Travelers' Philanthropy Handbook - Center for Responsible Travel

Mauro is a very talented teacher with a clear vision of what constitutes “real progress” in acommunity like Patacancha. He knows the challenges for the children of this area so he is ableto convincingly explain to my guests the school’s real needs. For instance, we have learned thathis students don’t consume enough iron in their diet which has a very important impact on thelearning process.He suggested that more children would attendschool if they could be housed in dormitoriesbecause distance is such an obstacle. Livingat the school would give many morePatacancha young people a better chance toget an education. From Mauro, we alsolearned that parents need to be persuadedthat sending their kids to school is essentialfor development of both their futures and ofPeruvian society.After these experiences, we have a picniclunch near Patacancha a, with a bottle of wineon the table. So the day is not just aboutlearning and fostering philanthropy. At thispoint guests are truly indulged by CountryWalkers picnic style!Students at Patacancha School, Peru.Credit: Country WalkerHow do we succeed in encouraging donations from our guests to support the school and thechildren of Patacancha?• Before they depart, guests are informed by Country Walkers and the Trip Planner aboutour “giving back” program which identifies worthy community projects in the areas wherewe will be walking together. Travelers to Patacancha, are asked to bring school supplieswith them from home. The donated supplies are given to the teachers.• In the “Orientation meeting” at the start of the tour we prepare our guests so they arelooking forward to visiting the school and being surrounded by Andean life.• Over the next 3 days, guests learn of the successes and failures of Peruviangovernment projects in the Andean regions we are walking through.• This way on day 4, guests are prepared for an “eye opening” experience.• Getting into an Andean home and not creating a “touristy” environment is a key factor inthe success of this process.• Visiting the school and seeing the kids in a rather happy environment inspires guests towant to help. Because of the preparation they receive, guests understand that thePatacancha school is a key part of the vision for improved life in Andean communities.• We encourage guests to learn more about our project by logging on to CREST’sTravelers’ Philanthropy site at www.travelersphilanthropy.com. This online donations sitehas solved our problems of delivering money for our school project securely and withminimum bank charges. In addition, CREST has a good reputation and provides anavenue for tax deductible donations.198