Travelers with a heart, Planeterra wants you.
Planeterra Foundation, the global non-profit dedicated to sustainable community development through travel, lists what it calls voluntours that offer travelers a hands-on opportunity to assist with humanitarian and sustainable community projects internationally while at the same time experiencing true cultural immersion.. Planeterra's voluntours span health, education, employment skills training, cultural heritage preservation and environmental conservation in over 30 locations from Peru to India. Diverse projects include, among others conserving sea turtles in Costa Rica, supporting a community garden to feed people living with HIV/Aids in Zambia, and helping run a day care center for children of Rio's favelas (slums). "Where there is a need, we recognize it, and we act quickly to meet it. Whatever the project, Planeterra has the insight, agility and technical and financial wherewithal to successfully see it through," says Planeterra Director Richard G. Edwards. "Our goal is to empower local people and communities to strengthen their well being while promoting long-term, environmentally responsible growth. An example of a current voluntour is Project India, a 15-day Rajasthan-based program with a five-day community volunteer project at the Bal Prakash Center, which focuses on the eradication of child labor by a meaningful blend of education and vocation. Bal Prakash cares for children who lack any sort of support system. Without this program, many of them would not receive any form of formal education, and would face real challenges in acquiring the skills needed to learn to care for themselves. The per person cost of the trip is from $1,199 and includes 14 nights accommodations, breakfasts, in country transportation, tour leader and guide services and entrance fees to attractions. Departure dates for the remainder of 2009 are June 19, Sept. 11, Oct. 9, Nov. 13 and Dec. 18. Other featured Planeterra voluntours for 2009 include: (http://www.planeterra.org/pages/voluntours/4.php) Project Ecuador: Participants spend 8 days helping out on an organic farm and at a local community school, working with their environmental programs. Project Brazil: Volunteer at a community run day-care that provides support to over 50 children, while living in one of Rio de Janeiro's favelas, or urban slums. Project Costa Rica: Spend 5 days volunteering on a Sea Turtle Conservation Project. Activities include night beach patrols, data collection, and counting baby turtles. Project Tanzania: Help out at different community projects, including a tourism-training institute on the island of Zanzibar, before embarking on a safari on the Serengeti. Project Botswana: Work alongside a team of wildlife researchers at the Mashatu Game Reserve. Planeterra was founded in 2003 by G.A.P Adventures, the largest independent adventure travel company in the world. Edwards is also a member of G.A.P's executive management team, where he helps oversee the company's rapid growth. Planeterra evolved out of a long history of travelers committed to finding ways to give back to the people and places they visit. Planeterra selects the projects and works with G.A.P Adventures to arrange voluntour travel programs, including for the six-million-person Student Travel Association (STA). For information on Planeterra's year-round voluntour programs please go to http://www.planeterra.org or call 416-260-0999. For more information, interviews and photos please contact: Dave Wiggins / 303-554-8821/ d.wigg...@comcast.net
