Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
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Environment
Volunteers are based on a private estancia. The projects are either in walking distance of the accommodation or a short drive away. We ensure that one vehicle carries as many volunteers as possible. Project work includes a mix of exercising horses, playing polo and working on the estancia. Hands on projects working alongside committed communities are a powerful way to educate the next generation of travelers.
In addition we have well briefed and professional project leaders working alongside village elders who ensure the message is got across. Our teams are normally no bigger than 10 per departure and foodstuffs are bought locally and resources such as heating is where possible done in an environmentally friendly fashion e.g. solar panels. In addition rain water is collected for drinking water. Clothes washing is done where possible with bio-degradable soap. Litter is collected and disposed of properly.
Community
We ensure that all our programmes work with the full agreement of the owners and that volunteer’s work side by side amongst the community and gauchos. All volunteers and Project Leaders are fully briefed on the destination, host community, local culture, religions, customs and particularly ways of behaving.
We ensure that approximately 60% of the cost of each volunteers scheme is paid to the project leader in-country to cover all their in-country costs. This includes paying local communities for food and accommodation where appropriate.
In addition we pay communities a donation as described above and source all food, drink, equipment, fuel locally thereby enhancing the local economy. The hosts employ as many staff as they can – in Argentina they employ: a project leader, cooks, security guards, gauchos and cleaners, thereby doing as much as we can to provide local people with jobs, cutting down on unemployment and providing families with an income.
Sometimes this income supports numerous relations. We also recognize that volunteers spend their own money on drinks, transport, souvenirs, services (taxis), medical care, park fees, activities e.g. rafting, diving, climbing etc which are major contributors to local suppliers incomes and the overall economy.
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!
