Nicaragua - Me to Wecdn.metowe.com/files/2012/...Nicaragua_5SEPT2012.pdf · in Nicaragua will take place in communities that do not have appropriate school room capacity, or have

Me to We Trips - Nicaragua | 1

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We firmly believe that when immersed in new cultures, exposed to the challenges and possibilities of other regions of the world, and given the resources, guidance and inspiration to make a difference, young people have the power to change the world. When the two of us were starting out as young activists in our teens, we were both lucky enough to journey to South Asia to witness the lives of people our age in developing communities. They were incredibly formative experiences that profoundly affected each of us, but the careful work of planning them fell on us and our parents. Today, we are incredibly proud to have founded Me to We to provide safe, educational and transformational volunteer travel experiences for youth. Immersive volunteer travel of this kind is unlike any other travel on earth. Unique among volunteer trips, Me to We trips exist to give young people a first-hand experience with the people and places that inspire and encompass the development work of Free The Children. The strong partnerships that Free The Children has with local communities and governments allow Me to We travellers the unique opportunity to truly interact and engage with their peers in developing communities. For more than a decade, from Kenya’s Maasai Mara to rural India to the mountains of Ecuador, thousands of youth and school groups have chosen Me to We for meaningful volunteer travel experiences, having a real and lasting effect on our partner communities, and returning home inspired to make a difference. Our years of experience also ensure that the safety and security of each child—always our greatest concern—is never in question; from the moment a participant sets foot on the plane to the moment he or she arrives safely at home.

On behalf of our Me to We trip facilitators and team, we look forward to hosting your son or daughter on their volunteer adventure—and watching them begin their journey of inspiration. Be the Change,

Dear Parents,

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Craig Kielburger Co-Founder, Me to We

Marc Kielburger Co-Founder, Me to We


By volunteering in communities served by our charity partner, Free The Children, young people benefit from meaningful, community-based learning experiences. Through interactions with community members, participants on our trips get to know people who lead very different lives. Our trips broaden horizons and encourage understanding in our participants. Our approach to genuine volunteerism means that participants learn about sustainable change and how it can be achieved in partnership with the community. Our trips provide hands-on experience in building lasting solutions to the challenges faced by communities in need. Tangible leadership development equips participants with the tools they need to act on their newfound knowledge upon their return home. The volunteer trip is only the beginning of a journey of personal growth. Participants take the lessons and skills they learned while overseas and apply them to projects long after their return home. Participants have unparalleled access to a community of like-minded individuals and a network that they can rely on and engage in their future initiatives. Our trips bring together people from many diverse backgrounds who all share the same goal of making sustainable change. The friendships that are formed on our trips provide participants with an invaluable support group dedicated to lifelong active global citizenship.

Why Me to We?

Lily LimParent

For [my daughter], this was truly an adventure of a lifetime. It’s not that she has changed—she is more ‘enhanced.’ The good qualities and the profound values are accentuated and the goodness just radiates through. And the gratitude is boundless. This is what life is all about.”



Meaningful Community-Based Learning in Partnership with Free The ChildrenMe to We trips are unique in that each trip works in collaboration with our charitable partner, Free The Children. An international development organization and educational partner, Free The Children has established partnerships with the communities where Me to We volunteer trips take place, allowing participants the chance to truly interact and engage with developing communities overseas.

Free The Children carries out international development work through a holistic and sustainable model called Adopt a Village. Me to We works with Free The Children for one simple reason: this development model makes sense. We’ve seen it change lives, time and again.

To date, Free The Children has:

• Built more than 650 schools and school rooms in communities in Asia, Africa and Latin America, providing education to more than 55,000 children every day.

• Shipped $16 million US in essential medical supplies around the world.• Provided more than one million people with access to clean water, health care and sanitation. • Empowered more than 30,000 women to become economically self-sufficient with loans and alternative forms of income. • Supported more than 4,000 Free The Children groups throughout North America and across the world.

Free The Children’s success is fuelled by the passion and work of youth at home reaching out to their peers arond the world. The organization’s projects are supported largely through fundraising by youth from around the world. In addition, half of Me to We’s net profit is donated to Free The Children. The other half is re-invested to grow Me to We.



HeALTH CAre

Rural areas in Nicaragua have little access to health care. Infant mortality remains high and is often associated with respiratory diseases, diarrhoea, meningitis and malnutrition. Maternal mortality is often high in poorer regions. The incidence of communal diseases like tuberculosis is also increasing.

Over time, the Adopt a Village health care pillar will be fully implemented in Nicaragua. Future projects could include mobile health education programs and services, health clubs in schools for students, and health care and awareness workshops for community members.

ALTerNATIve INCoMe ANd LIveLIHood

Many mothers lack the means to earn a living, with household responsibilities keeping them at home. A sustainable source of income lets women increase their savings, develop a livelihood and send their children to school. Over time, Adopt a Village alternative income programs implemented in Nicaragua could include financial and literacy classes, business skills training, animal husbandry programs and gender equality workshops.

AGrICULTUre ANd Food SeCUrITY Chronic malnutrition plagues 29% of Nicaraguan children in rural communities. Also, periodic volcanic eruptions and earthquake shocks, due to the location of the country’s west coast at the collision point of two major tectonic plates, along with rising global food prices, inhibit rural populations in attaining food production security and agricultural sustainability. This results in an insufficient intake of animal origin products, vitamins, fruits and vegetables. Free The Children will be working on implementing agricultural projects over time that could include school gardens and nutrition programs.

Sustainable Development in NicaraguaFree The Children’s Adopt a village model is designed to bring sustainability to developing communities and eliminate the obstacles preventing children from accessing education. Adopt a Village is made up of five pillars, each one crucial to lifting communities from poverty: education, clean water and sanitation, health care, alternative income and livelihood, agriculture and food security.

edUCATIoN

In Nicaragua, more than 50,000 children of primary school age do not attend school. As well, 15% of children aged 5-14 are involved in child labour.

The education pillar of Adopt a Village is Free The Children’s primary focus in Nicaragua. School building in Nicaragua will take place in communities that do not have appropriate school room capacity, or have dilapidated school buildings. Free The Children will also aim to increase the quality of education in the community by providing resources like books, materials and school clubs.

CLeAN WATer ANd SANITATIoN

In rural Nicaraguan communities, contaminated rivers are often the only nearby sources of drinking water.

Access to clean water and sanitation helps reduce the occurrence of preventable diseases in communities. The clean water and sanitation pillar includes latrines and sanitation systems, community and school-based water systems, clean water storage systems, hand-washing stations, and water and sanitation education programs.

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on a Me to We trip to Nicaragua, your child will:

• Embark on a life-changing journey, expand their boundaries and become immersed in a new culture.• Help to build a school or dig a well, engaging in a hands-on experience with sustainable development.• Witness and learn about Free The Children’s Adopt a Village development model, which is changing the lives of children,

families and entire communities, empowering them to lift themselves out of poverty.• Interact and bond with the very students whose lives are being changed by sustainable development, working alongside

local people who are empowering their communities.• Join a network of like-minded young people around the world who are passionate about positive change.• Come home inspired and ready to make a difference!

NICArAGUA TrIP HIGHLIGHTS

Community development: Participants have the opportunity to meet and work alongside community members on Free The Children development projects such as school building or clean water projects.

Leadership training: Participants take part in modules that will help them explore global-development issues and develop lifelong leadership skills.

relationship building: By volunteering at a school or rehabilitation centre, participants have the opportunity to bond with local children and meet community members.

Cultural education: Participants will be immersed in Nicaraguan culture, experience the country’s remarkable biodiversity and gain first-hand experience with environmental issues.

Genuine Volunteerism

NICARAGUA

Free The Children carries out its Adopt a village development work in the Managua region.


Safety and security are Me to We’s first priority in overseas travel.

Me to We has been facilitating trips overseas since 2002. Our trips to Ecuador, Kenya,China, India, Arizona, Nicaragua and Ghana have an incredible track record of safety and success.

Me to We takes proactive measures and precautions to ensure that all trip participants are provided with a safe and secure volunteer experience.

In Nicaragua, these measures include:

• All facilitators are familiar with the country.• All participants are registered with their respective embassy before departure to ensure accountability in case of emergency.• Travel advisories are monitored by international and country offices.• Copies of all passports, medical and travel insurance, emergency contact information, dietary and medical requirements are• collected well in advance of the trip by our international office.• Emergency communication, 24-hours a day, between in-country team and Toronto office.• All facilitators have up-to-date first-aid training and have participated in our training program, which includes emergency evacuation

protocols, standard operating procedures and crisis prevention/management training.• Each facilitator carries a comprehensive first-aid kit at all times.• Local hospitals with appropriate medical standards are aware of our trips and prepared to handle any minor or major

medical situations.• All travel occurs during the day, as a group and under the guidance of facilitators.• 24-hour security personnel available at all our facilities.• Access to filtered or bottled water is available at all times.

Our Commitment to Safety

Greg rogersStudent Leadership/Staff developmentToronto Catholic district School Board

The number one concern of every parent on any overseas program is, ‘Will my child be safe?’ The standards of safety that Me to We subscribes to are the highest of any service program I am aware of.”


SAFETY


GeTTING THere Me to We staff are excited to have your child travel with us on this incredible journey. Your child’s flight is booked as a group to enable allparticipants to travel together. This means changes such as deviations or flight routings are not possible at any point.

WHere YoUr CHILd WILL STAY In Nicaragua, participants will spend their first and last night in Managua at a hotel that is safe, pre-arranged by your Me to Wefacilitator and frequented by those on Me to We trips consistently. Participants always share rooms with one or more participants of the same gender, and male and female participants sleep on separate floors or wings. Educators have a room that is separate from students.

Washroom facilities are western-style. Some will have private washrooms with showers and western-style toilets while others willhave shared washroom facilities. Showers are available on a daily basis. All accommodations will have sinks with running water and arecleaned on a daily basis.

The majority of the trip will be spent at guest houses in the host community, which are fully equipped with separate bunk-bedaccommodations for males and females, a group meeting room and a dining hall.

WHAT YoUr CHILd WILL eAT Participants will enjoy traditional local cuisine, which includes beans, rice, meat, salads, soups and potatoes. This food is prepared with greatcare by our local staff. In Managua, a wide range of both Nicaraguan and North American food is available. Bottled or filtered drinking waterwill be readily available throughout the trip.

Participants with food allergies can be accommodated and alternative options are available. It is imperative that this information be clearlycommunicated on the participant’s application form early in the process of enrolling.

GeTTING AroUNdAll vehicles used on the ground in Nicaragua are driven solely by Me to We staff. The group travels together in coach buses and there isalways a vehicle available in case of emergency.

Trip Specifics


Andrew MartinTrip Participant

Being there helped me appreciate my education so much more.”


SPeAKING THe LANGUAGeSpanish is spoken by most Nicaraguans. Your child will have the opportunity to improve their Spanish skills and possibly teach someEnglish. The group is always accompanied by a Me to We staff member who has extensive knowledge of the local language and is ableto assist with translation and communication.

eNvIroNMeNTNicaragua is a country uniquely endowed with dramatic topography and a variety of climates, vegetation, birds and wildlife. Free TheChildren’s school-building projects are located in the Leon province, a deeply impoverished rural area with a rich cultural history andbreathtaking natural beauty.

CLIMATeNicaragua has two main seasons, rainy and dry, with a lot of variation between its geographical regions. Even during the rainy season,most days stay sunny well into the afternoon. Participants will experience warm weather throughout the duration of their trip.

SimonTrip Participant

When I returned from the volunteer trip, I got more than what I asked for. Not only did I appreciate the life I had a lot more, but the trip really ignited my passion for helping others and let me see the world in a broader view.”


NICARAGUA


A Me to We trip offers participants the unique opportunity to give back to themselves and to communities.

• direct involvement in development work: Volunteering with Free The Children projects allows participants to engage in international development in a hands-on way.

• Leadership training: Our unique training gives participants the tools to create change at home, enabling travellers to use the experience gained from the trip as a catalyst for social action.

• Community interaction and cultural education: We have strong ties and a history with all the communities in which we are involved. Me to We trips gives young people the chance to explore the diversity and contrasts that exist in the world by exposing them to both the joys and challenges faced by our host countries. They will not only visit historic landmarks and cultural sites, but also get unprecedented access to communities in need.

• Hands-on volunteering and the opportunity to give back in a meaningful way: Our trips give young people a new perspective on the world and their place in it. We’re able to provide certification of participants’ volunteer work for resumes, post-secondary applications, graduation requirements, course credits, etc.

• Social issues education: Guest speakers, facilitators and in-country staff share their knowledge of the country and the issues it faces through lectures, reflections, informal discussions and cultural experiences.

• renewed sense of community: Helping to redefine the sense of empathy, compassion and a full understanding of the power of community.

• Action planning: All participants set goals and build personalized action plans for making a difference when they return home from their trip.

In short, Me to We trips offer participants a platform to engage with social issues, community members, family, friends and the world.

Building Lifelong Leadership Skills

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Paula TurnerParent

This organization is amazing for being conscientious and upfront about how you go about doing the work that you do.”


In addition to creating positive social change, Me to We and Free The Children are committed to setting a positive environmental example. At Me to We, we understand the environmental implications that international travel has for our planet. In turn, we are committed to reducing our ecological footprint as much as possible.

Every year in the communities where we work, we are launching new green initiatives that help local ecosystems, like serving local food at our schools, planting organic gardens at our leadership centres and running reforestation projects at our sites around the globe.

In Nicaragua, our sustainable initiatives include:

• environmental clubs in schools• carbon offset for flights through tree planting• use of solar power• use of energy-efficient fuel for cooking and heating at camp sites• community wood lots

Environmental ImpactThank you for learning more about Me to We trips and for supporting your child’s interest in global citizenship and discovery. Since we began taking youth on these immersive volunteer journeys, we have witnessed the personal transformation of thousands of inspired young people. And while Me to We trips have a powerful impact on youth while they are away, the truest journey is the one they begin when they return home. The lasting, most important impact of each trip comes through their empowerment to change the world for the better. Thank you for considering a Me to We trip to help nurture your child’s interests. Our promise to you as a parent is that a Me to We trip is a safe, educational and unforgettable international experience—one that has set countless participants on a lifelong path to social engagement. While allowing a first-hand understanding of global realities like poverty, hunger, debt and disease, volunteering with Me to We also allows youth to discover that people from every culture share common, deeply held values. Things like family, education and human rights are important to everyone, no matter where they come from. And when a young person comes to this realization while laying the foundations of a new school or bonding with the local children who will one day attend it, it is a truly powerful thing. On behalf of the entire team at Me to We, we look forward to helping you and your family begin this life-changing journey.

Thank You

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225 Carlton StreetToronto, OntarioM5A 2L2

T: 416.964.8942F: 416.964.2199W: www.metowe.comE: [email protected]

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Nicaragua - Me to Wecdn.metowe.com/files/2012/...Nicaragua_5SEPT2012.pdf · in Nicaragua will take place in communities that do not have appropriate school room capacity, or have