Operation Groundswell is a non-profit organization that offers alternative travel opportunities for youth. We aim to build a community of "backpacktivists" that are socially, environmentally and politically aware of their impact in the communities they travel to and live in.
Why choose Operation Groundswell? Our organization was founded on the principle that we were going to be different. Unlike most travel volunteer organizations, ethical travel is at the crux of our organization's philosophy. Here's what sets us apart…
Non-Profit: Unlike most companies where generating profit is the ultimate goal, Operation Groundswell is a non-profit organization. We use business principles to maintain a sustainable enterprise but all our revenue is re-invested back into our organization and our projects. By law, we have to think about our volunteers' best interests, not our bank account.
Meaningful and Genuine Experiences for Volunteers: We do not provide guided tours or vacations. Our trips are intentionally designed to uncover the intricacies and on-the-ground realities of each region we go to. Our volunteers eat local food, use local transport, and survive each day as a temporary local. Read what our past participants have to say about their experience with us here.
Serving Our Partner Communities: We do not go into a community with the expectation of being saviors and solving all problems. For six-weeks we are members of the community and as members, we have a duty to serve and contribute.
Unlike many large Western organizations that create strategic development plans and enforce them throughout the developing world, Operation Groundswell seeks partnerships with local NGOs and charities and works with them on community-requested projects.
We are not a development organization but rather a network of curious, hardworking, and socially conscious youth that want to contribute to the beautiful communities that host us with open arms.
Environmentally Conscious: Round-trip flights and in-country transportation leaves a large carbon footprint. We realize that climate change is a very real threat and is already having drastic effects on communities we work with. For this reason,we decided to carbon offset flights for all of our programs. We are partners with PlanetAir, a Canadian organization that offers Gold Standard offsets, adhering to the most widely accepted quality seal for voluntary offsets currently available.
Financially Accessible: We strive to be as financially accessible as possible. We believe that travel should not be a privilege of the wealthy. That is why we keep our program fee as low as possible and that is why we provide bursaries for those who might not be able to afford international travel otherwise.
Explore at www.operationgroundswell.com
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