i am traveling south america and volunteering for an org that helps promote local small enterprises and individuals who are interested in socio-cultural-economic exchange. very cool!!! anyway, i'm inviting others who want to join in the adventure as they travel.
you can check out stepuptravel to see ways of helping out. and if interested, just write in and they will respond with a way to help empower locals as you go.
because tourism is such a booming industry in developing countries, it has been identified by the united nations as one of the most promising ways by which we can alleviate poverty, since most travelers come into direct contact with poorer populations. yet the problem is that so often traveling is so insulated by big companies and package deals, such that the money doesn't really reach the poorer populations where it ought to go, since they are so often responsible for helping make our experiences so meaningful. let's face it, rich companies are not the ones who make cultrue what it is--it's the local people. so they shoudl be the ones who benefit. let's make it happen. post up on this thread if you are in!!!
Reply to this today i visited cantagalo--a favela between ipanema and lagoa--to get in touch with a local organization called crianca esperanca. i spoke with instructors of a computer course focused on training kids in teh favela how to use the internet. they loved the idea of step up travel (a rede in portuguese) and want to help promote it as a tool for employment in their community. i go back next monday morning to speak directly to the class.
i also met a kid from the favela who wants to serve as an coordinator for a variety of activities in the community. he'll come to my apartment in the next couple of days to post some ads on teh site.
today was such a great day. it wasn't focused on any particular experience i wanted to pursue as a visitor to rio, but it was eye-opening and fascinating. i'm loving the places this work will take me.
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