Local craftsmen in Ghana have been trained by Bamboo Bikes Limited to manufacture quality bicycles with bamboo frames. Photo courtesy of the SYTO

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.

Meanwhile, in Kumasi, Ghana, one operation, called Bamboo Bikes Limited, has blossomed from its small-scale experimental beginnings into a large-scale producer of just what SYTO volunteers need: bikes made out of bamboo. SYTO is therefore a proud supporter of Bamboo Bikes Limited and uses this local producer to supply what it needs for volunteers headed places that are all but inaccessible by public transport.

Bamboo Beginnings

Bamboo Bikes Limited came about as part of the Millennium Cities Initiative of Columbia University. First, the Bamboo Bike Project at the Earth Institute of Columbia University assembled a team of engineers to design a prototype and then provided technical training to local people in Ghana. The idea was to create a light, strong, affordable bicycle constructed entirely of local material and able to be assembled using local labour.

At the Bamboo Bikes Limited headquarters in Kumasi, Ghana, four finished bamboo bikes are ready for shipping. Photo courtesy of the SYTO

Now, two years later, Bamboo Bikes Limited is operational and growing. During a two-week training program earlier this year, it began the production of 750 bikes for a test run. Its ultimate goal is to put 20,000 bikes per year on the road, which would go a long way toward meeting the transportation needs of Ghana’s rural communities.

Benefits of Bamboo

Bamboo bikes are beneficial in a number of ways. First, the primary material used is biodegradable, which is easier on the environment than other materials used in building bikes. Second, the bikes are manufactured locally by trained community craftsmen, thereby creating employment for the local people. The bikes are most useful in rural areas, where vehicular transport is not common and roads are poor, especially during the raining seasons.

French volunteer Magali Comte grins as she rolls up to her host family’s house on her project site in the Walewale area of Ghaana via bamboo bike. Photo courtesy of the SYTO

Local people find many uses for bamboo bicycles. Students travel to school with them; merchants carry goods to the market; farmers transport agricultural produce to and from their land; and health workers deliver much-needed medical supplies to and from clinics.

Volunteers’ Experiences

At SYTO, foreign volunteers are trying these bamboo-framed bicycles out for themselves, excited by how unique and comfortable they are.

As Doug Switzer, a volunteer from Ireland, observes: “I ride my bamboo bike to work every day and to town to buy stuff I need. I enjoy riding it because it’s smooth and well built. This bike is great. It’s useful to me and my colleagues, who also enjoy it because I see a number of them riding their bikes to work.”

A few volunteers from Canada World Youth/SYTO discuss issues with locals on their bamboo bikes in Paga, Ghana. Photo courtesy of the SYTO

That said, the bamboo bikes still need some mechanical fine-tuning. The pedals, for example, are not the most durable and usually the first part to have problems.

Volunteer Sarina Thiel from Germany points out another kind of complication. “The bikes are good, but the only problem is that they attract unnecessary attention from the community every time I am using it because the bikes are so unique!”

SYTO and Bamboo Bikes Limited look forward to the day when this sustainable form of transport is less of a head-turning novelty item and more of a norm.

If you would like to arrange a volunteer experience or internship in Ghana, get in contact with SYTO Ghana. Also stay tuned for bamboo bike tours through M&J Travel and Tours, the whl.travel local connection in Northern Ghana.

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.

Getting around Oman can be challenging, but booking your ground transportation ahead through Green Path Transfers is the perfect way to explore the country. Photo courtesy of Elite Travel & Tourism

A Green Path Transfers Partner

For anyone planning a trip to this beautiful country, finding reliable transportation is of course key. Long driving distances combined with regularly washed-out roads and occasionally dangerous wadi crossings all pose serious challenges for travellers. It therefore pays to consider booking at least ground transportation with a knowledgeable local taxi and transfer service.

Fortunately, the experienced professionals at Elite Travel & Tourism can provide comfortable transportation to any destination. In addition to being the whl.travel local connection in Oman, Elite is now the local partner of Green Path Transfers, the fast-growing global and eco-friendly transport service.

Through Green Path Transfers, Elite Travel & Tourism looks forward to expanding the reach of its taxi and transport business to responsible travellers from all over the globe.

“In a developing country like Oman, we have worked hard to bring professionalism and safety to this market,” explains Will Plummer, Business Director at Elite Travel & Tourism. “We believe that with our friendly staff we are ideally place to be the first introduction to those visiting Oman and reassure people of what a fantastic country it is to visit.”

Since 2004, the experienced and knowledgeable team at Elite Travel & Tourism has been helping travellers explore legendary Oman. Photo courtesy of Elite Travel & Tourism

A Local Leader

Founded in 2004 by a Omani local Amor Hardan, Elite Travel & Tourism has grown into a successful and responsible travel business that today offers transport services, as well as tailor-made tours andvacation packages throughout the country. When he decided to launch the company, Hardan, who had already enjoyed a 15-year career at the Intercontinental Hotel Muscat, was eager to show people the many stunning off-the-beaten track destinations worth visiting in his home country.

In 2009, Elite Travel & Tourism acquired another business, called Alanaka Tours, as a way to lead small-group tours and desert-camping adventures. In the same year, Amor’s wife, Karen Hardan, joined the company as general manager and, with her wealth of experience in the hospitality industry, raised the company’s overall level of professionalism.

Today, as a local tourism operator with a strong commitment to the environment and to local communities, Elite Travel & Tourism is pleased to join the Green Path Transfers’ growing global network of responsible transport partners and ground transfer operators. “Being part of the WHL Group family” – both whl.travel and Green Path Transfers are part of the WHL Group – “has already been very successful for us and it is great to be part of Green Path Transfers too,” Plummer adds.

A Greener Perspective

Elite Travel & Tourism is encouraged by the positive value of lasting partnerships with other like-minded tourism and transport businesses also part of Green Path Transfers. Like other partners committed to responsible and sustainable local travel and transportation, Elite Travel & Tourism shares the emphasis Green Path Transfers places on going green, in particular the ability to offset a full 100 percent of the carbon emissions generated by its transfers business.

In keeping with its responsible tourism philosophy, Elite Travel & Tourism is intent on helping to preserve the beautiful local environment of Oman. Photo courtesy of Elite Travel & Tourism

“We believe we can offer the services and standards that clients of Green Path Transfers expect and with our own responsible tourism policy we are very conscious of the need to offset the carbon emissions we make,” explains Plummer. “We are continually working to find new ways to make our own service more green and are exploring what we can do within the Middle East to accomplish this.”

In keeping with its own philosophy and goals, Elite Travel & Tourism hopes the new partnership will help raise consciousness in Oman around the need for more eco-friendly vehicles and transportation solutions.

Far-Reaching Service

With a 32-vehicle fleet of luxury sedans, 11-passenger minibuses and 4×4 off-road vehicles, Elite Travel & Tourism is more than capable of meeting any request for ground transportation in Oman. The majority of the company’s clients head to the beach resorts of Muscat or to the old capital of Nizwa in Oman’s northern region. A journey to Nizwa is Plummer’s top recommendation, since it can be a jumping-off point to the stunning canyon-like scenery of the Hajar Mountains. Also in the north is theMusandam Peninsula, separated from the main part of Oman by the United Arab Emirates.

Beyond this, says Plummer, “a trip to the desert is a must.” With the Wahiba Sands only two hours from Muscat, they are very accessible. For those with more time, he recommends visiting Salalah in the tropical south, a city famous for its sweet-smelling frankincense trail.

“Of course,” adds Plummer, “we offer services everywhere in between all these sites and have many guests who enjoy exploring between north and south, especially along the stunning coastline.”

To learn more about Green Path Transfers and how to be part of carbon-neutral travel arrangements that emphasise green technology in a growing number of destinations around the globe, visit www.GreenPathTransfers.com.

About the Author: Laurel Angrist

Laurel Angrist is a travel-obsessed New York City native who specializes in stories about travel, the arts and culture. She is a maniac for mountains, street food and local art, and although she’s a lousy driver she’s always up for a road trip! Visit her website: www.laurelangrist.com.

Out with a local fishermen in Sarteneja, Belize. Photo courtesy of Travel Off the Radar

“For a long time most of the villagers have made a living from fishing… they have always fished the entire coast of Belize…even those who don’t take part in the traditional lifestyle still make their income from the sea. With their close relationship to the reefs, Sartenejans quickly notice changes to the reef and fish,” says the narrator on an informative video put out by the Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development (SACD).

The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System is impressive, covering 560 miles from Cancun to Honduras. In Belize, where the reef stretches for a remarkable 186 miles, Blue Ventures has taken a creative and effective approach to conservation.

Beginning in January of 2010, Blue Ventures, already in its eighth year of operation, began its project with the Belizean community of Sarteneja, the SACD and other organizations to understand the impact the local coastal communities have on the nearby reef.

Fishing and marine environments provide a huge source of income and nourishment for nearby residents, and while some are tempted to take extreme conservation measures, SACD clarifies in a video on the Blue Ventures website, “In this community, when people hear the word conservation, they think, ‘no fishing,’ that’s not what SACD wants. Conservation can allow fishing to continue but there are always better ways to do it, there are best practices to ensure the sustainable use of these natural resources.”

Manatee Rehab at Wildtracks Photo courtesy of Travel Off the Radar

For six weeks, volunteers with the Belize project are able to conduct research with Blue Ventures and their partner organization, the SACD. The mission behind the research is to eventually develop a sustainable environmental management plan for the region that not only increases the quality of life for the residents of Sarteneja, but also increases and sustains a healthy level of marine biodiversity.

Depending on schedules, volunteers undergo 7 – 15 days of their science training program, learning techniques of monitoring and identifying species. If you have not received your PADI certification, courses for PADI Advanced Open Water certification are given within two weeks of arrival.

Sign up for a spot on one of the five trips they have coming up in May, June, August, September, or November. Blue Ventures also has training and volunteer programs for their research sites in Malaysia and Madagascar. If you aren’t sure which would be the best fit for you, read about each one on their website.

About Off The Radar

By connecting passionate travelers with unusual travel opportunities, Off the Radar and Xola Consulting support adventure travel companies who provide guests with a genuine, personal experience; who believe in sustainable, environmentally sensitive travel and incorporate the local people and traditions of the destinations where they operate.

Editor’s Note: Special thanks to our friends at The Travel Word, who introduced us to this article.

By Kathrine Vogn, UCA San Ramon

In the fresh and green mountains of Northern Nicaragua lie the communities of La Pita, El Roblar, La Reyna and La Corona in San Ramón, Matagalpa. Four different communities when it comes to size, altitude and charisma, but who share a similar history.

Originally the Germans came to Nicaragua because of the promise of gold. They exploited the ground and the people. However, along the way, they found that the cooler climate in the mountains where ideal for coffee. And so began the coffee production that started with big fincas owned by foreigners but during the Sandinista period developed to cooperatives owned, run and profited by the Nicaraguans themselves.

It’s in these strong communities you have the opportunity to stay, either just for a tour around the beautiful mountains and a talk about the culture, coffee and fair trade; for a couple of nights with one of the host families where you can help out with the cooking and try your coffee picking skills or as a volunteer for a longer period of time.

It’s an extraordinary experience to meet and live with these 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.

San Ramón Union of Agricultural Cooperatives

Unión de Cooperativas Agropecuarias “Augusto César Sandino” (Union of Agricultural Cooperatives), or simply UCA San Ramón, is the primary organisation in this rural community agroecotourism project. It’s an organisation that consists of 21 agricultural cooperatives in the municipality of San Ramón and works to improve the conditions and knowledge of its 1,080 farmers.

Five of the cooperatives in four communities are a part of the tourism project. It means that the guides are young people from these four communities who therefore know everything worth knowing about this part of the country: the flora, fauna, landscape and agriculture around their community in particular.

Because it’s locals who act as the guides and their family as hosts the money paid goes directly to the farmers themselves and ensures a secondary income for them. In that way you can rest surely that those who profit are those who do the work as well as it ensures the most authentic experience for the visitors.

The Coffee Crisis

In 2001 international coffee prices fell to historic levels. This of course affected the Matagalpa area severely because the main production is coffee. In order to try to strengthen the economy for the farmers the North Central Cooperatives (CECOCAFEN) and UCA San Ramón started the agroecotourism project in 2003. In this way, the producers could diversify their income and at the same time strengthen the relationship between the consumers in the North and the producers in the South.

That is the general background and aim of the agroecotourism project.

To learn more about the project, see www.agroecoturismorural.com or contact info@agroecoturismorural.com, phone +505 2772 5247 / +505 8927 9066

>> Visit UCA San Ramón’s Facebook Page

By Shelley Seale

At the age of 14, Ponheary Ly died and came back to life.

At least, that’s how she describes it. The year was 1977, and the Khmer Rouge was on its deadly rampage in Cambodia. After seeing her father killed, along with 13 other family members, Ly was on the run and in hiding when some soldiers accused her of stealing food. They marched her deep into the woods and forced her to dig her own grave.

“The ground was very hard,” Ly recalls. “I only got a few inches down, and then I don’t remember what happened.” The next thing she was aware of was waking up in the shallow pit, covered with dirt. “I must have fallen unconscious, I must have stopped breathing. The soldiers thought I died, and they buried me.”

This was only one of many horrors that Ly survived during the brutal period in her country’s history. After she reunited with her mother and six remaining siblings, the family was forced to start over. Education became her answer.

Today, three decades after the fall of the Khmer Rouge its legacy remains: over 30 percent 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, or WOWi.

When Cambodia opened to tourism in the early 1990s, Ly became a tour guide. But neither she, nor her visitors, could ignore Cambodia’s impoverished children; not when they saw them every day at the Angkor Wat temples, working and begging. That’s when Ly began using her tips to sponsor a child to go to school. That child turned into a few, and then dozens as her tourist clients gave extra donations as well.

Today, the Ponheary Ly Foundation (PLF) enables over 2,000 children to attend school. I met Ly last year when I visited Cambodia, and she told me her story. I also met some of the children her foundation helps, and was amazed by the work being done under the force of a few people – and humbled by how great the needs are.

Kim Smith, co-founder of WOWi, also traveled to Cambodia a few years ago and heard Dr. Beat Richner speak, a physician who founded five hospitals to provide free healthcare to Cambodian children. The experience got Smith to thinking about how he and his WOWi foundation could help.

“Given my depth of experience in digital media, why not start a digital media program in Siem Reap?” Smith asked himself. “And why not model it in part on the Artisans d’Angkor workshops that train youths in traditional Cambodian crafts that are then sold to the over two million tourists who visit Angkor Wat each year?”

Smith knew that if he could train Cambodian youths in digital media production and management, while at the same time supporting humanitarian activities such as those Ponheary Ly and Dr. Richner were involved with, he could have a program with a huge potential impact. Soon after, Smith met Keith Hajovsky, a travel consultant and tour guide specializing in Southeast Asia.

“Keith put the project on a firm footing by facilitating a partnership between WOWi and the Ponheary Ly Foundation,” Smith explains. “The key to the WOWi/PLF partnership is PLF’s new computer lab, and students eager to learn computer-related skills and digital media.”

Smith and Hajovsky began putting together their project, and set up a fundraising program through Crowdrise. The collaboration with donors that they created is so new and unique that it’s been trademarked. Investors of $25 or more into the project will receive what’s called MYtiles, virtual tiles that the donors can fill in with content of their choosing – photos, a graphic, or company logo that can also link to any internet site they wish. Your MYtile can also be created by a graphic designer, or a PLF student.

“This last option will actually directly provide these students with an opportunity to strengthen their technical and creative skills, something that will help them get a better job later on in life and break the cycle of poverty,” Hajovsky says.

All of the MYtiles are then displayed on WOWi’s virtual LIFEwall. The donations will cover the costs to send a group of American university students and digital media industry professionals to Siem Reap, where the team will spend two weeks training PLF students in digital media creation and technology, leaving behind a working digital studio. And they have one of the world’s most awe-inspiring subjects with which to work: the majestic temples of Angkor Wat.

“Ever since I was a little kid looking through National Geographic magazines, I’d always wanted to see the temples of Angkor,” Hajovsky said. “They seemed so exotic to me in all those pictures, but when I actually saw them in person for the first time they were even larger and more magnificent than I had ever imagined—they really blew me away.”

The two week team training will mark the start of an ongoing program that will eventually produce a self-sustaining, sophiticated digital media training school. Through the sharing of these two cultures – the horrific and beautiful aspects alike—the WOWi project is poised to accomplish something amazing: a total reversal of what the Khmer Rouge stood for. “It represents a true step towards returning Cambodia to its ancient glory, now through open exposure to the rest of the world and education rather than through isolation and brutal suppression,” says Duane Conder, WOWi’s Director of Communications.

For his part, Smith hopes this project will become a platform that can be used anywhere in the world to support humanitarian activities. “The internet has an ability to open up windows of contact worldwide,” he says. “WOWi is about forming communities through these ‘windows of wonder.’ Perhaps ultimately, a world community can be formed.”

WOWi will be leading a volunteer trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia on February 4-18, 2012. If you are interested in being a part of this experience in digital training for Cambodian students and visiting Angkor Wat, please visit www.wowi-austin.org, or submit an application online.

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, such as the Nazca Lines and the majestic National Park Pampa Galeras, where a huge number of vicuñas, llamas, and other animals can be seen very closely.

Puquio is about eight-hour bus ride from the city of Lima, and the first thing that will capture the visitor’s attention is the construction of its streets, many of them built with stones, as well as an overview of the surrounding highlands, which perfectly represent the Andean structure. It was worth spending the night over there and I enjoyed walking around the area.

On the next day, we head to the Andamarca valley (three hours from Puquio), an impressive area where the Andenes (terraces that were built by the former Peruvian kingdoms for growing crops, such as potatoes, corn, among others) are still in use and match perfectly with the landscape. The valley is well designed on both sides by these impressive structures, and in the main town of Andamarca, there is also a preserved archeological site surrounded by beautiful flora and fauna.

The third day was planned for visiting the neighbor province of Cora-Cora (2.5 hours from Puquio by bus) and from there, the Sara Sara Mountain and the Parinacochas lagoon, two incredible natural sites located in the highland pampas, where we could enjoy the energy of the Andes and several birds completing the natural scene.

This was a good opportunity to enjoy the balance of the nature and calmness of the rural world. In the afternoon, we tool a local bus in the road and head back to Puquio, enjoying as well the several small lagoons along the way and watching camelids walking by freely.

This visit represented a nice experience getting to know a destination not yet well-known, and enjoying the living culture of a province that starts appearing in the map through the construction of an international highway which will connect it to Brazil in the near future. There is no official site for this province yet, but I would recommend interested travelers to search for further information on Wikipedia and other sites.

Piero Ponce

Piero has a degree in Economics with specialization on Global Management and vast international experience for 4 years, by analyzing and managing initiatives that promote cooperation among groups from different cultural background and activating leadership skills in youth worldwide. His life has been fortunately matched with his biggest passion: meeting cultures by traveling. Borned in Lima, Peru, his academic and professional actions took him to visit all continents. Because of this, he learned several languages and started working in the field of rural development. He currently lives in the city of Ayacucho and works as Director for Proyects & Research at the Regional Chamber of Tourism in Ayacucho, thus opening new opportunities for local organizations to further develop sustainable tourism initiatives.

By Cynthia Ord

Volunteering abroad, also known as voluntourism, is on fire. More and more, all kinds of people are looking for travel experiences where they can serve the under-served, globally. Who can disagree with such noble intentions? In fact, voluntourism is often hailed as one of the most constructive forms of tourism out there.

Voluntourism Economics

Like anything new and fast-growing, voluntourism can go awry. Opportunistic travel companies commercialize what should be kept in the non-profit sector, charging voluntourists a hefty premium. NGOs use voluntourists as a fundraising mechanism, taking more advantage of their willingness to pay than their willingness to work. As voluntourism gains scale in certain destinations, it can even affect local labor markets in ways the voluntourists never imagine. Rightly so, skeptics have started blowing whistles and calling for best practices.

The economics of voluntourism is a hot issue in the larger debate about voluntourism’s impacts. Where are voluntourist dollars going? How much stays with the coordinating organization, and how much enters the local economy in a meaningful way? If you’re thinking about volunteer travel, these are the kinds of questions that are worth asking. If you’re an organization that is coordinating volunteer tourists, these are the kind of questions that are important to answer. Transparency is key.

Volunteering with Sustainable Bolivia in Cochabamba

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.

Volunteers choose which organization they would like to get involved with, depending on their experiences, educational background, and interests. With its diverse network of local non-profit organizations, Sustainable Bolivia is in a good position to match volunteer skills and resources with the places in and around Cochabamba that could use them the most.

Engineers who want to work on appropriate technology solutions find a good match with Energetica, which works on alternative energy sources in the rural communities of Bolivia. Doctors and health care professionals have a number of choices for applying their skills, like Atendi where they can work with kids with disabilities, or Centro de Salud Cerro Verde if their interest is in reproductive health. For creative types and performers, Sustainable Bolivia has an artist residency program and a partner organizations like Performing Life, which provides underprivileged youth with workshops to develop juggling and other circus show skills.

The Mini Grant Program at Sustainable Bolivia

In 2009, the administration of Sustainable Bolivia started thinking about how they could make volunteer impacts more transparent. They realized that volunteers were the ones who were working directly in the field, in close contact with local partner organizations. The volunteers could see firsthand the most pressing needs on site at their projects.

In February of that year, the innovative new mini grant system was introduced. It’s a system where volunteers can decide exactly how their money is used in the community, and Sustainable Bolivia has one more way to measure and report contribution its to parter organizations. How does it work? For each month that a volunteer works with Sustainable Bolivia, $75 goes toward a mini grant. So, a volunteer that stays for three months has $225 to use toward their volunteer project in the way they think is most appropriate.

In order to apply their mini grants, volunteers are required to fill out an application explaining their project plans and budget. Then, once it has been approved, the volunteer is also required to submit receipts. This process allows for an organization-level reporting system on how volunteer money is being spent.

In keeping with the transparency that Sustainable Bolivia values, it publishes all mini grant activity on its website. On this fascinating page, viewers can see what each volunteer has done with each local partner organization. You can see a short description of the project, the application form, and the receipts showing where the money was spent. More than an ingenious system that ensures transparency about volunteer funds, it’s an elegant composite portrait of the kinds of activities that volunteers can do at Sustainable Bolivia and what the organization is about.

Screen shot of mini grant reporting on the Sustainable Bolivia website

Blogging and Hula Hoops

I applied to spend time at Sustainable Bolivia through their artist residency program, asking if online content creation counts as a form of art. They were happy to accept me as their resident writer. Once I arrived, I had a meeting with Michelle, the national director, about the best way to use my volunteer time. Their website blog had become a little neglected, she said. I loved the idea of helping bring it back to life. By the end of my three month stay, I had five new posts published on the blog.

As my time there passed, I was looking for ways to apply my own mini grant funding. The mini grant program inspired me to close my laptop and get involved on the ground level. My first week there, I had seen a show put on by Performing Life, amazed by the talent of its kids in juggling, diabalos, and unicycles. Since I’m a circus hobbyist myself, I was especially impressed by 13-year-old Scarlet and her fire poi spinning skills. I wanted to learn from her. I noticed that the organization could use some hula hoops to make its circus equipment more complete, and I started planning a project for my mini grant resources.

With my mini grant money, I went to the massive La Cancha local market and bought everything needed to make high-quality, performance-level hula hoops. I found PVC tubing, connectors, duct tape, electrical tape, and even some shiny decorative tape to finish the hoops with color and flair. My mini grant funding went a long way in Bolivia. By the end of my time there, I had made 15 new hula hoops, which were a big hit with the Performance Life kids.

Hula Hooping with Performing Life members

All the materials for hula hoop construction had only cost about $75. There was still more mini grant funding left. I wanted to donate it directly to Performing Life, but Michelle explained to me that it rolls over to the next volunteer working with Performing Life. In this way, they can keep things totally transparent and visible about how the funding is spent. It gave me another idea – maybe I’ll go back and be that next volunteer myself.

To apply for an internship or volunteer opportunity at Sustainable Bolivia, get in contact through the Sustainable Bolivia website.

Cynthia Ord, TIES Travel Ambassador

Cyntia Ord is a native of Denver, Colorado, USA. She has completed a Masters in Tourism and Environmental Economics Program at the Universidad de las Islas Baleares in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. She works with WHL Group and teaches an online course through Village Earth on Tourism and Development. After three months in Bolivia, she is now based in Argentina.

By Kim Lisagor

WriteGirl Poem on Endangered Places

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.

I requested a poem that honors the world’s endangered places and calls upon travelers to care for them, a poem for the readers of Disappearing Destinations. WriteGirl author Yamuna Haroutunian rose to the challenge with a poem that manages to be mournful, beautiful and hopeful at the same time.

*Kim Lisagor, TIES Advisory Board member, is a journalist who covers travel and the environment. She is co-author (with Heather Hansen) of the award-winning book, Disappearing Destinations: 37 Places in Peril and What Can Be Done to Help Save Them. Based in San Luis Obispo, California, she teaches journalism at Cal Poly and chairs the International Service Committee for the Rotary Club of San Luis Obispo Daybreak.

“Remember” by Yamuna Haroutunian

*Reprinted with permission from the author

Remember

How lovely it was
Water fresh
Forest thick
Fragrant, full of green

I remember
My hometown beach
My foreign namesake river
Once so lovely
Safe
Cared for
Utterly magnificent

You too remember
Air
Waters
Land
Your home

Somewhere
We forgot
To check our breathing
To watch our steps
To notice
The clouds in our mouths
The grease under our feet

We forgot
We screwed up

Mistakes aren’t always endings
We haven’t yet made
Our own graves.
It’s time to remember now
Before out memories are only ours
Before we miss the beauty
We are not alone.

We have a window of time
Don’t waste it
Don’t forget
We don’t want to lose
Our world

Stop forgetting to remember

Bandiagara Cliff and the Dogon People

The Bandiagara Cliff, a World Heritage Site in Northwestern Mali, is home of the Dogon People, a tribe that settled there around 1,000 AD. Protected by the natural defense of the Cliff, the Dogon have been cut off from the outside world for centuries and lived according to their traditions: in harmony with nature and following their complex mythology based on ancient legends of the creation of the world. Its population lives in small villages comprised of extended families (100 to 200 dwellers per village, all with the same family name).

Since the 1990s, the Dogon Country has been experiencing a steady growth of tourism thanks to the natural beauty of the Cliff and the Dogon culture with its intricate cosmogony inherited from their ancestors. Wood carvings depicting the Dogon ancient legend of the Creation of the World, as well as local handicraft products such as the mysterious masks used for ceremonies, have become an important source of revenues in the local economy.

Tour Operators’ Impacts on Dogon Villages

The vast majority of tourists traveling to Mali, and especially to remote areas such as the Dogon Country, use a tour operator that will prepare the itinerary, organize all local logistics, and oversee the operations of the ground handler. Travelers usually start from the south of the Cliff and walk their way up to the North, discovering landscapes and villages during the day, sleeping at local and basic accommodations.

These operators choose the villages to work with based on their size, cultural attractions or location, and these choices have led to unbalanced distribution of tourism income among local villages; Some villages see several groups of tourists every day during the high season, while others none. Groups may cross a few villages, but will stop only when their tour guides decide to.

Tour operators’ decisions for organized tours have also led to tensions within village members; the owner of the local guest house, for example, receive revenues from tour groups, which sometimes are earned at the expense of the whole village, as these tourist establishments consume local natural resources such as water that the locals have limited access to.

The short duration of stay in each village is also source of concern. The guests who only spend one night in the village barely have the opportunity to interact with the local population. The few interactions a traveler may have with villagers are mercantile: locals trying to sell their products or children asking for treats and gifts, which in most cases bothers the traveler.

While the visitors come to discover the Dogon Country’s beautiful landscapes and communities, through this type of local experience, the spirit of human relationships and mutual enrichment is lost.

Association Nani E

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.

While staying at Guinna Dogon, the only guest house in Neni, guests have the unique opportunity to be immersed in the local life, from fetching water with the children to visiting local craftsmen’s workshops, or spending time under the Toguna with the elders, drinking tea and listening to ancient legends.

Neni E guests stay in one village and explore the surroundings through day trips, which allows travelers to spend time and get to know the host family and villagers, and to build real relationships with their hosts. Each guest’s tour experiences are individually planned, depending on their interests and needs. Several sports activities led by local guides are available, based on the physical condition of the guest – from easy walks to rock climbing, biking, and horseback riding.

Cultural activities are also a great way to meet and interact with the local community: learning the Dogon language, mythology and cosmogony; experiencing the traditional wood carving; being part of the season’s harvest or “field talks”; or taking a cooking class and sharing a meal with the host family.

One of the founders, Pasca (now locally known as Amadomo Perou) has been living in Mali since 2004 and is married to a local wife. As a former outsider who has gained an insider perspective, he is helping build a bridge between “Westerners” and locals – through cultural interpretation and language support – for the benefit of both sides. The founders strongly believe that revenues of tourism should benefit to the local population, stay in the communities where they were generated, and be distributed in a fair manner.

With this goal, Neni E has established the following guidelines regarding key aspects of their tours and their local impact, taking into account the lessons learned from the challenges with larger scale organized tours.

• Food: Instead of buying food from the city, most of the food consumed by Nani E’s guests is bought locally.
• Water: Guests are briefed on the local challenges in terms of clean water and instructed to responsibly use water for their showers, toilets and cooking.
• Gifts: many guests bring along pens & paper, clothes or medication. These are given to the relevant institutions such as local schools and hospital, or shared amongst villagers during a short informal ceremony rather than on a random basis.

>> Learn more about Association Neni E (English / French)

It is a warm night and I am sitting outside on the terrace of the Auja Environmental Center, located in the small villageof Al Aujain the Jordan Valley in Palestine. The Center has been initiated by Friends of the Earth Middle East. Here, I have been volunteering for about one month, and tonight, as usual, some local people come to socialize at the Center. Hearing stories of their daily lives from the Palestinian people in this region, what you see on the news back home suddenly becomes very real, very personal and very touching. The Israeli occupation and ongoing environmental degradation are a heavy burden and concern every single person in several ways.

Al Auja Environmental Center and Guesthouse

In Al Auja, water scarcity is a major challenge. Until recently, the Auja spring provided enough fresh water to allow agriculture to flourish in the area and the production fruits and vegetables served as the main source of income for the local people. Today, the spring has run dry, the fields are barren and the greenhouses abandoned, with only 2.5 % of the local people relying on farming as a source of income. This is due to a variety of factors such as careless drilling of wells, drought and unequal allocation of resources. Many Palestinians are forced to spend large amounts of money to buy water in tanks, hardly managing to meet their basic water needs, and have to seek employment outside of Al Auja.

Another factor that is further tightening the situation is water pollution. Infrastructure for municipal waste management and waste water treatment is largely non-existent and everyday huge amounts of sewage from Palestinian villages and Israeli settlements are discharged, often close to fresh water sources.

These are the conditions that generate the stories I get to hear about this evening.
“I used to cultivate 450 dunams of land. Now there is no water, I had to give up all farming”
“My brother used to have a flock of sheep in Al Auja, but they cannot find food here anymore, so he moved to Nablus.”
“Eight years ago I grew my own dates, now I am employed by an Israeli farm.”

The green patch is a flourishing Israeli farm amidst the barren Palestinian fields

Back in my room, I find it hard to fall asleep. Facing such a variety of intertwined challenges it is hard not to despair, especially when they affect people you have come to consider friends.

However, 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, leading to a large amount of water being saved.

In addition to environmental education and training projects, we also aim to create new job opportunities for locals through ecotourism. The unique ecology of the Jordan Valley and the incredibly hospitable people make a stay here an unforgettable experience! Staying at our guesthouse adjacent to the center, you may explore the valleys nearby with our local guide Muhanad, who has an amazing knowledge about the flora and fauna. Or sample delicacies from the local Bedouine cuisine, prepared by our excellent cook Nofoz – you may even learn how to prepare them yourselves.

You can also learn about sustainable solutions that the Center is implementing, such as composting, waste recycling and permaculture. Learn Dabka, the traditional Arabic dance or join local women produce beautiful handicrafts, be amazed at the Bedouines’ knowledge about medicinal herbs or just rent a bike and explore the area north of the Dead Sea. Get engaged, and you will have long lasting memories of your visit here, just like how my stay at Al Auja has greatly enriched my experience of Palestine.

Epic Bedouine barbeque – come join us!

Scouting new trails for ecotourists