Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
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Guatemala: The Indigenous Maya in Guatemala make up a huge percentage of the population, many living off just $1 a day. We have set up our own schools in two Indigenous communities, these being San Andrés Itzapa and Santa Maria de Jesus, both within a 45 minute bus ride from Antigua through lush mountain scenery and typical Guatemalan villages. Our aims are first and foremost in education with particular focus on literacy and educational reinforcement for the children of each community.
Honduras: We have committed ourselves to helping and assisting the Maya Chortí villages around Copan Ruinas. We work in the Maya Chortí community of San Rafael, with a populations of approximately 300 and whose family income is about 25 Lempiras (just over a dollar) a day. With this money, up to ten children must be fed, clothed and educated. Education is free in Honduras, the materials are not, so this can force children not to attend. Our organisation and volunteer contributions are removing this financial constraint by supplying the children with the school materials they require. It is hoped with the extra income the family will receive with this burden removed that those children who have dropped out will return.
In addition a donation of US$100 will be made on behalf of the volunteer (you choose where it goes) to the volunteer project. Your money will also contribute towards building rent, electricity, water, local salaries, food programs, all learning utensils for the children, birthday celebrations for the children each month, construction / general repairs and one scholarship for a child to attend school for one year in both Guatemala and Honduras.
The owner of this company did a gap year trip in the early 90s which involved building a bandstand for a small village in Patagonia. While he was there, he realised the project was only helpful in developing the Western traveller as the village didn’t want a bandstand and only argued about who owned it. And so he set up a volunteer organisation which is useful to communities and provides them with resources and help with funding. Today, his projects offer travellers an opportunity to fully integrate into communities and to make a real long-term difference to the local people’s lifestyles.
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!
