Why Me to We Trips?

This partnership allows participants to see Free The Children’s sustainable Adopt a Village development model in practice, which is driven first and foremost by the local community and local needs. The purpose of each trip is to complement and advance the work of Free The Children through meaningful volunteer opportunities. Free The Children’s on-the-ground operations employ full-time and permanent staff 12 months of the year to ensure that local development projects are completed and to guide trip participants during their time as volunteers.

Furthermore, Me to We trips are driven by the goal of creating systemic change—for the participants and within the communities where they travel. We are different from other volunteer trip providers because we offer trips that aren’t just built for travellers, but built for the benefit of the communities that the trips travel to.

 The Adopt a Village model focuses on five pillars that are crucial to holistic development. Together, they empower entire communities to break the cycle of poverty. These pillars are education, alternative income and livelihood, health care, clean water and sanitation, and agriculture and food security.

Free The Children aims to work with each community on long-term development and create holistic, sustainable solutions. All elements of Free The Children’s Adopt a Village model are designed to be owned and maintained by the community, and self-sustained within five years after project implementation is complete.

This level of self sustainability is achieved by:

• Engaging and collaborating with local community members at the outset of any development project in order to address the issues that community members have identified as important.
• Developing and building the capacity of community members to assume leadership and management of the implemented projects.
• Providing families (especially women) with opportunities to participate in alternative income and micro-credit programs, and equipping them with the skills and tools—such as financial literacy training, business planning workshops and leadership seminars—to be successful entrepreneurs and give back to their community.
• Developing the potential of “merry go rounds” (and other similar traditional lending and savings initiatives) to increase income and livelihood for families.
• Tackling local environmental issues and providing solutions based on indigenous knowledge to ensure programs can be sustained by both community and the land.

To learn more, visit Free The Children’s website.

 Me to We’s policy is to promote solidarity, not charity. By this we mean that Me to We encourages trip participants to work alongside the community members as their equal peers, and not to bring donations or gifts.

Free The Children is the charity and development organization that oversees the fundraising required to ensure financial stability of the development projects. However, on a Me to We trip, participants are not travelling to offer handouts or to change the ways of others. They travel to learn and share with community members in order to gain a valuable experience.

Yes, building is carried on all year round by local contractors and construction workers. The build schedules and logistics are overseen by on-the-ground Free The Children staff to ensure that the projects run smoothly and that donations are being allocated to the communities in the most need. The contribution made by trip participants is just one aspect of the process.

The most important part of the journey is when each participant returns home.

It may sound strange, but volunteering is not the main reason to go abroad. Rather, volunteering is a way to take action upon your return. The volunteering you do on our trips is absolutely amazing, but the real power is when you come back home.

Our presence in the country allows us insight into a community’s success beyond the direct benefit of volunteer work. Participants learn to question the root causes of poverty-related issues with which they come into direct contact, and make action plans that they execute upon their return home to address these root issues.

Our volunteer work is important, but it’s only a small part of the picture. It’s easy to see the challenges facing the communities we work in, but we need to remember that in our globalized world, our lives and choices are connected to those of the people we meet. Our interactions don’t end when we step on the plane to go home.

Rather, that is when we can truly begin making a difference, armed with a new perspective and understanding of our role in the global community.

Participants see a lot of things when they are abroad that they don’t see back home, but they also see a lot of things that are the same. Problems like poverty, hunger, debt and disease are prevalent all over the world, even in rich countries. At the same time, people from every culture have a lot of the same values. Family, education and human rights are important to everyone, no matter where they come from.

Our guiding principle is that trips are not built exclusively for trip participants, but for the benefit of the community to which Me to We travels. With this in mind, we ensure that trips do not take away jobs from local people.

Trip participants are there to assist local construction workers on the building projects. Free The Children employs many locals who work on the projects year round, including when trip participants are on-site. Building does not stop after the trip leaves, and the community is highly invested in the physical labour of each project.

Before the trip, each participant is provided with a comprehensive overview of the community to which they will travel. In addition to a list of books, resources, films, etc. that they may watch to get a better sense of the country, participants receive materials from Me to We—provided to them by Free The Children—that outline specifics about the community they will visit. These materials discuss issues that affect the community, development needs, details about current projects, as well as cultural and traditional practices. In addition, all trip facilitators are trained in cultural sensitivity, and ensure that travellers are well-equipped to handle the cultural differences that they will witness.

Of course, reverse culture shock is also quite common. Participants may find it difficult to re-adjust back home after such a life-changing experience. Me to We trip facilitators and staff provide participants with tangible tools and direction on how to take their experiences and turn them into long-term activism. The preparation for reverse culture shock begins while the participants are still on the trip.

All trip participants undergo extensive training  prior to departure and once they have arrived in their volunteer country, but before reaching the community itself. The pre-departure package includes a comprehensive overview of the community to which they will travel, a list of books, films and resources that participants must familiarize themselves with, in order to get a better sense of the country, as well as a handbook and journal that outline specifics about development, projects currently underway, and cultural and traditional practices. As part of the pre- and post-arrival preparations, all trip participants undergo training that includes cultural sensitivity to ensure they are well-equipped to handle the cultural differences they will encounter on their trip.
In advance of their trip, all trip participants have access to one-on-one mentorship from our Me to We team, who walk participants through every step of the journey—from vaccinations to culture shock and everything in between.

 Me to We volunteer trips are built for travellers and for the benefit of communities. The lessons learned and experiences gained through these travels are immeasurable.

For trip participants, the positive impacts include gaining hands-on experience in sustainable development through community-based learning, benefiting from leadership training, volunteering with community members, receiving cultural education, and much more. The connections with community members and fellow travellers that are made on the trips are a further positive outcome whereby travellers develop lasting relationship with others.

For the communities that we visit, there are countless positive impacts. Local community members benefit from the feeling of solidarity they experience with their peers from overseas, who have travelled far to help their communities. Through this, community members are empowered with a sense of pride for their land. Another clear outcome is how community members benefit from the contributions that travellers make to development projects. In 2011 alone, trip participants contributed 220,528 volunteer hours to development projects in Free The Children communities.

 Me to We understands the environmental implications that international travel has on our planet and, in turn, we are committed to reducing our ecological footprint as much as possible. Me to We offsets the carbon foot print of each trip through organic produce grown in gardens at our centers that is used in preparing meals for participants, as well as through our tree nursery, which supports reforestation projects. In 2012 alone, Me to We planted 195,000 trees.

But we don’t stop there. At our office in Toronto, we guarantee that all our literature is printed on recycled paper, and we use public transportation or hybrid vehicles to travel locally.

Me to We ensures that the development projects are needed by working exclusively on Free The Children’s Adopt a Village model—projects that are driven by the local community and local needs. In other words, development projects are identified by community members themselves.

From there, the collaboration and sustained involvement of community members in the development projects help to ensure that the entire community values the projects. Because they have been engaged every step of the way, local community members are proud, equal partners in these holistic initiatives. As such, entire communities embrace the projects, resulting in the upkeep and long-term ownership of all projects.

Over more than a decade of operating volunteer trips abroad, we have learned that trip participants’ interactions with local communities, their contributions to development projects, and their immersion in unique cultures and traditions will have a lifelong impact on both travellers and community members. Two to three weeks may seem minimal, but the knowledge and insights gained will last a lifetime.

During the trip, participants engage in leadership training, skill-building workshops and action planning to equip them with the tools and knowledge they need to give back to their own communities once they return home. What’s more, the true impact of the trip takes place once the participant returns from the trip. It may sound strange, but volunteering is not the main reason to go abroad. Rather, volunteering is a way to take action upon your return. The volunteering we do on our trips is amazing, but the real potential to take action is when we come back home.

Once participants are back at home, Me to We offers resources, opportunities and connections with a network of like-minded travellers to ensure sustained engagement. Together, they encourage one another to give back and stay engaged.

Each Me to We trip is led and facilitated by trained and experienced staff who help the group understand the history and politics of the region, guide them through cultural understanding and, of course, help with translation. Additionally, all of our group will have language lessons while they are in-country. These lessons are a useful tool for beginners to learn simple phrases and pleasantries so that they are able to interact with community members.

Me to We facilitators travel with participants at all times. When travelling within the community, participants are also accompanied by local guide(s).

 Me to We has been facilitating international volunteer experiences for more than 10 years. We have well developed infrastructure within all the countries and communities to which we travel. As well, we have positive relationships with the local governments and the communities where the development work is carried out. The local medical centers are all well informed of the nature of our trips in case of any emergency.

The ground price is all inclusive, meaning it includes all accommodation, travel within the country, three meals a day plus snacks, purified drinking water, Me to We facilitators, security guards, all in-country materials (e.g. language books) and in-country excursions (e.g. safari). Except for spending money and proper documentation (i.e. visa, exit fee) participants will not need to purchase anything else.

The price that we offer is a competitive rate to similar experiences in similar regions for similar durations. The price is all inclusive, meaning that there will be no hidden fees once you are in-country. This provides peace of mind once our participants are on the ground.

A Me to We trip offers people unique opportunities to give back to themselves and to communities. The lessons that will be learned and experiences that will be gained are immeasurable. Some of the experiences that travellers gain from trips include:

• Direct involvement in development work: Volunteering with Free The Children projects allows participants to engage in international development in a hands-on way.
• Leadership training: Our unique training gives participants the tools to create change at home, enabling travellers to use the experience gained from the trip as a catalyst for social action.
• Community interaction and cultural education: We have strong ties and a history with all the communities in which we are involved. Me to We trips gives young people the chance to explore the diversity and contrasts that exist in the world by exposing them to both the joys and challenges faced by our host countries. They will not only visit historic landmarks and cultural sites, but also get unprecedented access to communities in need.
• Hands-on volunteering and the opportunity to give back in a meaningful way: Our trip opportunities give young people a new perspective on the world and their place in it. We’re able to provide certification of participants’ volunteer work for resumes, post-secondary applications, graduation requirements, course credits, etc.
• Social issues education: Guest speakers, facilitators and in-country staff share their knowledge of the country and the issues it faces through lectures, reflections, informal discussions and cultural experiences.
• Renewed sense of community: Helping to redefine the sense of empathy, compassion and a full understanding of the power of communalism.
• Action planning: All participants set goals and build personalized action plans for making a difference when they return home from their trip.

Safety and security is the number one priority for Me to We, and we go to great lengths to ensure safety measures are integrated into every aspect of our trips. Me to We has been in operation since 1999, sending over 4,000 young people overseas to Kenya, India, China, Arizona and Ecuador without incident. This year we are excited to offer Ghana and Nicaragua.

Safety measures include the following:

• In preparation for a Me to We trip, all participants are registered with their respective embassy to ensure accountability in case of an emergency.
• Travel advisories are monitored by international and country offices at all times to ensure Me to We trip participants have a safe experience.
• Copies of all passports, medical and travel insurance, emergency contact information, and dietary and medical requirements are collected well in advance of the trip by our international office.
• Communication is consistently open 24 hours a day between in-country teams and our international office.
• 24-hour security personnel are present on all Me to We trips.
• Me to We trip facilitators go through rigorous training before leaving North America. Each facilitator must participate in training twice a year, which is led by advanced leadership trainers and the Executive Director of Me to We trips. During this time facilitators spend hours receiving standard first aid and CPR training, learn how to identify and work with youth experiencing emotional or behavioural challenges and commit hours to learning about workplace safety and proper building techniques. This training ensures that trip participants have a safe and life-changing experience.
• Each facilitator carries a comprehensive first aid kit at all times while on trip.

All Me to We facilitators have participated in Me to We’s extensive facilitator training program. Facilitators are first aid qualified, trained in emergency evacuation protocols, standard operating procedures and crisis prevention/management.

All Me to We staff and facilitators have completed a police check prior to their employment with Me to We.

One of the most powerful experiences we can have in recognizing our position as potential change-makers is to visit and volunteer in a developing country. Abroad, one can gain perspective and recognize culture beyond popular music and sports, beyond universal schooling, television advertising, and ideals of equal opportunity, and beyond a background of achievers and consumers. We know that only five percent of the world’s population enjoys a modern lifestyle with all its advantages and trappings, but most of the time we limit our thinking to believe that this is universal.

That’s part of the reason why Me to We offers volunteer trips abroad. We believe that participants benefit from engaging with community members in developing countries and by working alongside them to contribute to improved living conditions and human rights. We know that local community members also benefit from these experiences.

A Me to We trip offers people unique opportunities to give back to themselves and to communities. It provides many opportunities for meaningful participation, including the following experiences:

• Direct involvement in development work: Volunteering with Free The Children projects allows participants to engage in international development in a hands-on way.
• Leadership training: Our unique training gives participants the tools to create change at home, enabling travellers to use the experience gained from the trip as a catalyst for social action.
• Community interaction and cultural education: We have strong ties and a history with all the communities in which we are involved. Me to We trips gives young people the chance to explore the diversity and contrasts that exist in the world by exposing them to both the joys and the challenges faced by our host countries. They will not only visit historic landmarks and cultural sites, but will also get unprecedented access to communities in need.
• Hands-on volunteering and the opportunity to give back in a meaningful way: Our trip opportunities give young people a new perspective on the world and their place in it. We’re able to provide certification of participants’ volunteer work for resumes, post-secondary applications, graduation requirements, course credits, etc.
• Social issues education: Guest speakers, facilitators and in-country staff share their knowledge of the country and the issues it faces through lectures, reflections, informal discussions and cultural experiences.
• Renewed sense of community: Helping to redefine the sense of empathy, compassion and a full understanding of the power of communalism.
• Action planning: All participants set goals and build personalized action plans for making a difference when they return home from their trip.

In short, Me to We volunteer trips offer participants a platform to engage with social issues, community members, family and friends and the world.

The most important part of the journey is when trip participants return back home. We know the value of the contribution travellers make once they return from a trip, which is why Me to We offers comprehensive reintegration and engagement resources and support.

While still in-country, travellers are provided with extensive training and action planning workshops that equip them with the tools and knowledge they need in order to take action once back at home. They are also fully briefed on reverse culture shock, a common experience for many travellers, and are provided with the support and counsel they might need to navigate through what can be a challenging time.

After the trip, all travellers are in close contact with someone from the organization. For young people, that support is through a youth programming coordinator, who ensures that the trip participant has access to a community of like-minded individuals upon return from the trip. This network of like-minded travellers and young people debrief their experiences and continue to engage with one another through their lifelong active global citizenship. This network is integral in ensuring the long-term, sustained involvement of travellers.

In addition to becoming part of a network, Me to We and Free The Children each offer tangible ways for trip participants to take action. Community updates, newsletters, leadership camps, youth programs, fundraising campaigns, conferences, and We Days all ensure that the Me to We trip is the first step in each traveller’s own larger, sustained journey towards changing the world for the better.

Travelling with the entire family is an amazing experience, but sometimes getting everyone’s schedules to match can be difficult. For youth who are unable to travel with their parents, we offer Open Youth Trips during the summer, giving youth a chance to volunteer abroad on their own. These are pre-scheduled dates, which can be found on the Me to We website, for which youth can sign up on their own. These trips are about 14–20 days long and are available to everyone.

Please do not bring candy or toys to give away as presents for any Me to We Volunteer Adventure. Me to We and Free The Children work together in solidarity with our partner communities, and we request that our Volunteer Adventure participants also foster a relationship of respect with community members. We work to be as equitable as we can with our partner communities and strive not to create conflict or the feeling of want. That is why we believe in giving a helping hand, not a hand-out.

*Please note: A portion of your trip cost goes towards Free The Children programs in in-country communities. This donation helps to support the basic needs of the communities you are visiting.

To learn more and book your trip, please contact Maran Stern by e-mail at maran@metowe.com or by phone at 416-964-8942 Ext. 540. Maran has extensive experience facilitating trips and is happy to personalize your itinerary, confirm dates and walk you through all the details in order for you to make an informed decision.

Unlike any other volunteer offering, a Me to We Volunteer Adventure directly connects participants to traditional cultures and communities through our partnership with Free The Children. We have a 10-year history working alongside Free The Children and half our annual profits support the organization. A charity and educational partner, Free The Children has established deep ties with the local governments and communities where Me to We visits. Because of these partnerships, Me to We is able to give trip participants the unique opportunity to truly interact and engage with the communities they visit— communities that are welcoming and treat all guests like family.

Free The Children is Me to We’s charity partner in changing the world. Founded in 1995 by international child rights activist Craig Kielburger, Free The Children believes in a world where all young people are free to achieve their fullest potential as agents of change. The organization’s domestic programs educate, engage and empower hundreds of thousands of youth in North America, the UK and around the world. Their international projects have brought over 650 schools and school rooms to youth and provided clean water and sanitation and health care to one million people around the world.

Participants of a Me to We Volunteer Adventure help build Free The Children schools and have the opportunity to see the organization’s sustainable development model, Adopt a Village, in practice. Every Me to We Volunteer Adventure complements and advances Free The Children’s development work. What’s more, Me to We Volunteer Adventures are driven by the goal of creating systemic change—both for the participants and the communities they visit.

Me to We Volunteer Adventures offer safe, intimate, transformative volunteer travel opportunities for families and groups. Each trip encompasses:

• Volunteering and School-Building: Participants are engaged in school-building, digging the foundation for a new school or the walls of a classroom, tree planting, fetching water and helping the community.
• Community Education: Participants can explore the country they are visiting and gain an understanding of the issues its residents face through on-the-job learning with the community during the day, and through discussions in the evenings led by guest speakers, knowledgeable facilitators and in-country staff.
• Cultural Immersion: While volunteering, whether building a school or digging a well, participants work alongside local families as they too build a legacy of their own. Together, participants and locals will ensure that the community flourishes and nurtures its healthy, vibrant children and their families for generations. Amidst all this, participants will truly get to know the local culture first-hand, as they experience the nuances of daily life within the community.
• Adventure: Participants experience the adventure of a lifetime! Through all the exciting activities planned, participants will have the opportunity to try new things, interact with new people, and get to know a unique culture first-hand. Go on a wildlife safari in Kenya, and visit India’s largest fort at Kumbhalgarh!
• Customization: Whether the trip involves a family, a corporate group, a university and alumni group or a Free The Children donor and supporter, Me to We Volunteer Adventures works with travellers to ensure the experience speaks to their needs and interests.

Upon returning home, participants have the opportunity to continue making an impact that goes beyond one week of school-building by becoming part of the Free The Children and Me to We families over the long term.

Participants can also keep in touch through our newsletter and alumni events. Even after the adventure, participants remain an important part of Me to We’s legacy and the legacy of the communities they visited. Through Free The Children programs and Me to We initiatives, participants can stay in contact with the community they have worked with and maintain their relationships.

Joining a network of Volunteer Adventure alumni and guests allows participants to share their story and connect with others who also want to continue making a lasting difference in the lives of the families they have met.

Me to We Volunteer Adventures leave a powerful impact on participants, but most importantly, they motivate individuals to change the world for the better.

Me to We Volunteer Adventures for adults, corporate groups and families take place in Kenya and, launching in the summer of 2013, in India and in the Amazon in Ecuador.

Free The Children has worked in Kenya for more than a decade, giving Me to We Volunteer Adventure participants the opportunity to witness the Adopt a Village development model first-hand and its impact in various stages. Participants work closely with local community members to bring new opportunities to the area that aim to ensure healthy, educated and vibrant children and families.

While in Kenya, participants stay at the Bogani Cottages and Tented Camp, not just as guests, but as family. A property designed with authentic detail and care, Me to We’s Bogani Cottages and Tented Camp come equipped with modern household amenities and relaxing spaces for participants to recharge and refresh. Like all of our properties, which are sustainable and authentic, inspired by local culture and made from local materials, the Bogani Cottages are personalized for guests’ needs, and can accommodate groups, large and small. Designed by local architects to exacting sustainability and design standards provided by Me to We Co-CEO Roxanne Joyal, our accommodations are sure to enhance the overall experience of this incredible adventure.

The Me to We team is happy to recommend a number of activities in Kenya to complement participants’ Volunteer Adventure.

Free The Children has been working in India since 1998, and has since then implemented all the pillars of Adopt a Village. In India, Me to We Volunteer Adventure participants work closely with the local community in strengthening social infrastructure so that children, especially girls, have the opportunity to access education.

While in India, participants will stay at Araveli, Me to We’s Rajasthani-style cottages and tented camp. A 90-minute drive from Udaipur, better known as the Venice of the East, Araveli Cottages and Tented Camp is located in the picturesque state of Rajasthan. Participants can recharge in these bespoke cottages finished by skilled local artisans, featuring modern conveniences and breathtaking mountain views. Connect as a group in our generous gardens and shared spaces, and enjoy fresh meals after the day’s volunteer adventures.

The Me to We team is happy to recommend a number of activities in India to complement participants’ Volunteer Adventure.

Safety and security is our number one priority. Me to We takes serious measures and precautions to ensure that all trip participants are provided with as much safety and security as possible:

• All facilitators are familiar with the country.
• All participants are registered with their respective embassy before departure to ensure accountability in case of emergency.
• Travel advisories are monitored by international and country offices.
• Copies of all passports, medical and travel insurance, emergency contact information, and dietary and medical requirements are collected well in advance of the trip.
• A Satellite phone is available at all times, allowing for open communication, 24 hours a day, between in-country team and the Toronto office.
• All facilitators have up-to-date first aid training and have participated in our extensive training program, which includes emergency evacuation protocols, standard operating procedures and crisis prevention/management training.
• Each facilitator carries a comprehensive first aid kit at all times.
• On-call doctors are available to oversee all medical attention.
• Local hospitals that are on par with Western medical standards are aware of our trips and prepared to handle any minor or major medical situations.
• All transportation is manned by Me to We staff.
• All travel occurs during the day, as a group and under the guidance of facilitators.
• 24-hour security personnel are present.

The uniqueness of Me to We Volunteer Adventures is that they are a holistic, well-rounded experience that goes well beyond the building of school walls. At Me to We, we focus on ensuring that travellers not only have a chance to volunteer abroad but also understand the context of what they’re helping to create—the culture and history of the community they’re visiting. Travellers are given a chance to connect with the people, as well as explore the beauty of the land.

Volunteer Adventure participants are there to assist local construction workers on the building projects. Free The Children employs many locals who work on the projects year-round, including while participants are on-site. Building does not stop after participants leave, and the community is highly invested in the physical labour of each project.

Me to We welcomes guests of all ages and fitness levels. All participants are encouraged to work at their own pace and take breaks whenever necessary. If you have any physical conditions that will hinder your participation in any of the activities, please let our staff know and we will be happy to accommodate all your needs.

Me to We suggests that the minimum age of participants be four years old. But, we leave it up to parents to determine whether the trip will be appropriate for their children. In addition, our facilities are well equipped to handle kids and our facilitators have extensive experience working with children.

Corporate, adult and family adventures to Kenya run year-round and will run all year to India beginning in summer 2013.

Yes. Voluntourism is travel which includes volunteering for a charitable cause. While participating on a Me to We Volunteer Adventure, participants work on Free The Children projects.