Our Project Host Partners.
Developing World Connections partners with grassroots, non-profit organizations who demonstrate the capacity to responsibly administer sustainable development projects abroad. Developing World Connections’ partners understand the value of service and their work empowers people to lead more productive, healthy, and happy lives.
Developing World Connections doesn’t do “aid” - we do service where mutually beneficial relationships are created with communities and with development partners. These relationships provide the opportunity for Developing World Connections’ volunteers to make a difference as communities and host partners leverage their efforts according to the community’s priorities. The relationships nurtured by Developing World Connections offer everyone involved greater opportunity to learn and engage within our global community. Developing World Connections’ long term commitment is to help improve the community members’ life options and to increase their self-sufficiency. Developing World Connections does not contribute to organizations for the purpose of the advancement of a religion.
AFRICA:
RWANDA:
BUILDING BRIDGES WITH RWANDA - RWANDA: Building Bridges with Rwanda is dedicated to fostering a better quality of life for Rwandans. Building Bridges With Rwanda is run by Lama Mugabo, who settled in Rwanda after 30 years of living in Canada. Lama was a Rwandan refugee who left his country to escape the war. After receiving his education at Simon Fraser University and University of British Columbia, he worked for the Centre for Sustainable Cities for several years. BBR works with Developing World Connections in the community of Gashora. BBR is implementing a community development program that brings together residents and volunteers who want to work side-by-side and rebuild Rwanda through service, not aid.
EDUCATION, TRAINING & LIVELIHOOD CENTRE PROJECTS
Volunteer Experience Schedule RWANDA
KENYA:
COMFORT THE CHILDREN - Maai Mahiu, KENYA: (ctcinternational.org): Through a philosophy of responsible altruism, Comfort the Children International shares in the lives of local communities, building mutual understanding, and sustainable change. Programs include environment, community, economy, education and health initiatives. CTC was started by Zane Wilemon, a young Texan who had traveled to Kenya on a mission trip in the 2000. CTC became a reality when Zane committed to helping disabled children in Maai Mahiu, a truck stop community 1.5 hours west of Nairobi. Prior to CTC, children with disabilities were secretly confined to their homes and were rarely exposed to the outside world out of lack of acceptance. The CTC programs accommodate between 12 and 20 severely disabled children in a loving learning environment. The mothers of the children work at the CTC centre making canvas bags and school clothing, which are sold to support the care of their children. CTC has established strong relationships in Maai Mahiu and facilitates our groups’ efforts throughout the community.
EDUCATION, TRAINING & LIVELIHOOD CENTRE PROJECTS
Volunteer Experience Schedule KENYA
MT. KENYA COMMUNITY REFORESTATION - Naro Moru, KENYA:(africanwildernesssafaris.com): Based out of Naro Moru village, located at the base of Mt. Kenya, 170 km north of Nairobi, the non-profit group has a volunteer program aimed at raising awareness about the problems associated with deforestation. Education and volunteer tree planting serve to protect the wildlife and safe guard the essential water needed for the people and wildlife in the area. The national government is supporting the creation of citizen based committees to plant new trees. These committees are comprised of all village stakeholders and are the umbrella bodies for many volunteer projects throughout the villages. The community/district of Naro Moru is made up of the town centre and six other villages within a 25 km area and each of these villages have similar water shortage and reforestation issues.
Volunteer Experience Schedule KENYA
TANZANIA:
TUENDE PAMOJA CHARITY - Matipwilli, TANZANIA: (www.afrikaafrikasafaris.com/giving-back/): Tuende Pamoja is operated by the Barbour family from Australia. The focus is on education for the area of three villages, Matipwilli, Gongo and Kiwangwa. Over a short period of time, they have assisted with building and renovating primary and secondary school classrooms and building homes to attract and retain school staff. A village office and library with 500 books has been constructed. Community members’ needs for minor medical attention, equipment, and supplies have been provided. Tuende Pamoja Charity has also provided mosquito nets and solar reading/study lamps for over 75 orphaned children and along side Developing World Connections volunteers will renovate a hostel that the orphaned children can lease out as an income generator for extended families.
EDUCATION, TRAINING & LIVELIHOOD CENTRE PROJECTS
HOMES & COMMUNITY BUILDING PROJECTS
Volunteer Experience Schedule TANZANIA
SWAZILAND:
S.O.S. CHILDREN’S VILLAGES - SWAZILAND: (sos-childrensvillages.org): S.O.S. Children’s Villages is the world's largest orphan and abandoned children charity. Supported by sponsors and donors worldwide, it provides a new family for over 60,000 children in 123 countries. It helps almost a million more people through S.O.S. projects around the world. In Swaziland, nearly 26% of the population is HIV-positive, the highest HIV prevalence rate in the world. AIDS has devastated the country. Orphans and vulnerable children account for an estimated 15% of the total population.
SOS has three large orphanages in Swaziland. Each one is home to over 100 children who live in very comfortable accommodations, are well cared for by house mothers and have opportunity to attend school at or near the SOS orphanages. To deal with the great number of children that cannot be housed at the orphanages, SOS also runs community outreach programs that provide food, shelter, and education opportunities for hundreds of children in grandparent headed or child headed homes.
HOMES & COMMUNITY BUILDING PROJECTS
Volunteer Experience Schedule SWAZILAND
ASIA
CAMBODIA:
BRIDGES ACROSS BORDERS Southeast Asia, CAMBODIA: (babsea.org): Bridges Across Borders Cambodia is an international, non-governmental organization that was formed to build bridges between the world’s people and Cambodians. It works to raise awareness, facilitate exchanges of many kinds, and to support creative endeavours that affirm our common humanity. It believes that sustainable development and human rights are interdependent and interrelated, and its work encompasses each of these facets. The mission of BABC is to bring people together to overcome poverty, injustice and inequity in Cambodia. Their programs are primarily in Phnom Penh, but they started a rural community development program outside of Phnom Penh near Poipet in Northwest Cambodia. After five years and successful implementation of their program, they moved rural community development to Chamcar Bei, near Kep on the south coast of Cambodia, in 2007. Bridges Across Borders Cambodia's goal is to increase the standard of living in the community by improving health, education, and livelihoods of Chamcar Bei residents .
HOMES & COMMUNITY BUILDING PROJECTS
EDUCATION, TRAINING & LIVELIHOOD CENTRE PROJECTS
Volunteer Experience Schedule CAMBODIA
INDIA:
SAHYOG - Udaipur, INDIA: Sahyog Sansthan was established in 1987 as a non-profit society by a team of social workers who choose to work in their native region after gaining experience in other parts of South Rajasthan. Sahyog Sansthan works in over 85 villages in India in the Udaipur and Chittorgarh districts. Sahyog Sansthan goal is to help in long term and sustainable improvement of the rural poor and to play a role in promoting equitable and democratic institutions in the region.
Sahyog Sansthan’s programs in the Udaipur area revolve around educating and assisting farmers to return their desert absorbed land into arable, productive farmland. This has included mapping all rivers and smaller waterways that develop during the annual monsoon and then designing water catchment and containment structures to direct and conserve this sole source of water in the area. Sahyog is also involved in teaching sound farming practices including composting, organic growing and energy conservation, and also supports schools in the areas where their efforts are directed.
Volunteer Experience Schedule INDIA
YOUTH TOUCH - Jaipur, INDIA: (youthtouch.in): Youth Touch India is a non-profit organization working in northern part of Rajasthan, India. It aims to bring a meaningful and sustainable change in the lives of less fortunate people of India especially in the fields of education, health and hygiene, housing and livelihood to help them to help themselves. Also, it focuses on creating better understanding between the communities and helping to achieve mankind's age-old dream of "Universal Peace and prosperity".
EDUCATION, TRAINING & LIVELIHOOD CENTRE PROJECTS
Volunteer Experience Schedule INDIA
NEPAL:
A new host partner will be announced shortly.
Volunteer Experience Schedule NEPAL
PHILIPPINES:
RISE ABOVE FOUNDATION - Cebu, PHILIPPINES: (channelofhope.org): Rise Above Foundation & Channel of Hope (Manila) is an non profit organization based in Cebu, Philippines. The Rise Above Foundation is managed by Danish expats Flemming and Elisabet Hansen who established Rise Above in Cebu City in 2000. The NGO offers education, food, oral hygiene, medical and care programs for the people of Cebu, Philippines. With over 30 years of experience in missionary and humanitarian aid work, the founders have created programs that focus on the children of Cebu to ensure that they have access to education, food and support.
EDUCATION, TRAINING & LIVELIHOOD CENTRE PROJECTS
Volunteer Experience Schedule PHILIPPINES
INDONESIA:
WIDHYA ASIH FOUNDATION - Bali, INDONESIA: (widhya-asih.or.id): Widhya Asih Foundation is a non-profit organization formed to 1975 to provide sustainable development for communities by improving their living conditions and ensuring the preservation of the local environment and ecosystem through education and health initiatives. It believes that a better society will be built by caring for and empowering needy people. It provides shelter, food, education and love to children through the operation of seven orphanages and three community development centres in Bali, Indonesia.
Widhya Asih was founded by a Christian church and still relies on them for some funding, but they do not impose their religion on the mostly Hindu children. The Executive Director, Nengah Swikrama, was himself raised in one of the orphanages and is a great example of the life possibilities when given the opportunity.
EDUCATION, TRAINING & LIVELIHOOD CENTRE PROJECTS
Volunteer Experience Schedule INDONESIA
LATIN AMERICA:
GUATEMALA:
OPEN WINDOWS - San Miguel Dueñas, GUATEMALA: (openwindowsfoundation.com): Open Windows is a dynamic children’s educational center with a library, computer center, and more in the town of San Miguel Dueñas, Guatemala. The executive director of Open Windows, Teresa Quinonez, is a lifetime resident of ‘Dueñas’, who after moving to the U.S. for many years, returned with her employer to establish a facility that would provide education to both children and adults. Most of the beneficiaries of the program are those who were forced to leave school early to work in the fields to help support their families. Open Windows currently provides 1,500 children in the community with important educational services and programs to help improve their life options and to increase their self-sufficiency.
The Open Windows Foundation is supported by several organizations throughout the U.S. and has become a model for the development of education facilities in poor communities in Guatemala. They are well received and respected in the community and are often turned to for additional family support for housing, food, and counselling needs.
HOMES & COMMUNITY BUILDING PROJECTS
EDUCATION, TRAINING & LIVELIHOOD CENTRE PROJECTS
Volunteer Experience Schedule GUATEMALA
PERU:
CEPRONAM - Jaen, PERU: CEPRONAM is the acronym for the Center for the Rights of Women and Children. This non-profit organization, which is located in Jaen in northern part of Peru, is a grassroots organization serving working children and supporting human rights in the barrios in and around this beautiful city close to the Amazon region. CEPRONAM provides the opportunity for working children to continue their primary education. These dedicated, committed advocates are instrumental in providing educational projects to improve the lives of all community members.
EDUCATION, TRAINING & LIVELIHOOD CENTRE PROJECTS
Volunteer Experience Schedule PERU
IFEJANT - Lima, PERU: (ifejants.org): IFEJANT is a Spanish acronym for The Training Institute for the Educators of Youth, Adolescent and Child Works. This non-profit organization works in and around Lima, Peru. They are leaders and supporters in an organized network of grassroots organizations serving working children and advocating for their human rights.
EDUCATION, TRAINING & LIVELIHOOD CENTRE PROJECTS
Volunteer Experience Schedule PERU
HAITI:
HELP TAMMY HELP HAITI - Cite Soleil, HAITI: (helptammyhelphaiti.com): HTHH is a Canadian-based non-profit organization dedicated to working and improving the living conditions of the people of Cité Soleil, Haiti. Founded in 2008 Help Tammy Help Haiti aims to improve the socio-economic conditions of the residents within Cité Soleil. Volunteers will be helping rebuild the earthquake damaged homes alongside our host partner. If time permits volunteers will also continue construction on a medical clinic that will serve the citizens of Cite Soleil.
HOMES & COMMUNITY BUILDING PROJECTS
Volunteer Experience Schedule HAITI
CENTRE d'INSPIRATION JEUNESSE - Deslandes, HAITI: (cijhaiti.org)The Centre d’Inspiration Jeunesse (CIJ) is dedicated to educating and integrating youth in sustainable community development. Founded in 1995 by a group of Deslandes elders, the CIJ enrolls more than 400 children in an elementary school that is also the focal point of community life and hosts a wide range of youth enrichment activities and community events. In addition to the school the CIJ operates a reforestation program with tree nursery, a ten acre experimental farm (that provides food and income for the school), a youth soccer program, and a traditional drum and dance group. Valuing traditional communitarian ethics and social structures and building on the existing culture, the CIJ vision for Deslandes seeks “to develop an ecologically sustainable, economically self-reliant and vibrant community infrastructure”.
EDUCATION, TRAINING & LIVELIHOOD CENTRE PROJECTS
Volunteer Experience Schedule HAITI
