2024 Sponsored Projects
Travel Elevates is pleased to announce seven grant recipients for 2024. You will find details of the sponsored projects below and additional information about these charities on their websites.
Wild Impact
Vegetable Farming Project | Botswana, Africa
Wild Impact (formally Africa Foundation) has a mission to facilitate the empowerment and development of people living in or adjacent to protected areas of Africa. Wild Impact has a substantive food garden project in the rural communities next to the Kruger National Park and iSimangaliso World Heritage area. With employment options minimal in the area, the 10 farmers (7 women & 3 men) are determined to grow bountiful crops to sustain a living for their families, which consist of 127 members between them. The food harvest will also benefit 200 homes and 2000 residents in the area.
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The project, supported by Travel Elevates will establish vegetable seedling propagation share houses, installation of a solar powered motion sensor security light system, solar powered electric stand fencing, additional Hippo Water Rollers for transport of water, and access to an ecotourism market to sell fresh vegetables.
Centro Comunitario Educativo Entreamigos
Technology and Innovation Center | San Francisco, Mexico
Centro Comunitario Educativo Entreamigos (Entreamigos) is in the community known locally as San Pancho. The Entreamigos mission is to create educational opportunities for local children and their families. Recently a 15,000 square foot sustainable library and education building was constructed. Now they have a need for a first-ever technology and innovation center.
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Travel Elevates is supporting this project, with the build-out and equipment for a new Technology and Innovation Center. Entreamigos wants to address the digital divide experienced by school-aged children and their families in the community. The center will include a paid staff person to oversee and manage the computers. This will become a resource hub for children, public school teachers, and community members. It will be a place to learn technology skills, gain digital literacy and help with career development. Overall, this new center will help bridge the equity gap for both a successful educational and economic future for many who come to the library in San Pancho.
Conservation Lower Zambezi (CLZ)
Environmental Education for Lower Zambezi Valley | Zambia, Africa
Conservation Lower Zambezi (CLZ) is a non-profit organization committed to the protection of wildlife and the sustainable use of natural resources in the Lower Zambezi, Zambia. CLZ works with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife to support their mandates to protect the Lower Zambezi ecosystem.
The livelihoods of the community members in this valley area along with the wildlife that live and pass through is truly inextricably linked. The region is prone to food insecurity and economic setbacks that can have a ripple effect to over 30,000 residents.
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Travel Elevates is showing support by providing printed curriculum to over 65 schools with a reach of 3,500 students this year. This will include educator training workshops, teacher guides & lessons, activity books, health materials, and outreach visits to educate on conservation and health lessons.
Education Africa
Early Education Communities | Johannesburg, South Africa
Education Africa helps South African children in need obtain a quality education, including early learning opportunities. The mission is to break the poverty cycle through education and proper training of teachers and staff.
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Travel Elevates is supporting the Early Childhood Development (ECD) project. Through proper accreditation, 200 under-qualified preschool teachers will be supported through our grant funding for the 2024 year. With proper certification these women are projected to improve their own socioeconomic status for themselves and their families, but also have an impact on 450,000 future children during a 30-year career span as an educator of early childhood development.
To continue to provide professional development for novice educators, the ECD has created a teacher mentorship program where new educators coming into the profession will be trained properly by an established training staff and curriculum to help serve and educate future students for the next three decades.
Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy
Kok Chan Primary School Expansion | Siem Reap, Cambodia
Many areas in Southeast Asia, like the village of Kouk (Kok Ta Chan) Chan, Cambodia and surrounding areas, are in need of school facilities to meet the size of the population. The Kok Chan Primary School currently serves 328 children and has six classrooms. But there are more children who want to attend.
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With the help of Travel Elevates, a new school building will be constructed in early 2024. This will help double the school’s classroom space and add another 88 students to the enrollment. In the past the school had to have students’ study in shifts due to space. Now, the extra class space will allow for a consistent schedule, which will provide for a more stable educational environment.
The project will benefit the school’s 416 students and 14 teachers. It will also indirectly benefit family members and the surrounding community. The school facility also serves. as a center for meetings and community events.
Uthando (Love) South Africa
“Goal 50” Early Childhood Development Center | Cape Town, South Africa
Uthando Social Development Project in Cape Town, South Africa, also known as Uthando (Love) South Africa is a unique model for traveling philanthropy and responsible tourism. Uplifting marginalized communities, it provides support for a broad range of projects including early childhood development.
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Travel Elevates has funded the project, “Goal 50” Early Childhood Development Center. The new education building will be made from 6,000 “eco-bricks” (plastic bottles filled with rubbish), 3,500 old tires,12,000 decompressed film set waste blocks and more recycled materials to be environmentally friendly. This saves on construction costs and future sustainability.
The early childhood development programs, based on Montessori principles, will help build little one’s foundations with art exploration, story time sessions, nature play, plus phonics, reading and more.
Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy
Wildflower Home Mushroom House Expansion | Chiang Mai, Thailand
Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy (AKP) is dedicated to improving lives in communities like the remote valleys of Chiang Mai, Thailand where the first Wildflower House was established. Wildflower House was created as a temporary shelter and safe place for abused women and single mothers and their children coming from severe crisis. Wildflower homes provide mental health services, life and parenting skills classes, and vocational training.
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In 2024, with the help of a Travel Elevates grant, a third Wildflower House was built. These homes are self-sustaining on the land. They incorporate a community vegetable garden, farm raised eggs and a growing mushroom business. The mushrooms are harvested and sold at market to help each woman build savings that will lead to future independence. With two new mushroom houses built, this goes beyond helping more women and children, but secures a business enterprise to bring more revenue for Wildflower Homes and its families.
This project is one of the best examples of how Travel Elevates can make an impact on all levels – empowerment, education, elevation. Women leave with a new outlook, new skills that include critical thinking and financial planning. A future project plan will include helping a recent graduate with the resources to establish her own mushroom house in a village close by.