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:
12 students (both boys and girls) from the Make a Difference Now foundation, along with two local orphanage staff members and two volunteers.
The Excursion:
A daytrip to Mount Kilimanjaro National Park, to enjoy the great hiking, wildlife, and landscapes of the area
The Details:
All in one day, this group of youths got in gear for hiking the dramatic terrain of Mount Kilimanjaro National Park. Highlights of the day included a visit to the Mandara Huts, followed by a challenging hike to the rim of Maundi Crater. This hike is known to be quite intense as the Mandara checkpoint is about 2,700 meters above sea level. The majority of the hike is in the Kilimanjaro’s tropical rain forest – a section of the mountain that is absolutely gorgeous. Hikers tend to cross paths with baboons or mongoose. With tired legs after such a big hike, the group returned tired, satisfied, and curious about what the next hiking adventure would be.
Firsts
- Taking a challenging hike, just for the joy of being outside in nature
- Seeing the Afro-alpine wildlife as they ascended to Maundi Crater
- Trying the outdoor activities that are so popular among foreign visitors to Tanzania
Partner Organization:
Make a Difference Now (MAD) is on a mission to support quality educational opportunities for vulnerable children and youth in developing countries, primarily in Tanzania and India. As a local charity, the goal is to raise funds to send the children to high quality schools. Since its inception in 2008, MAD has developed a unique model of care. Upending the status quo of accepting a large number of children but only providing the basic necessities, MAD seeks to concentrate resources on a smaller number of children with quality care.
Read more Buy a Trip, Give a Trip stories.
