REUNIONS

Spaces available:

Hurry to get your space on a reunion. Not yet organised anything? Get in touch with some friends and I'll help you with the details. Examples, with dates are available for Kilmanjaro, Everest and a cycle from Guatemala to Honduras. These challenges differ from the market, by using the best, socially and environmentally responsible operators. These include Nepal's longest running trekking and rafting company and the "Best Ecotourism Company in the World" in Tanzania. You will also be contributing to the country you are in, supporting locally run charities and projects such as the Phoenix Centre in Guatemala, pictured in the thanks section.

National Scholarship Programme:

Ewoi becomes the first National Scholarship Participant at Global Vision International's (GVI) expedition in Kenya. Positions on the expeditions are presently donated by GVI to the GVI-CT, 12 local peoples have taken part since its initiation. The value of this donation comes to over £20,000, with the value in real terms being even greater. For example around 90% of the participants from Mexico's marine expeditions moving into the environmental field as a result of the experience gained with GVI.

OTHER NEWS

Fundraising:

The Global Vision International - Charitable Trust (GVI-CT) is now able to accept one off or regular donations via Just Giving, click here.
If you are fundraising or holding events for the charity, then Just Giving can help by creating your own online web page for secure donations, click here.

Gift Aid:

If you are donating and are a UK tax payer, please check out Gift Aid, as if you are elligible, we will be able to claim a further 28% from your donation! You can do this online through Just Giving or get information and download the form by clicking on the Gift Aid icon. This means we get £12.80 from a £10 donation.

WHAT'S NEW

Ecuador, Colegio Urcusiqui:

Following the success of the first year with GVI in the Ecuador Indigenous Community Project, an ambitious and brave decision has been made to build a Colegio. Being locally situated, this will enable continued education for many of the children.

Currently, they have to stop at the age of 11/12 years old as their families cannot afford to send them down to the local town to continue their schooling. It is not sustainable for GVI to rely on continuous donations to sponsor children per year for up to 4 years so instead GVI decided to bring a Colegio to them locally in the Mountains.

GVI intend to supply qualified local teachers to ensure the children receive the best education possible, resources such as school books, a library (possibly via satellite and internet), volunteers and of course a building and furniture.

The site is ready, but only extra finds can make this a reality. Thanks must go to GVI's local partner and project manager Washington who is organising all the paperwork and permissions, without which the project would be impossible.

Kenya, Mkwiro Orphanage:

This orphanage is based in Mkwiro and is run and funded by the local community. It is home to around 40 boys between the ages of 6 and 18 from Mkwiro and the Kwale district. The kids are either orphans or have one parent who cannot support them. The struggling community feed and house the kids, with one of the village grandmother's making Ugali for the kids evening meal.

There is a building for the orphanage, but only one room has a flat concrete floor. All the kids stay in this room, but with the lack of mattresses, many of them sleep on the bare floor. There were plans for better sleeping facilities, a kitchen and bathroom etc. but money has run out.

The orphanage and village are also badly in need of a water storage facility to collect water during the rainy season, this will reduce the need to buy it from the mainland.

The kids also attend the local school and despite the desperate need for books and school equipment Juma (see below) was first in his class. The Expedition Members of GVI's Kenya expedition love teaching the kids and a few resources would greatly aid them.