Philanthropic Projects
Outreach and support for humanitarian causes has always been a priority for Friendly Planet. Besides arranging travel for groups engaging in humanitarian activities throughout the world, we also contribute directly to projects in many of the countries we visit. Below are just a few of our recent projects.
Humanitarian Missions to Cuba
Since 2010, we've been organizing special tours to Cuba, coordinated through a humanitarian organization officially licensed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. These tours have given volunteer-minded travelers the opportunity to interact directly with the Cuban people, and to help people in need by bringing medical supplies and educational materials, which are in short supply and badly needed in Cuba.
Learn more about our Humanitarian Missions to Cuba
Kiva Microlending Team
We see in many countries how too many hard-working people simply don't have the resources or opportunities to prosper. But there's a lot that we can do to change that—not by charity, but by lending. We've created our own Friendly Planet micro-lending team through Kiva, the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website. You pick who you want to loan to and how much. More than 98% of the loans are repaid, and then you can relend to someone else.
Learn more about our Kiva micro-lending team
Clean water in Cambodia
It's difficult to imagine not having something so basic as clean, potable water. Yet according to UNICEF, nearly 900 million people in the world don't have this luxury. In Cambodia, it takes as little as $200 to dig a well and install a pump that provides clean water to several dozen families. Friendly Planet has been funding the construction of wells in several villages, and many of our travelers have volunteered to fund wells too. Together, we've built over 200!
Learn more about our well-building program in Cambodia
Bicycles & supplies in Vietnam
Recently, a group of humanitarian-minded Friendly Planet participants visited Vietnam and outfitted an entire elementary school in a rural area with much-needed supplies and equipment, including brand-new bicycles for each student. This was a double benefit as the bikes were purchased locally from a Vietnamese bike manufacturer, whose livelihood depends upon local sales.
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