While planning our trip to Rwanda a few years ago, we came across an article about a special school run by a Canadian woman. The school was located near one of the villages we planned to visit so we emailed asking if they accepted donations and if yes, which items were most needed. We brought small but hard to find items, mostly medical, from home and simply purchased everything else there to support the local economy. The entire experience was an eye-opener…kids were actually excited to receive pens and notebooks!
We were fortunate to randomly read about the school but two non-profits aim to make it easier for well-meaning travelers and local communities to connect:
Pack for a Purpose
Use available space in your luggage to bring needed supplies. Although they recommend bringing 5lbs of supplies any amount is welcome. Pack for a Purpose even shows you how to pack your items efficiently.
- Find an accommodation or tour company and a project it supports.
- Choose the supplies you wish to bring from the specific items requested.
- Drop off the supplies at the accommodation or tour company.
- The supplies will then be delivered to the community-based project.
- Please note you do not need to be a guest at the listed accomodations for them to accept your donation.
GlobeDrop https://en.globedrop.org/
GlobeDrop is a free web and mobile application that connects travelers to verified social organizations. Immersion is encouraged, as donors usually purchase locally and hand-deliver supplies.
- Donors set a delivery date, select what and how much goods they want to directly deliver to the charity establishment.
- Once the delivery request has been approved, the donor receives an address and map to the location.
- GlobeDroppers are encouraged to buy locally.
- Donor personally transports supplies.
Please consider either Pack for a Purpose or GlobeDrop before your next trip. A large number of destinations are covered and with little effort you can help out the local community.
I have read that in many cases, it is better to donate cash, as the organizations can then purchase supplies in bulk at a great discount, and by doing it in the local economy, it helps local businesses sustain themselves.
You bring up a good point- I’m sure cash is always appreciated, especially when used in situations like the one you mentioned. The only problem is that sometimes it can be mismanaged by well-meaning (or not) individuals.
We are honored and thankful that you mentioned us! We do our best to support responsible travel by connecting travelers to NGOs by in-kind donation. We try to hit as many birds as we can with one stone.
By traveling with GlobeDrop:
travelers are able to sight see as a local + adventure if the NGO they chose is on an isolated place.
NGOs can have online visibility + have a wish list for their needs
Boosted economy for the local community because travelers bought their items locally
Feel free to check us out in our website, and hopefully sign up. Travel Meaningfully! http://www.globedrop.org
On behalf of Pack for a Purpose, I want to thank you for a wonderful shout-out! Our mission is to positively impact communities around the world by assisting travelers who want to bring meaningful contributions to the destinations they visit. We currently have 65 countries with over 470 participants on our website where travelers can easily make a Big Impact. In 5 years, Pack for a Purpose travelers have brought over 30 tons of needed supplies to projects across the globe. We hope your followers will choose to become Pack for a Purpose travelers. They can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest and watch us grow. We believe when you Pack for a Purpose, the trip you take goes much farther than the miles you travel.
With appreciation,
Rebecca Rothney, Founder and Chairperson of Pack for a Purpose
This is such a great idea, giving back while traveling is something I fully support! I was always curious how to get over the hurdle of finding non-profits and schools to help abroad, thank you for sharing these resources!