Everyone deserves the chance to travel. Yet, all too often, seeing the world is a privilege reserved for the global elite. At Elevate Destinations, we bridge the divide. Our goal is to connect local youths to their own environments, as travelers and as stewards.
Through our innovative Buy a Trip, Give a Trip model, your trip purchase creates fun new travel opportunities for local kids. For the first time, they experience nearby natural and cultural wonders. They see the sites, have fun, and make the kind of travel memories that we take for granted. Here’s just one example of Buy a Trip, Give a Trip in action:
The Travelers:
A group of 18 Art & Life Skills students from the Darling Trust in Darling, Cape Town, South Africa who have shown immense passion for South Africa’s former president and world-renowned leader and beacon of peace, Nelson Mandela (“Madiba”).
The Excursion:
Since participating in activities and community workshops to celebrate the life and impact of the late Nelson Mandela, the students of the Darling Trust’s hunger for knowledge and understanding of their historical culture only grew.
In 2017, we were able to assist them in a fantastic cultural awareness initiative to visit one of the most significant historical places in South Africa’s tumultuous Apartheid and revival history: Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned.
During a day trip to Robben Island, 18 youths traveled to Cape Town, where they caught the Robben Island Ferry to the old prison, which is now deemed a historical site. They embarked on a guided tour, learning more about Mandela’s life and life’s work and making such a vital part of South African history tangible.
“Since Mandela’s 90th birthday in 2008 we started to draw portraits of him and integrated the “Madiba-theme” in our schedules. We presented some workshops in the community to reflect on his life and thank him for the tremendous impact he had on our country.
The visit to Robben Island was a very special highlight. The educational value can hardly be overemphasized. One of our senior students said that the visit made everything so real to them. The visit had a significant impact on the children’s understanding and grasping the deeper levels of understanding.
The dream of the Darling Trust’s Art and Life Skills class to visit Robben Island became a reality. We are so thankful for this unforgettable and life-changing opportunity in the lives of our kids”
– Adri van Aswegen-janse van Vuuren, Art & Life Skills Teacher, The Darling Trust
Partner Organization: The Darling Trust
The Darling Trust is charitable organization working to uplift the previously disadvantaged Darling community, located near Cape Town, South Africa. The organization empowers individuals to succeed through skill development, education, and health promotion.
This trip was made possible by the organization and facilitation of our friends and partners at Uthando (love) SA.
