Help the Poor, Travel More

We previously posted on small organizations, blah, blah...

The holiday season is just around the corner and with it is the arrival of gift catalogues, donation envelopes, and fundraiser invitations. You may choose to give to an organization via one of those mechanisms.

Or, you could help alleviate global poverty through travel.

There’s no proof, but I certainly echo this blogger’s question – can travel make the world a better place?

Organizations are often looking to increase their donor base. And it is no coincidence that what they usually do to bring a large donor on board is to take them on a tour of their projects. This is how celebrities end up getting involved in humanitarian efforts. The photo opps become the best advertising for a specific cause or organization.

And you, can choose to pick your organization based on their materials, or you can travel and see for yourself. I guarantee you that if you were to witness extreme poverty in certain parts of the world, you will be moved and motivated to help and make a difference. (You are clearly already interested because you are reading this blog!)

Pick a country that you would like to visit. Remember that the world’s poorest are concentrated in the southern hemisphere. How much you structure your trip around this cause is up to you, but you could do anything from just letting yourself wander into the poorest parts of town, or join a tour that will do that (link to favela tours in Rio), or even better, volunteer for an organization.