Children deserve to experience the magic of their own regions, yet too often, these opportunities are not accessible to youth in developing countries. Elevate Destinations is working to change this through its award-winning, responsible travel program.
Through our innovative Buy a Trip, Give a Trip model, your trip purchase creates new travel opportunities for local kids. For the first time, they experience nearby natural and cultural wonders. They see the sites, learn about the environment, 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:
Photo credit: Mr. Hira Shrestha
The Travelers:
If children below 16 years old are found working in a carpet factory in Nepal, the Nepal GoodWeave Foundation (NGF) Transit Home, also known as Hamro Ghar, take them in if they can’t be reunited immediately with their families. Here the children can have a homey environment and support from a specialized team while they restart their education and rebuild their lives. The children who live in this transit home had the opportunity to participate in this exciting outing.
The Excursion:
Supported by Elevate Destinations’ Buy a Trip, Give a Trip program and Expedia Cares’ CSR trip, Shusma Pokhrel of the Nepal GoodWeave Foundation was able to organize a ride in the Chandragiri Hills cable car. Visiting the majestic temple on top of the hill and admiring the spectacular views via cable car is something these kids will remember forever. The excursion was held on World Environment Day, with the theme ‘Breathing can’t be stopped, but we can change and purify the quality of air that we breathe.’
The Details:
The cable car opened in 2016 and runs from the town of Thankot to the top of Chandragiri Hill. It’s a significant tourist attraction in Thankot; one the kids had seen from a distance, longingly hoping to experience as well. Once they boarded the cabin, it was buzzing with excitement. Each child wanted to view their surroundings from all angles. As the cabin emerged above the fog line, it gave the illusion they were riding above the clouds.
Once they reached the top, everyone’s breath was taken away by the 180-degree view of the Kathmandu Valley and the Himalayan Mountain Ranges as they stood 2,547 meters (8,356 ft) above sea level. It’s peaceful on the hill, and easy to feel the improvement of air quality.
Most of the children are forced to live with air pollution in the city and have never experienced anything different. This day was an opportunity for the teachers at NGF to explain the importance of fresh air and how air pollution can cause harmful effects on our health, creating disease and other health issues.
Partner Organization:
Nepal GoodWeave Foundation is on a mission to effectively address the child labor issues surrounding the carpet industry in Nepal. As well as their attempts to maintain a child-labor-free environment in this industry, GoodWeave also works to provide these vulnerable children and youth with programs and activities, so they have access to education, rehabilitation, and skills development training.
Since its commencement in 1995, the GoodWeave Foundation has converted over 50% of the carpet industry to adhere to their standards, including the carpet weaving and spinning sectors. GoodWeave Nepal is now expanding to reach the country’s entire carpet industry and will soon replicate this model in other trades facing the same child labor issues.
Photo credit: Mr. Hira Shrestha
Have a read of more Buy A Trip, Give A Trip experiences.
