Our mission at Kuoda is to make the world a better place through travel. We are realizing this mission by seeking to empower the communities around us at the same time as providing a superior travel experience to our clients. We know that it is better to teach a man to fish than to give him one, and for that reason, we have started some well-thought-out projects designed to improve the well-being of neighboring communities through increased resourcefulness, self-sufficiency and self-respect.
Merely giving money to people and communities carries with it many problems. Who will see to it that the money is distributed fairly? Who will decide how the money will be spent? Many of our clients would like to be able to lend a hand to less fortunate communities, but at the same time it should be noted that these communities have much to offer the traveller as well. While lacking in the material wealth of the western world, many of the communities have managed to retain their traditional lifestyles, artisanship, and cultural and religious heritage, which translates into another kind of wealth.
Many of the families that travel with us express a desire to expand their own and their childrens´ideas of participation in other cultures; they wish for their children to gain an understanding of different lifestyles and traditions around the world, and to develop a desire to share the material wealth they are often fortunate enough to possess.
There is no greater joy for us than in assisting in building bridges for a true interchange between our clients and local villagers. We recently became involved in two of our clients´ efforts to contribute to the well-being of an andean community near Chinchero in the Sacred Valley. These clients solicited the help of their families and friends to make a significant contribution to the community. The funds they collected went toward providing much –needed farming tools to the agricultural workers of the community and toward providing furnishings and materials for the shcool there.
Please see http://www.inturkuoda.com/Clients/Lynne_Tom_experience.html for a description and photo essay of this project.
To see how we are offering ongoing support to the community, please click on the following links:
Learn more about Andean Community School Project
Learn more about Andean Community Project
We encourage our clients to include a visit to the community in their programs. The visit can be from one afternoon up to four days (homestay with a family in the village) Clients can donate directly to our ongoing projects in this region as well. Kuoda covers costs of transportation and other logistics, allowing one hundred per cent of your donation to go directly toward purchasing supplies for the farmers and children of the community. Please let us know of your interest and we would be delighted to design a philanthropic portion into your program, during which you will participate in a true community exchange. One client came away from her trip to the community with the following thought;¨After this experience, my children seemed to understand much more about community and sharing than before. My husband and I ended up wondering just who was helping who.¨ |
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