In rural areas of Ghana, the Student and Youth Travel Organization (SYTO) works to arrange volunteering trips, internships, homestays and cultural exchanges for foreign visitors. To reach and get around the most remote and underserved villages of rural Ghana, these visitors need transportation on which they can rely; however, they often find that there is nothing suitable in their village destinations.

The beautiful landscapes of Oman attract more than 1.2 million travellers each year, drawn in by the expansive deserts, ancient cities, majestic mountains and beautiful coastal beaches that combine to offer an incredible range of leisure activities and exciting outdoor pursuits. From the historic capital city of Muscat, with its gorgeous gardens and ancient forts, to the nearby shores of Masirah Island (a popular nesting ground for sea turtles) and the rolling dunes of the Wahiba Sands, Omanis have plenty of national heritage of which to be justly proud.

Beginning in January of 2010, Blue Ventures, already in its eighth year of operation, began a project with the Belizean community of Sarteneja, the Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development (SACD) and other organizations to understand the impact the local coastal communities have on the nearby reef. For six weeks, volunteers with the Belize project are able to conduct research with Blue Ventures and their partner organization, the SACD.

It’s an extraordinary experience to meet and live with Nicaraguan coffee farmers and the best way to get to know the real Nicaragua. The family will teach you about their traditions and show you, among other things, how to cook and the guides will let you in on the secrets of the land and farming. And after a day of picking coffee, you will suddenly appreciate your cup of coffee so much more because you know how long it takes to pick enough for it and how long a process it is to get the little bean sowed, harvested and roasted.

By Shelley Seale

Three decades after the fall of the Khmer Rouge, its legacy remains: over 30% of Cambodia’s population is under age 14 and uneducated. Nearly all of these post genocidal-era children work or beg in the streets rather than attend school. Without proper education this cycle of poverty cannot be broken and the suffering merely gets passed from generation to generation. That’s something that Ponheary Ly wants to end – with the help of an Austin, Texas-based nonprofit called Windows of Wonder Institute (WOWi).

By Piero Ponce

Ayacucho is a region located in the central Peruvian Andes and encompasses the province of Puquio, an extensive area with historical archeological sites and home of a living culture that mainly speaks the Inca language Runasimi. Through a visit to that area, I could experience a close touch with the rural world and Andean nature. Puquio can only be reached by bus, thus it offers the chance to see marvelous landscapes among the route.

By Cynthia Ord

Sustainable Bolivia is a registered non-profit organization in Cochabamba, Bolivia’s third-largest city. Here, it partners with 28 local non-profit organizations to coordinate volunteer and internship opportunities for international students and professionals. The organizations span a number of fields of development: public health, the environment, education, human rights, and social services.

By Kim Lisagor

Earlier this year, writer Colleen Wainwright celebrated her 50th birthday by raising $50,000 for WriteGirl, a nonprofit organization that empowers teenage girls by mentoring them in creative writing. In exchange for my contribution, I was given an opportunity to commission a poem by a WriteGirl author that honors the world’s endangered places and calls upon travelers to care for them. WriteGirl author Yamuna Haroutunian rose to the challenge with a poem that manages to be mournful, beautiful and hopeful at the same time.

Association “Neni E” (meaning “Neni, Yes!”) was founded in 2004 by two French brothers, who had lived with an African family for four months and observed the tourist flow passing by the village of Neni. The Association aims to provide a different way to discover the Dogon Country: in a humane, ecologically responsible and ethical manner, giving the travelers a real insight into the life in an African village.

By Teresa Berninger

Projects like the Al Auja Environmental Center give hope, by increasing people’s independence and resilience by promoting water management strategies and water saving techniques. One such example is our grey water recycling systems. Waste water is collected, treated, and reused. Since this type of waste water system was installed at the local mosque and people realized how beneficial it is, many private households have started using the system.