Nicaragua. the land of lakes and volcanoes

Transcription

1 Nicaragua the land of lakes and volcanoes

2 Making the choice to come on a Me to We Trip will change the world. When we were young, we were both lucky enough to travel to South Asia to witness the lives of kids our age in developing communities. These journeys changed our lives and helped forge a path for our life choices. We know that a Me to We Trip to a Free The Children community will give participants the same kind of eye-opening and inspirational experience we were so fortunate to experience in our teens. A Me to We Trip is just the beginning of a journey to make a difference and we re here to support travellers every step of the way. Together, let s change the world! Craig Kielburger Co-Founder, Me to We Marc Kielburger Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Me to We Why Me to We Trips? A Me to We Trip is an unparalleled experience that changes travellers and the community visited. Visit a Free The Children community: Work side-by-side with communities on development projects. Make a difference: Help remove the barriers to education lay bricks that will become a school, dig a well that will provide clean water, or plant crops that will grow into nourishing food. Walk in the footsteps of locals: Experience the sights and sounds of a new culture, and have one-of-a-kind adventures led by expert local guides on a journey off the beaten path. Become a leader: Learn lifelong skills through workshops built around issues in the country visited. Build confidence and the ability to motivate others, and get the tools to turn the trip experience into meaningful action at home. Our charity partner and best friend Participants volunteer in communities where our charity partner, Free The Children, works, finding their place in the long-standing relationship between these communities and Free The Children. An international charity and educational partner, Free The Children works domestically and internationally to empower youth to be agents of change. Internationally, Free The Children works in eight countries to implement the five pillars of its holistic and sustainable development model, Adopt a Village: Education, Clean Water and Sanitation, Health, Alternative Income and Livelihood, and Agriculture and Food Security. Together, the pillars address the root causes of poverty and break down the barriers to children s education. Free The Children works closely with communities to ensure all projects are built on community need, and that community members are empowered to have ownership over each project. 1. Spending time with local children 2. Me to We co-founders Marc and Craig Kielburger 3. Getting ready to make a difference on the build site Me to We Trips: Nicaragua 2

3 Adopt a village in nicaragua In Nicaragua, Free The Children works with communities in the Central Pacific Region to implement Adopt a Village, with a focus on the Education and Clean Water and Sanitation pillars. On a Me to We Trip, a group s volunteer project may include school-building or working on a clean water system. Education In Nicaragua, nearly 50,000 primary school-aged children are not in school. We work with communities to build schools in areas where there is either not enough classroom space, or there are unsafe, rundown school buildings. We also provide resources like books, materials and school clubs. Clean Water and Sanitation Often the only nearby sources of clean water in rural Nicaragua are contaminated rivers. Water projects in Nicaragua include community and school water systems, water storage units, hand-washing stations, latrines and sanitation education. Health In rural Nicaragua, access to proper health care is a major challenge. Infant and maternal mortality is high, as well as respiratory diseases, diarrhea, meningitis and malnutrition. Health projects will include mobile health education programs and services, health clubs in schools and community health care and awareness workshops. Alternative Income and Livelihood Our alternative income programs in Nicaragua will work to empower women with a sustainable source of income to increase their savings, develop livelihoods and send their children to school. Projects will include financial literacy classes, business skills training, animal husbandry training and gender equality workshops. Agriculture and Food Security Chronic malnutrition plagues 29 percent of Nicaraguan children in rural communities. Environmental factors, along with rising global food prices, inhibit food production and agricultural sustainability. Our agricultural projects will include school gardens and nutrition programs. The students still talk about our trip to Nicaragua. It s changed who they are, and they re more in touch with who they want to be in this world. Holly Groome, Educator, Huntsville High School 1. 3 Students Me to We at a Trips local - school Nicaragua 2. Enjoying a new clean water project 3. A grin from a healthy community member 4. A new classroom Me to We Trips: Nicaragua 4

4 Trip Specifics Getting There Trip participants travel together to Nicaragua s capital city of Managua on group flights booked through Me to We. The trip facilitators will meet the group at the arrivals gate at the Managua International Airport. Where We Stay Spend the first night in Managua at a hotel that is safe and pre-arranged by Me to We. After the first night, the group will move to a similar hotel in close proximity to the community where they ll be volunteering. Participants always share rooms with one or more participants of the same gender, and male and females sleep in different areas. Educators stay in a separate room from students. All washrooms are Western-style and have sinks with running water, as well as showers available daily. Some rooms will have private washrooms with showers and toilets and others will have shared facilities. All washrooms are cleaned daily. What We Eat Participants will enjoy a wide range of both North American and local cuisine, including beans, rice, meat, salads, soups and potatoes. Filtered drinking water is always available. Getting Around Groups travel together by bus, followed by another vehicle that is available for safety in case of emergency. All drivers used by Me to We are the same trusted transportation providers we use for all of our trips. $ Language Climate Currency Learn Spanish Teach English to local Most days stay sunny Nicaraguans use the children Local staff speak both English and Spanish well into the afternoon Groups will experience warm weather throughout the trip 5 Me to We Trips: Nicaragua cordoba We recommend that participants bring about $200 USD as spending money 1. A stunning view 2. Enjoying the local cuisine 3. Volunteering in the community 4. Relaxing at the hotel

5 Itinerary and Trip Highlights Sample activities: Volcano hike: Visit the Mombacho Volcano and enjoy spectacular views. Visit a coffee plantation: Tour Café Las Flores, a working coffee farm. Learn about the process behind one of Nicaragua s biggest industries and the meaning behind terms like fair trade, shadegrown coffee, organic and Rainforest Alliance. Pottery workshop: Learn about the art and tradition behind an important form of income for the people of Nicaragua. Groups will even get to try making some pottery themselves! Leadership activities: With interactive, fun workshops, develop skills to take action at home. A Typical Day: 8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.: Breakfast. 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.: Step into the shoes of locals and explore a nearby market. 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.: Lunchtime! 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.: Group team-building activity. 2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.: Volunteer on a Free The Children project. 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.: Head back to the accommodations for dinner. 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.: Action planning! Get ready to make a difference at home. 8:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m: Free time read, relax and reflect on the day! I got more than what I asked for from my trip. Not only did I appreciate the life I had a lot more, but it really ignited my passion for helping others. Simon, Me to We Trip participant 1. Hiking the Mombacho Volcano 2 & 3 Learning how to make pottery Me to We Trips: Nicaragua 8

6 Safety: Our Top Priority Me to We has been facilitating volunteer trips overseas since Since then, we have taken more than 6,500 youth to Ecuador, Kenya, rural China, India, Ghana, Nicaragua and Arizona without incident. We take serious measures and precautions to ensure all our participants are safe throughout their trip. In Nicaragua our safety measures include: All participants are registered with their respective embassy before departure to ensure accountability in case of emergency. Travel advisories are monitored by our international and country offices Copies of all passports, medical and travel insurance, emergency contact information, and dietary and medical requirements are collected well in advance of the trip Emergency communication is open 24 hours a day between our Nicaragua team and Toronto office Our extensive facilitator training program includes emergency evacuation protocols, standard operating procedures and crisis prevention/management All facilitators are trained in first aid and always carry a first-aid kit Local hospitals with Western medical standards are notified of our trips and prepared to handle any minor or major medical situations All transportation is run by Me to We staff and all travel within Nicaragua occurs by day, under the guidance of our team During all building activities you are given thorough instructions on the use of equipment and wear protective equipment at all times 24-hour security system at all facilities Environmental Impacts At Me to We, we understand the impact of international travel on our planet and are committed to reducing our ecological footprint as much as possible. In all countries where we work, we run green initiatives that benefit local ecosystems. In Nicaragua, this includes school environmental clubs, carbon offsetting for flights through tree planting, use of solar power and community wood lots. During the past few summers, my two teenagers have been on several Me to We Trips. They saw firsthand how their fundraising efforts at home were making a difference overseas and impacting the lives of countless others. These experiences opened a world of learning and adventure that they won t soon forget! Vicky Wong, parent of trip participants 9 Me to We Trips: Nicaragua 1. Exploring the Nicaraguan landscape 2. Getting to know local children 3. Working on a school-building project

7 Me to We Intl. Office 225 Carlton Street Toronto, ON M5A 2L2 Canada Youth Volunteer Trips Tel: x 510 Toll-free: x 510 Fax: trips@metowe.com School Volunteer Trips Tel: x 524 Toll-free: x 524 Fax: trips@metowe.com Questions? Ready to book? Contact us today. Learn more at metowe.com/trips TICO #: Photographs courtesy of Matt Finlin, V. Tony Hauser, Michael Rajzman and Scott Ramsay