This article has been originally published by Make Travel Fair. Make Travel Fair is an online platform for global issues associated with travel encouraging education for travellers and travel as a means of education.

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Destination:PEACE Mexico Volunteers in action

By Michelle Rodrigues

Millions of people travel all over the world every year. Some have the hopes in spending their vacations relaxing by white sandy beaches, while others have high hopes in doing things like helping a tiny turtle hatchling find its way to the sea and become familiar with a variety of yoga practices. This is where Destination:PEACE comes in. As a brainchild to PEACE Mexico, Destination:PEACE combines a cultural and adventure experience with the chance to practice different types of yoga.

PEACE Mexico

PEACE Mexico is a non-profit organisation focusing on the protection and education of animals, culture and the environment. They fund and administer a variety of programmes for the betterment of the surrounding area, such as after school programs for children, medical services for animals, various efforts for the support of women and environmental educational projects for students.

The chance all year long

Volunteers are given the chance to expand their awareness, and the awareness of others, to the people and animals affiliated with PEACE Mexico. These volunteerism opportunities are five daylong volunteer vacations with an extensive schedule spanning throughout the year. With a year round schedule, the exploration towards inner peace and volunteerism is obtainable winter, summer, spring or fall. So the choice between whether to do an adventure themed volunteer vacation or a cultural themed one shouldn’t be hard. Both themes are available at different times of the year!

Om through the week

Take your pick from helping the animals at local spay and neuter clinics, teaching young students English with the Casa Cominudad programme, create planter boxes for Community Pride or make hand made crafts to be sold with the women at Unidads por la Mujer, making a difference in the lives of the women, children, families and the environment you encounter. Not to fret though, all your hard work gets paid off. Throughout the week volunteers are treating to yoga classes conducted by certified instructors, making sure you om your way through the week and find your centre. From hiking, surfing, mountain biking or even whale watching, the adventure experiences are never shorthanded. Cultural themed activities range from preparing your own fresh Mexican delicacies with native plants or even taking up a salsa class.

“We want to make the world a better place. By offering our own hands and helping the community with their own specific needs is what we are capable of. We want to minimize any negative impact on a community whether it be economic, environmental or social impacts. We want to create a positive contribution to the cultural heritage all while providing an enjoyable experience for our Volunteers. It is all about education and building community pride, for the people and animals!”
-Katherine Fisher, Director, PEACE Mexico

This “vacation for your soul” is dedicated to enabling travellers to embrace what they’ve experienced.

“We enjoyed the ultimate family vacation through Destination:PEACE. From painting a mural at the school with the kindergartners, to helping at the mobile spay and neuter clinic, to whale watching, there was something for everyone in the family to enjoy. We are so impressed with the loving, respectful relationship between the staff and the village. Our only regret is that we couldn’t stay longer and help more.”
-Lucy Brehm, Portland, OR

For more information visit www.destinationpeacemexico.com or contact Katherine Fisher at Katherine [at] peacemexico.org.

Photo: PEACEMexico (Flickr.com)

Michelle Rodrigues, TIES Travel Ambassador

Born and raised in New York, NY, Michelle Rodrigues moved to Miami, Florida to pursue her undergraduate degree in hospitality management and travel with a minor in journalism at Florida International University. Now that she has graduated, Michelle will be working with whl.travel as project manager and content editor for the North American and Caribbean Region. She loves to travel and explore new cultures and foods. With her love of food, Michelle often spends her spare time in the kitchen experimenting with new flavours and recipes. Along with promoting ecotourism and responsible travel, Michelle volunteers for the Susan G. Komen Foundation and Relay for Life.

>> Read Michelle’s articles on Your Travel Choice Blog
>> Learn more about TIES Travel Ambassador Program