CHOICE Humanitarian: Voluntourism in Kenya
November 14, 2012 | By Josh Cameron
This past September I had the opportunity to return to Kenya with CHOICE Humanitarian and help build a schoolhouse and desks. This trip was more unique than any other that I had been on, as it was the first time I had led the expedition. And more importantly, this was the first corporate expedition that I have ever been a part of; I had six coworkers with me.
Andavo Travel and its employees participate in CHOICE Humanitarian’s Corporate Partnership Program (CPP). This program is a way for us as employees to do our part in the global initiative to end poverty. The ability for us as employees to contribute through an automatic payroll deduction, which Andavo matches 2 to 1, allows each of us to make a larger impact than we could on our own. As part of this program, Andavo has also elected to fully fund 4-6 employees a year to go into the field together to understand firsthand the poverty ourselves, as well as that of our new friends we meet.
CHOICE is unique to many non-profits in a few ways:
- Everything they do revolves around sustainability for when CHOICE leaves.
- They don’t approach people and tell them what they “need”. Villages in the regions CHOICE works in approach CHOICE for help.
- CHOICE stands for Center For Humanitarian Outreach and Inter-Cultural Exchange. As I’ve found, its as much about what I learn from them, as them from me.
I have been fortunate to go on many humanitarian expeditions since my first to Bolivia in 2003. Still, I have yet to find something that has had a more profound impact on my life than that first week in the Alto Plano. Since that time I have been to Bolivia again, Mexico, Kenya twice, Nepal twice, and Guatemala – all with this amazing CHOICE group. And with certainty, I think I have it all figured out before I embark. Until of course, I learn something new.
Andavo Travel would love to help you plan your next alternative vacation into some of the lesser traveled areas of the world. I’ve traveled to over 60 countries so far and I’ve yet to have any experiences that even closely resemble those I’ve had with CHOICE Humanitarian.