa Application completed and signed, a "Certificado de Visación" completed and signed, your Passport, valid for at least six months, Two photos passport size with a white background, a doctor's certificate and HIV test, indicating that the person does not have any communicable diseases, you will need a Police certificate indicating that there is no criminal record on you, a letter from Legal Representatives of the organization requesting that the volunteer/missionary be admitted to Ecuador, a Copy of the Decree issued by the Ecuadorian government authorizing the organization to operate in Ecuador, a Copy of the appointment of the Legal representative of the entity duly registered and authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ecuador, a Copy of the bylaws of the host organization in Ecuador , an Affidavit from the host organization or person, assuming the responsibility for expenses incurred by the volunteer/missionary as result of abandoning the country or deportation, duly legalized, an Affidavit from the foreigner certifying to render services at no charge and finally a Guarantee from the sponsoring entity to support financially the foreigner during his/her stay in Ecuador.</p><p> </p><p>Once you get your visa then you may need to register in the country and obtain a volunteer identity card known as a <i>Censo</i>. If you got your volunteer visa at your home country then you will need to register it at the immigration office at Quito. A <i>censo</i> is mandatory for anyone staying in the country for more than 6 months.</p><p>Once you have all the above requirements in place then you will be free to enjoy your volunteer experience in Ecuador, without any hitches</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>For more free information and low cost volunteer programs in Africa visit <a href="http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/tanzania.aspx">http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/tanzania.aspx</a></p></div>Reasons To Love Volunteering Abroadhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/reasons-to-love-volunteering2011-07-06T13:55:29.000Z2011-07-06T13:55:29.000ZZablon Mukubahttps://tripatini.com/members/ZablonMukuba<div><p>“I've seen and met angels wearing the disguise of ordinary people living ordinary lives.” ~Tracy Chapman. For many people the drive to volunteer either in their home country or abroad is usually from a personal view point. It most likely stems from personal experiences which move the individual to want to give back or just help out those they see as less fortunate than themselves. Sometimes, just too help out in a community of people who are not necessarily worse off than you are. We also have some individuals who are driven to volunteer for professional gains or just to make your resume more attractive to potential employers. In addition, there is a group of volunteers who just love to travel and live among people from different cultures and back grounds. While some just want to see the world and all its different sites.</p><p> </p><p>For the career oriented person a stint of volunteer works abroad will help your potential or current employer see you as an employee who takes corporate responsibility seriously. You will therefore be seen as an employee who will get along well with the clients and also people from more diverse backgrounds. It will come in handy during overseas appointments, due to your vast travelling experience.</p><p> </p><p>Volunteers who love travelling and getting to see the world will benefit in a way that they get to live abroad in other countries for longer periods. This is due to their volunteer visa and also for cheaper accommodation rates. As a volunteer you do not have to stay in fancy hotels, you can get many locals to host you, through using your volunteer organization. In a number of countries your volunteer visa, along with other documents, you will be able to visit cultural and tourist sites at cheaper rates.</p><p> </p><p>From a personal viewpoint, an individual may gain a lot, first of all you get to experience different cultures, and meet new people all over the world. If you are a lover of different languages or dialect, then there is no place better for you to get firsthand experience and lessons in the host countries. Many people do not know that you can use your volunteer destination as a honeymoon venue; you can begin your marriage by giving back to a community rather than the common self centered honeymoon traditions.</p><p> </p><p>Business enterprises and institutions also benefit from volunteer abroad programs. They get to show their share holders, employees and clients that they have a sense of social responsibility, as it will help build the overall image of the organization. Organizations can also use these volunteer experiences for publicity. These are a good number of benefits for an organization to work with, and they may keep everyone happy.</p><p>Finally you have to consider the benefits that will arise for the community abroad where you will carry out your volunteer work. It may be a small contribution from you like building a well in a remote area, or helping to put up a classroom in a village that has no proper school, but this small gesture will remain with the community for generations to come. So go out there and volunteer today, you never know how many lives you will touch, and that in itself is the ultimate benefit.</p><p> </p><p>For more free information and low cost volunteer abroad programs visit <a href="http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/tanzania.aspx">http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org</a></p><p> </p></div>Volunteering Abroad: Corporate Social Responsibilityhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/volunteering-abroad-corporate2011-06-23T04:28:18.000Z2011-06-23T04:28:18.000ZZablon Mukubahttps://tripatini.com/members/ZablonMukuba<div><p>More and more corporations are starting to engage in international volunteer programs, they are doing this as part of their corporate social responsibility efforts. Corporate responsibility helps to align organizations business operations with social values. Volunteering abroad as a part of your corporate social responsibility will help your organization address expectations of some of your other stake holders, including your investors and employees. It therefore does not only help you to relate to the local people, who are your potential customers and clients but it also helps you to get more in touch with and retain your employees. While at the same time making sure you are meeting your social responsibility responsibilities, keeping your investors and shareholders happy.</p><p> </p><p>Corporate social responsibility helps to strengthen your corporate reputation; it helps your organization show that you care for the community at large. This not only being the members of the community in your home town but with others from different places around the world. It shows that you can exercise accountable business practices, and in the process help your corporate identity grow as a contributor to global well being, not just your own.</p><p> </p><p>With regard to your share holders and investors, corporate social responsibility helps them to see that your organization has good ethics and governance. They will be at ease that the company they hold a stake in has a good management team, who encourage and have good policies that they implement in the running of the organization. They will also see that the company is responsive to the needs and values of all its stake holders. In addition, they will see that your company has a good human resource practices, committed toward employment equity, retention and attraction of new and competent workers.</p><p> </p><p>The community you choose to carry out your corporate responsibility obligations will also benefit from your actions. A good example is a company that is in the business of manufacturing and distributing sanitary pads. It gives some of its employees some days off and takes them to a developing country, where a good number of girls miss half their school days as a result of their periods. Such a community will benefit by ensuring that all members of the community are educated and in the future create a loyal market base for their product that will probably last for generations within the community.</p><p> </p><p>Your employees will feel like they are part of a fully functional family, rather than corporate machinery that does not have social values. Having your employees travel abroad and work together to help a needy community, will help them to develop stronger bonds with each other and therefore work well if not better with each other. A sense of teamwork and appreciation for their jobs will develop between them; it will also help to demolish some barriers between employer and employees.</p><p>Your organization can take a number of approaches to social responsibility abroad; it can be as simple as an investment in a society like offering a scholarship to bright members of the society. You can also help to develop a community in terms of infrastructure, like building a school or hospital. An organization can also go with the more common method of making charitable donations towards a certain community towards a worthy cause. All these methods can in turn work in favor of your organization by generating good publicity, and visibility, they can therefore work as a marketing exercise for the organization.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>For more free information and low cost volunteer abroad programs visit <a href="http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/tanzania.aspx">http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org</a></p></div>Gestures To Be Aware Of While Volunteering Abroadhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/gestures-to-be-aware-of-while2011-06-30T14:30:09.000Z2011-06-30T14:30:09.000ZZablon Mukubahttps://tripatini.com/members/ZablonMukuba<div><p>“Words represent your intellect. The sound, gesture and movement represent your feelings.” – Patricia Fripp. Many people consider the spoken word as the main mode of communication around the world. We forget that non verbal communication also forms a large part of what we are saying to the person we are communicating with. Different gestures mean different things across the world, what is acceptable in your home country like for instance handing someone an item using your left hand, may be considered a gesture showing disrespect in some parts of Africa. You therefore need to know how different symbols and gestures affect people.</p><p> </p><p>There a great number of gestures widely used all around the world, all with their different meanings. We start off with the thumbs up thumbs down sign. This is accepted around the world as a positive sign if the thumb is facing up, and a negative sign if the thumb is facing down. The thumbs up sign in Iraq is a great insult, especially if the hand is thrust forward toward whoever the gesture is intended. The thumbs down sign may also mean execution in some parts of the world.</p><p> </p><p>Another popular hand gesture around the world is the two fingers V sign. It’s most common uses are to indicate two; it may be used as the sign for peace, or even to mean victory. However in many parts of the world this sign may have some negative connotations. For instance if the palm is facing the person making the sign then it can be an insult in some parts around the world like Ireland, the united kingdom, new Zealand and south Africa, it basically means mind your own business. So be careful especially not to use it when asking for service for example to mean two of whatever you are ordering, in these countries.</p><p> </p><p>People commonly use the A -ok sign, mostly made popular by divers, it is done by making a circular sign with your thumb and index finger while the other three fingers stay stretched out. The sign is used mainly to say that everything is fine especially during a meal or in restaurants. In some parts of Europe however, this symbol may mean that the person they are talking to is zero. In some parts of South America, the symbol might mean that you are calling the person an anus. In some countries including Germany the symbol might mean that you are calling someone a homosexual.</p><p> </p><p>Some signs that people may carry out sub consciously are like the <strong>“</strong><strong>Moutza”</strong>, this is basically stretching out your fingers to emphasize a point during conversation. It may look harmless especially to westerners. But in Greece, doing so with your fingers stretched out may be interpreted as an insult and basically just leave you alone.</p><p> </p><p>Finally we will look at the subconscious gesture mostly used as a sign of seduction in western countries, this is where a person uses their index finger to indicate ‘come here’, and this is done with the rest of the fingers folded into the palm as the index finger folds inwards. In Philippines it is considered a dog call, and is used for strictly that, calling dogs. Using this gesture to call someone towards you there, may mean that you are calling them a dog. So wherever you are planning to do your volunteer work, make sure you understand the hand gestures, to ensure you do not insult anyone.</p><p> </p><p>For more free information and low cost volunteer abroad programs visit <a href="http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/tanzania.aspx">http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org</a></p></div>Volunteer Visas in Indiahttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/volunteer-visas-in-india2011-06-12T13:52:07.000Z2011-06-12T13:52:07.000ZZablon Mukubahttps://tripatini.com/members/ZablonMukuba<div><p>India has many new visa regulations, the most recent having been released in 2010. Most countries are not strict when it comes to volunteer visas, and in some cases you may be allowed to use a tourist or entry visa to do your volunteer work for a short period of time as you make preparations to get the right documents for your volunteer work.</p><p> </p><p>For an Indian visa it is required that you apply for one from your home country only, it is not allowed to apply for one after your arrival in India, or even from an Indian high commission office in a country that is not your home country. All foreign nationals require a visa to enter India. The only exceptions are nationals of Nepal and Bhutan who can enter India without a visa.</p><p> </p><p> It is mandatory for application for a visa to India be completed online. Once the application has been completed online you must download & print all form/s, read and complete Checklist. Visa fees once deposited cannot be refunded even if requested service is modified or not granted. Validity of the visa begins from the date of issue. One more thing to note is that you may not apply for an Indian visa directly from the Indian high commission office, especially if in the UK or USA. You have to use VFS global if in the UK as they handle all their visa applications. Similar to this is Travis Outsourcing in the US.</p><p> </p><p>For a volunteer in India you will need to apply for an employment visa, which covers both employment and volunteer work. However first you must ensure that you are going to work with a registered NGO in India. The charge for a 6 month employment visa in the U.K is £285, while it costs £310 for a one year visa. It is much cheaper for U.S nationals as it will cost them £85 for a 6 month visa or £110 for a one year employment visa.</p><p> </p><p>To get an employment visa to India then you need to ensure that you have a Passport valid for a minimum of 190 days, with at least 2 blank pages, the Visa Fee, two recent identical passport-sized photographs (45 mm x 35 mm in size), a Printed copy of the completed online Application Form, an Invitation letters from the nonprofit organization you are going to be working with, and a Copy of a recent bank statement showing you can support yourself while in India. Also remember to carry with you your vaccination certificates if you are coming from a yellow fever high risk country, or have been to one in the recent past. Also ensure that all the other requirements you need to volunteer are in place, these include a Police Check, deposit, CV and Passport Style Photo, so that you can start volunteering as soon as you arrive.</p><p> </p><p>Most working visas have a requirement that you register once you have arrived in India. To find out if your visa is one of those, then you need to check your visa carefully and try to identify a green stamp on the bottom left side, which will inform you that you need to register. To register you have to go to the local FRO Office (Foreigners Registration Office). You have to do this within 14 days of arrival in India.</p><p> </p><p> When heading to the registration office you will need to bring along three standard passport photos, a Lease Agreement or a letter and copy of an electricity bill from the house owners that you will be staying with, the letter should state that you are living at the address on the electricity bill. You will also need a color photo copy of your visa and arrival stamp, a color photo copy of the Picture page in your passport, a copy of the invitation letters from the organization you plan to work with, along with a copy of the license of the organization, and a letter from the organization that states that you have started volunteering, and finally 100 Rs registration fee.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>For more free information and low cost volunteer programs in Africa visit <a href="http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/tanzania.aspx">http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/tanzania.aspx</a></p></div>