Long live Bali’s cultural traditions, which endure with the help of forward-thinking hotels like The Ritz-Carlton, Bali and Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve. Learn more about how these and similar resorts are helping preserve the island’s heritage amid a rising wave of tourism in “Staying Power,” a story I wrote for the August 2018 issue of Virtuoso Traveler. Looking for a quicker read? Check out my Bali photo essay on the Virtuoso Life blog.
Philanthropic travel has the power to keep on giving – both for the “giver” and the “receiver” in the equation. I was recently reminded of this lesson while researching young travelers who effected positive change in the communities they visited, and who, in turn, changed and grew themselves as a result of their experiences. Read more about their efforts, and find a sampling of worthy voluntourism opportunities for travelers of any age, in my article, “Lasting Change,” written for the June 2015 issue of Virtuoso Traveler.
UPDATE | June 13, 2013: Thanks to Huru’s 5th Anniversary International Children’s Day Challenge, 350 school girls in Kenya received Huru Kits — much needed gifts that will help them stay in school. Donations to the organization can be made at any time of the year via Huru’s How to Help page.
Freedom (“huru” in Swahili) is a difficult word to define, but to girls living in the Mukuru slum near Nairobi, Kenya, it translates in part to the ability to stay in school. Imagine, though, needing to miss classes every month simply due to a lack of feminine hygiene supplies.
To help solve this problem – and ultimately empower tens of thousands of school age girls – Micato Safaris helped form Huru International. This week, to celebrate Huru’s 5th anniversary and also honor International Children’s Day, Micato is matching the first 1,000 Huru Kit donations made between June 1 and June 7. Kits cost only $25 and include eight reusable sanitary pads and educational materials with HIV/AIDS prevention information.
Since 2008, Huru International has impacted over 300,000 lives:
• 80,000+ girls have received Huru Kits
• 200,000+ family members have received HIV prevention information
• 20,000+ boys have attended HIV prevention education sessions
I had the privilege to travel with Micato Safaris in November 2010. Though photographing the “big five” and touring Masai villages was riveting, the most indelible moment of my trip remains a visit to Micato’s Harambee Centre. Headquarters to Huru, the multi-purpose facility also provides education, clean water, and medical services to residents of Mukuru. What’s more, for every safari that it sells, Micato pays all school fees for a child in need.
To learn more about Huru and to donate a Huru Kit to a girl in Africa, visit Huru International’s help page.