Woot Woot–what better for a Friday than a contest? This is the first Change by Doing voluntourism contest. My recent post about Nelson Mandela Day and the partnership between joinFITE, Kiva, and Dermalogica gave you a chance to try out being a Kiva loaner for free (hope you did–and then donated more to enterprising women around the world who are truly making a difference. Kiva ROCKS!)
From that blog posting, Dermaolgica has sent along some products and gifts for me to reward one reader. I’ve got this nifty box here with a copy of what I think is a truly important book—Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn’s Half the Sky, a canvas tote bag, 2 Dermaolgica skincare products, and a really cool sneak peek of their new holiday gift item, “Bullets to Bracelets.” For the bracelets, artisans in Ethiopia collect old bullet casings and melt them down into beads. A really great initiative, reclaiming a symbol of violence and transforming it into powerful jewelry.
You know you want this! All you have to do is answer this question in the comments section below: If you could custom design a dream volunteer vacation anywhere in the world and tackle any problem, where would it be and what would you do?
You can answer in the comments or email me your ideas (500andrews@gmail.com). Entries will close September 1, and a winner will be chosen from all your fantastic inspiration. It needn’t be a realistic goal nor a currently existing trip, though it can be…just tell me what lights your fire, and how you dream of making a difference in the world, far away or next door.
Change by Doing 
Posted by Brodie Ransom (@Ransomnote) on August 17, 2012 at 3:06 PM
I’ve always been attracted to ancient European historical towns that still operate much like they did hundreds of years ago. And in many of these towns, architectural masterpieces are falling to ruin. It’s not that the towns aren’t thriving, it’s just that the cost of restorations are often prohibitive for these small communities.
A great volunteer vacation would be helping to restore these towns to their former glory. Medieval churches, historical homes, and cobblestone streets would flourish again. The benefits would be countless because when history comes alive, it brings us all together.
Many of these efforts are underway now along the Italian coast, and volunteer help would prove invaluable.
Posted by Anonymous on August 24, 2012 at 5:42 PM
Andrew—–is this like the bullet necklaces you and I bought? Is this the same type of help?
Posted by Andrew Mersmann on August 24, 2012 at 6:53 PM
Similar concept to AKAWELLE (akawelle.com)–but sourced from a different war-torn conflict zone, and different aesthetic for the jewelry…all very cool.
Posted by gold account on August 27, 2012 at 11:35 PM
We started working with a single rural community 15 years ago, and now collaborate with over 50 groups. During this time we have learned a lot about community development, social entrepreneurship, productive processes based on quality and demand, and the improvement of livelihoods through income generation and market access. We have also learned a lot about ourselves! At Kiej, we dream of an ideal world – one where everyone lives in harmony, where diversity is celebrated, and where rights and responsibilities are treasured. These aspirations encourage us to find solutions in which prosperity and well-being are common to everyone.