Kickstart

(www.kickstart.org)

Kenya, July 2007

KickStart is a leading non-profit organization that develops and markets new technologies in Africa. These low-cost technologies are bought by local entrepreneurs and used to establish highly profitable new small businesses. They create new jobs and wealth, enabling the poor to climb out of their poverty forever.

Kickstart donors visited projects in Kenya as well as enjoy several days of spectacular safari.

KickStart is planning another donor trip to Kenya in July 2009.

Travelers' Reports:

"I am humbled by their hope, touched by their smiles, inspired by their spirit, welcomed by their hospitality, centered by their connection to the earth, inspired by their dignity, awakened by their determination."

-- Lee Jampolsky

“This was no mere tourist experience. It was a life-changing opportunity that touched my husband, myself and our teenaged children way beyond the beautiful vistas and fabulous wildlife; it touched our hearts. We left Africa wiser, humbler, and more enriched."

-- Terry Gamble-Boyer

“KickStart welcomes many visitors to Kenya but we had never sponsored our own donor safari. Could we do it? Would we lose money? Who will organize it? All of these questions kept us from trying. But Dominique and Elevate Destinations made it seem effortless. She listened to our desire for an experience that would help our donors truly connect to the spirit of Africa and gave us an itinerary that combined urban exploration, an up close look at our work with rural farmers, local culture and of course the amazing wildlife. And we did this far from the over-worn tourist path. Even the couple who had been to Africa 20 times got to see something new. This was huge success and has already resulted in increased giving from our donors. I can’t wait to start planning the next one!”

-- Ken Weimar, Director of Development, KickStart International

The Foundation for Tomorrow

(www.thefoundationfortomorrow.org)

Tanzania, July 2010

The Foundation for Tomorrow (TFFT) strives to empower the future of developing nations by educating their youth. They support orphans who would not be able to receive a primary, secondary or tertiary education. TFFT seeks to create environments in which peace, health, and human welfare prosper as a result of a well educated population.

The Foundation for Tomorrow provides scholarships to African orphans, since they believe that when well educated, these children can lift their countries out of poverty and into a world of opportunity. TFFT not only wishes to give the gift of education to many deserving orphans, it hopes to excite, engage, and better equip the schools and orphanages with which they partner.

In July 2010, The Foundation for Tomorrow is sponsoring a charity bike ride in Tanzania to fundraise for the children who benefit from TFFT programs.

School for Field Studies

(www.fieldstudies.org)

Kenya, August 2009

Founded in 1980, The School for Field Studies (SFS) is one of the country's oldest and largest undergraduate environmental study abroad programs. 

Through SFS' network of field stations, they teach students how to address critical environmental problems using an interdisciplinary, experiential approach to education.

SFS currently operates programs in Australia, Costa Rica, Kenya, Mexico and the Turks and Caicos.  Students leave their SFS program with a deeper understanding of the complexity of environmental issues, and a unique perspective on what it really takes to develop long-term conservation solutions.

Elevate Destinations is organizing a trip to Kenya for SFS Board members and their families in August 2009.

The Global Fund for Children

(www.globalfundforchildren.org)

Guatemala, February 2010

The Global Fund for Children’s (GFC) mission is to advance the dignity of children and youth around the world. GFC pursues its mission by making small grants to innovative community-based organizations working with some of the world’s most vulnerable children and youth, complemented by a dynamic media program that, through books, documentary photography, and film, highlights the issues affecting children and celebrates the global society in which we all live.

In February 2010, Global Fund for Children will travel to Guatemala to visit some of their grant projects working on community development.

Global Fund for Women

(www.globalfundforwomen.org)

The Global Fund for Women is an international network of women and men committed to a world of equality and social justice. They advocate for and defend women's human rights by making grants to support women's groups around the world.

The Global Fund for Women is part of a global women's movement that is rooted in a commitment to justice and an appreciation of the value of women's experience. The challenges women face vary widely across communities, cultures, religions, traditions and countries. They believe that women should have a full range of choices, and that women themselves know best how to determine their needs and propose solutions for lasting change.

The Fund has selected Elevate Destinations as its travel provider for donor trips worldwide.

EcoLogic

(www.ecologic.org)

Honduras, March 2008

EcoLogic advances conservation of critical natural resources in rural areas of Latin America by promoting sustainable livelihoods and by strengthening community participation in natural resource management.

A trip to Honduras’ Pico Bonito National Park in March 2008 permitted donors to see Ecologic’s important carbon offsetting and watershed projects, which are helping to combat the destruction of the park’s precious resources, loss of biodiversity and degraded watersheds.

Travelers' Reports:

"Excellent attention to detail and a friendly and professional staff made our trip to Honduras easy, enjoyable, and rewarding. Thank you Elevate Destinations for taking the worry out of donor travel!"

Barbara Vallarino, Director of Development, EcoLogic

Direct Relief

(www.directrelief.org)

Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, January 2009

Kenya and Uganda, July 2007

Direct Relief International provides medical material aid including medicines, medical supplies and equipment to strengthen in-country health efforts around the world to improve the quality of life for the most impoverished people.

In 2005, Direct Relief provided over $200 million in direct aid through medical material assistance and targeted cash grants serving 23.8 million people in 56 countries worldwide.

Direct Relief partnered with Elevate Destinations to visit project sites in East Africa. Afterwards, DR donors enjoyed a week of customized safari.

DRI is planning another donor trip with Elevate Destinations to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in January 2009.

Travelers' Reports:

"It was just a spectacular trip! Smooth, easy and fun."

-- Sally Barr

"Dominique and Elevate Destinations helped DRI create a successful donor trip to Kenya and Uganda. I would highly recommend them to anyone who may be traveling to Africa. She was so organized and extremely accommodating of all of our needs. Thank you for a great trip!"

-- Lori Willis, Director of Major Gifts, Direct Relief International

.

Testimonials

WaterPartners International, September 2007

"Thanks to Elevate Destinations our 2007 WaterAmbassador trip through Ethiopia went smoothly despite the inherent challenges in traveling through remote regions. Our Ambassadors were able to witness and really engage in a variety of WaterPartners solutions first hand. We now have another core group of supporters ready to advocate for the billion people in the world in need of safe water."

Gary White, Executive Director, WaterPartners International

EcoLogic, March 2008

"Excellent attention to detail and a friendly and professional staff made our trip to Honduras easy, enjoyable, and rewarding. Thank you Elevate Destinations for taking the worry out of donor travel!"

Barbara Vallarino, Director of Development, EcoLogic

Kickstart, July 2007

“KickStart welcomes many visitors to Kenya but we had never sponsored our own donor safari. Could we do it? Would we lose money? Who will organize it? All of these questions kept us from trying. But Dominique and Elevate Destinations made it seem effortless. She listened to our desire for an experience that would help our donors truly connect to the spirit of Africa and gave us an itinerary that combined urban exploration, an up close look at our work with rural farmers, local culture and of course the amazing wildlife. And we did this far from the over-worn tourist path. Even the couple who had been to Africa 20 times got to see something new. This was huge success and has already resulted in increased giving from our donors. I can’t wait to start planning the next one!”

-- Ken Weimar, Director of Development, KickStart International

“We are back from our trip and thrilled by the experience. You put together an incredible itinerary, and the whole group seemed to love it. We are so happy we made this trip and hope to have an opportunity to work with you again.”

-- Terry, Peter, Chapin, and Anna Gamble-Boyer

“This was no mere tourist experience. It was a life-changing opportunity that touched my husband, myself and our teenaged children way beyond the beautiful vistas and fabulous wildlife; it touched our hearts. We left Africa wiser, humbler, and more enriched."

-- Terry Gamble-Boyer

"I am humbled by their hope, touched by their smiles, inspired by their spirit,
welcomed by their hospitality, centered by their connection to the earth, inspired by their dignity, awakened by their determination."

"Within the Kenyan people is a beauty, as is beauty within and around those I met who have dedicated their lives to eliminate poverty. Being in the presence of all these people has allowed something to come into view from within myself, from a part of me that does not always want to be stirred because it does not politely and willingly go back to sleep once awakened, and I know I can no longer be the same."

"Despite never experiencing in my life anything close to the level of poverty I saw, many times in my past I lost the reason to smile, over-identifying with my situation when it was less than or different than what I thought I wanted. In the Kenyan people I found spontaneous and soul-filled smiles, even in those who have so very little, from western standards, to smile about.

What most stayed with me was not the suffering, but the smiles. I have been to many other places of poverty on the globe, from the streets of Calcutta to the slums of our country, and never did I see the level of hope despite adversity that I witnessed in Kenya: The full-faced-full-hearted smiles that seem to ignite on the faces of the Kenyan people from a place kept safe within them, a place beyond their external situation. Smiles that spontaneously come from a simple wave hello. Smiles from a place within that I have often overlooked or forgotten in my daily existence, and often replaced with a manufactured and socially appropriate raising of the corners of my mouth. In contrast, such genuine smiles from the Kenyan people, many who have no money, no health care, and are living in substandard structures, call me to question so much within myself. "

"There seems a willingness of many Kenyans, in the threaded together moments of hand to mouth survival that fill each day, to transcend their life situation and smile from a place beyond what many of us with material wealth know of."

"For the Kenyan people to have endured and survived what they have deserves our respect and investment in their future through an unwavering belief in what they can become.

I know of few Westerners who could energetically and attitudinally survive a day of what these people have dealt with for generations. We may have the intellectual knowledge and financial resources to assist them on their way out of poverty, but they have much to teach us about perseverance and attitude, about family and commitment."

-- Excerpts from Lee Jampolsky

We have been to Africa many times and made this trip because we were interested in seeing what Kick Start was doing. This trip gave us the opportunity to do so and made both of us feel proud to be a part of what we saw there. It was a pleasure getting to know the other members of the Kick Start staff and to see their personal dedication to the work they are doing there. It is more than just a job to all of them. Our travel companions were all equally pleasant and interested in what Kick Start was doing. We were a group with varied interests but fit well together.
…We are very glad that we made the trip and we thank you for the role you played in making it happen.

-- Pat and Bill Miller

The trip to visit Kick Start, the O Malo Lodge and Olonana was wonderful. The weather, the program people and the guides were great. We will continue our funding for KickStart and, hopefully, others will join and even raise their contributions.

-- Becky Morgan

Direct Relief, July 2007

"It was just a spectacular trip! Smooth, easy and fun."

-- Sally Barr

"Dominique and Elevate Destinations helped DRI create a successful donor trip to Kenya and Uganda. I would highly recommend them to anyone who may be traveling to Africa. She was so organized and extremely accommodating of all of our needs. Thank you for a great trip!"

-- Lori Willis, Director of Major Gifts, Direct Relief International