Travel and Make an Impact - ME to WE Trips

Respectful, considered, culturally immersive experiences

Over the years, thousands of youth, families and people from all walks of life have traveled with ME to WE Trips. They’ve been welcomed with open arms by the partner communities that we’ve worked with for decades, who have shared their lives and their hearts. This has allowed travelers to gain an unprecedented understanding of each country and its culture, and of the daily challenges and joys experienced by community members. They've worked alongside them to build classrooms and clean water systems. And along the way, they've expanded how they see the world and become part of a story of transformation.

Important notice: ME to WE Trips is currently suspended due to COVID-19

The safety, security and well-being of travelers, community members and staff is our highest priority. All ME to WE travel is on pause for the foreseeable future, as Canada continues to advise its citizens to avoid non-essential travel, and the U.S. also maintains high-level advisories for most destinations worldwide. We will continue to closely monitor travel advisories and consult with travel and health experts and will post updates as they become available.

What sets ME to WE Trips apart

ME to WE Trips was established with a deep respect for the communities and people we partner with, and an emphasis on sustainability and giving back. Through deeply connective and immersive experiences in partnership with communities, travelers have gained new perspective and understanding on global, social and environmental issues. They have also contributed to development projects, helping speed completion of projects that continue year-round, led by skilled local workers. These shared experiences on community-led projects have resulted in transformational outcomes for both travelers and community members alike, and have been part of our regenerative philosophy of leaving a place better because of the things we've done together, as true partners.

Local girls around a water pump in India

HOW TRIPS IMPACT COMMUNITIES Each ME to WE Trip takes place in a community where our charity partner, WE Charity, puts its 25-year history of holistic sustainable development to work. The WE Villages model, which has been praised by eminent experts like the Skoll Foundation, the Clinton Global Initiative and Mission Measurement, consists of five core pillars: education, water, food, health and economic opportunity.

Tourism is critical to that fifth pillar, delivering income and revenue that makes the other four pillars sustainable. The United Nations recognizes travel and tourism as one of the most effective sources of jobs in developing countries, and it’s a key component of three of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

That work would not be possible without ME to WE Trips. Over the years, the contributions of ME to WE travelers have directly supported WE Charity in establishing a full-service medical clinic serving 10 communities in Ecuador, two full-service clinics and one hospital in the Narok region of Kenya, the construction of three high schools and one college, with accompanying scholarships, providing education in 24 Maasai Mara communities and 11,500 Kenyan students, and many more projects creating impacts in countries around the world.

ME to WE Trips have also created jobs. Community members have frequently acted as trip facilitators, especially those leading development projects in their communities such as teachers, or heads of local women’s groups. While travelers on volunteer trips perform basic manual labor like hauling bricks, local workers gain higher-level employment and skills training as supervisors and project managers. To support trip operations, ME to WE employed over 350 local staff annually as drivers, cooks, guides and administration staff. Food and other materials are locally sourced to boost the community’s economy. Through those jobs, ME to WE helps communities build their own capacity to support sustainable tourism. We took that a step further by helping to build a College of Hospitality and Tourism in Kenya.

Local woman picking fruit off tree in Ecuador

ENSURING THE WELL BEING OF COMMUNITIES

We've worked hard to build policies and best practices to ensure the highest level of protection and well-being for the communities we work with. We are deeply respectful and considered in our approach, and our objective is regenerative: to leave only a positive impact wherever we travel through our partnership with the people we visit.

We have leveraged the expertise of people like former Assembly of First Nations Grand Chief Sean Atleo to create best practices for cultural respect when working with partner communities. While serving as Grand Chief, Atleo spent a week with us in Kenya, providing advice and guidance to ensure we were engaging with communities in a culturally appropriate and respectful way. We ensure the safety and well-being of minors through our rigorous child and youth protection policy, created in partnership with respected organization Plan to Protect. For example, we never engage in visits or volunteering at orphanages or similar facilities for vulnerable children and youth.

We have a strict photo policy to protect the privacy and dignity of our community partners. We want to ensure that the photos we take are not exploitative and that we are taking photos of solutions—not problems—to share with friends and family. We ask that photos are only taken of people with whom we have a relationship, with their explicit and informed consent.

Integral to WE Charity’s development model is the idea that we want to give communities a hand up, not a hand out. Our travelers are not permitted to bring gifts from home to give local children or families.

Local woman welcoming traveller in India

EQUITY & ACCESSIBILITY A guiding principle of ME to WE Trips is that they must be equally accessible for everyone, regardless of economic background or physical ability. Travelers have had access to a variety of bursaries, scholarships and financial aid options, supported by the generosity of corporate and foundation partners.

In 2017, ME to WE gave over $850,000 in funding to more than 200 young travelers. We also put in place a dedicated fundraising program to help youth raise support for their experience. Finally, we made ongoing investments to continually upgrade our accommodations and transportation to ensure they are physically accessible and safe for all our travelers.

For more information or to utilize our accessibility programs, visit our Financial Aid page or email us at [email protected].

Travellers building a wall alongside local man

A PROUD HISTORY OF SAFE TRAVEL Since 2002, over 40,000 youth and adults have traveled safely with our organization around the world. The well-being of our travelers is our top priority. From on-the-ground transportation, to work safety equipment, to food prepared by chefs at our facilities, ME to WE Trips employs extensive and rigorous safety measures and policies.

Our in-country teams have established communications protocols and maintain connections with reputable local medical facilities. They know what to do and where to go in an emergency.

All our trip facilitators receive first-aid, child protection and emergency-response training, and are equipped with a thorough understanding of group dynamics and cultural sensitivity to ensure a seamless experience for all travelers. Read more about safety here.

Commitment to sustainable tourism

Dr. Jane Goodall, an early advisor to our work, once noted that the only way to ensure environmental protection of sensitive areas is to ensure economic systems are in place to benefit the local community. This idea is at the core of the WE Villages development model and is integral to ME to WE Trips.

Through initiatives like the College of Hospitality and Tourism in Kenya, and a similar program growing in Ecuador, we ensure tourism jobs benefit communities, reducing problems like poaching and deforestation. We invest heavily in ecological protection, reducing our carbon footprint by growing organic produce in local gardens and engaging in a tree nursery program to support reforestation programs. In locations where we are the operators of the accommodations, they are built to be conducive to the natural habitat and use natural, local resources in their construction. We support the conservation goals of our host countries, for example by contributing to park fees at wildlife reserves in Kenya, Ecuador and Tanzania. Our travel programs are carefully designed to demonstrate cultural respect, understanding and social inclusivity, with the blessing of local community leaders.

ME to WE Trips meets or exceeds the criteria for sustainable travel set forth by the World Bank for sustainable tourism.

Our Destinations

KENYA

In the Maasai Mara, ME to WE travelers have had the opportunity to connect with Maasai and Kipsigis communities and learn about their lives, history and culture. From learning traditional beading techniques with mamas to sunrise nature walks with Maasai warriors to visiting the local hospital, they have experienced rural Kenya through a truly unforgettable lens.

Local Ecuadorian cacao farmer holding cacao fruit outside

ECUADOR In the Amazon region and Andes mountains, community members have guided travelers on extraordinary explorations of the country in which they live, sharing their knowledge and experiences. This has included rainforest treks, wildlife walks, visits to local schools, and learning about cacao farming and chocolate from local farmers.

INDIA

From our base in rural Rajasthan, travelers have had the chance to meet the local communities to learn about India and what makes their country so unique. This has included a member-guided visit to a local marketplace, taking part in a traditional cooking lesson, and gaining an understanding of sustainable agriculture among other experiences.