A few months ago I had an idea which has been percolating in my mind until now.
It was triggered by our cleaner in Grenada asking us to donate some money to help rebuild their local church which needed a new roof (we did – thinking it was a small amount but apparently it was way more than she’d expected).
It got me thinking about the fact that many of the places we visit are often lacking in the first world facilities most of us are used to – and wondering whether there was anything we could do on our travels as a sort of “thank you” to each of the places we stayed in.
I had grand plans to set up some sort of charity fund, asking readers to donate to a pot of money which we would then distribute to a charity in each place we visited; but that seemed like an awful lot of work and a very inefficient way to do it.
But after reading Sean’s comment last week about the fantastic work he’s doing in Sri Lanka to help out after the 2004 tsunami, it galvanised me into action….(btw – Sean won the ebook)
So here’s a simpler initiative for now…
What will you pledge to do in each place you visit, to leave it a better place than when you arrived?
What I’m looking for are specific actions you pledge to undertake which will add to the community that has been gracious enough to host you. Some ideas…
- Donate to a local charity – formally or informally
- Let local kids ride on your bike every day/week
- Volunteer some of your time to a local project
For more information about this initiative, please visit this page.
As for us…we haven’t yet decided what we’re going to do whilst here in South Africa but will pledge it on the blog when we decide.
Wow–Lea! Thanks a ton for the acknowledgment. And the e-book!
I’m in the middle of a significant redesign, using a virtual design team (and your, our?, Virtual Assistant) so the place is a mess, but no matter…I believe miracles can happen if even a single person becomes a little bit more aware about Sri Lanka and its beauty and needs. So thanks!
(I hope to be back a bit later to comment on the main point of your post.)
Best,
Sean
Ok, so I love the Initiative idea and support it fully. An acquaintance of mine runs a whole non-profit around a similar notion. Check it out at www dot ethicaltraveler dot org and let me know if you want a more formal introduction. Best and thanks again!
Sean
Sean – no problem – if I can’t use this blog to spotlight what people like you and others are doing to help out around the world, then there’s not much point in it, is there?!
Would love a more formal introduction to the Ethical Traveler organisation – I would love to perhaps set up a more formal link on this blog to their key initiatives and help generate some support for what they do.
Oh yes…we’ve decided on at least one thing we’re going to do so far whilst here in South Africa:
Buy locally produced organic food from places like Camphill Village – check it out it’s a fantastic concept: http://www.camphillwestcoast.org.za/
Will be back to update with more pledges as we make up our minds…
When I travel (and even when I’m at home) I make as many purchases as possible from local vendors and stay at locally owned accommodations. Not only does it help the local economy, it really enriches my experience.
One of my most treasured souvenirs is a beautiful hand woven palm frond basket that I picked up for 20 euros in a little village on St. Barth. The best meals I’ve had are all at locals places.
There are lots of other ways to contribute to the local economy, such as packing a duffel bag full of medical supplies or making a donation in hard currency in a country with a devalued currency. I really applaud your efforts to leave a positive legacy in the places you visit, Lea.
As a performance artist, I find I can help out by doing arts workshops with various age groups while I’m in a given place, but I find myself drawn to financial literacy activism, too. Teaching people how to be more literate concerning money is too often neglected.
It’s amazing how little (from our perspective) some of out global neighbors really need to get get going. Your experience in Grenada makes me think of the microlending movement, which I’m also interested in participating in. Are you familiar with this?
Hi Justin – yes absolutely and it was in checking out the micro lending stuff that made me think of the Leave It Better initiative. I searched for something suitable when we were in Grenada but the infrastructure to administer the micro loans is obviously quite complex and needs to be in place in each location – it wasn’t there in Grenada yet. My initial idea was to ask for donations on the blog and then poll for a specific charity to donate to in each place we went…it seemed like quite a lot of work and of course, would require people to trust us – which hopefully they do, but I didn’t want that to be the blocking factor for people making a difference.
I have donated to Kiva.org before and love the idea…I was very pleased that at the time I donated, Kiva were actually limiting donations because they had so many donors and not enough businesses to sponsor…I guess that indicates the need for more administrators around the world to help manage the micro loans though…
Hi!
Very good initiative!
In the Scouting movement there is the same idea that say, more or less, “leave a place better than how you found it”.
It comes from the Scoutism founder Baden-Powell’s Last Message (1945): Leave this world a little better than you found it
Obviously it is a good way to live even if you are a Lip, a Scout, another thing or simply if you are you
Bye!
Rod