Here in Cusco Peru, volunteer-tourism is a large contributor to the overall tourism economy. We were luck to meet an American college student who was concerned about all the different aspects of this form of tourism and is writing her senior thesis on the subject.

Early last year, we had the great honor to connect with Sal Lavallo, a young global citizen for our podcast Episode #20 Passport to Global Citizenship. So, we decided to check back in with him a year later to see how life was treating him. We weren’t  surprised to learn he had launched a new project, in  support of preserving  cultural identities while promoting community sustainability. We decided to ask him a few questions about his project Trail of Seeds here.
Trail of Seeds
A Sustainable Project in Venezuela & Tanzania
Could you tell me about the inspiration behind the …

There is no denying, traveling as a family is a bonding experience. Slow travel is another way to experience the world, allowing each family member to immerse themselves into a new culture. But volunteering as a family together adds a whole other dimension to that experience, with countless rewards and growth opportunities.

On our travels, Miro and I have volunteered with numerous organizations and the experiences have enriched our travels ten-fold. Some of the volunteer experiences we’ve had together include: volunteering at an animal shelter in Belize, a dog and cat hospital in Nicaragua, contributed to a sustainable community in Guatemala and volunteered at a organization for family nutrition, a performance arts school for street children in Nicaragua, and at a children’s library in Ecuador.

1 Year For the World – Volunteering Around The Globe – Service brings joy: Episode #26 we speak with Alisha Robertson from SmallWorldPursuits.com

A Day of Activities at ‘The Bib’
Miro and I have been volunteering at a wonderful organization called Fundacion Del Mundo, often times refered to as La Biblioteca Interactiva, or just ‘The Bib’. One of the perks of volunteering for 2 months at the same location is the relationship we’ve made with the children the foundation serves  and the other perk is definitely meeting other amazing  volunteers. Below is story of one of the days at The Bib, told by American volunteer Sheila.
Sports Day
Sports Day, held on May 20, provided the children of La Biblioteca Interactiva with an opportunity to …

What inspires volunteering?
There’s no one inspiration, but at the core of it, it’s just that, inspiration.
We hope you enjoy this amazing guest post by Dalene Heck, a fellow blogger, traveler, free spirit and inspired volunteer. Dalene and I  connected online & discovered we had many of the same driving inspirations. Our community is not only virtual, but it’s  real and at times I am reminded how small the world is as likeminded people (like us) find ourselves on similar paths. We were honored when Dalene asked us to share her …