After leaving Cusco, we had a very, very long seven-hour drive across the Peruvian highlands. As always, there were a few stops along the way. And while we could have easily grouped everything into one blog post, one-stop deserved so much special attention!
Gate 1 Foundation
Aside from fabulous, well-organized, and value-packed trips, we love traveling with Gate 1 Travel because of the Gate 1 Foundation.
This foundation is passionate about supporting the education of the world’s children. As an independent non-profit organization, Gate 1 Travel funds all of the administrative costs.
Started in 2012, the Gate 1 Foundation supports primary schools in thirteen developing countries and expands yearly.
On our first Gate 1 Travel tour, we were fortunate enough to visit a rural school in Thailand, which really touched us.
Travelers are not solicited for donations but are notified about the foundation if a school visit is planned for their particular trip. They are invited to donate some basic school supplies.Â
Peru – Virgen de Fatima School
Peru is Gate 1 Foundation’s first and longest-standing country partner. The foundation currently supports six schools in Peru and three additional schools it has supported in the past that are now considered successful community projects.
While Machu Picchu is considered one of the world’s premier travel destinations, Peru’s highlands are some of the most impoverished. Families struggle to provide even the most basic necessities, such as educational expenses, for their children.Â
Gate 1 Foundations has added a kitchen and dining room for the students. Prior to this, they ate on the floor. We met one young boy who walked an hour and a half to get to school daily—he was about ten years old.
“In addition to the structural projects, the Foundation also supports a ceramic workshop at the school periodically during the year, paying for materials and a teacher, allowing students and community members to create functional and decorative items that can be sold to bring in extra money to the families who participate.”
While we were there, the ceramics instructor from Cusco gave us a demonstration. The older kids were so proud of their work that we made sure to buy something to support their cause.
Living in Mexico, we have extensive access to Spanish language school supplies, so we were sure to stock up on those and some fun stickers.
HOWEVER, Mark’s idea was to have some fun with the kids by bringing along some giant bubble wands, but the fun ended up being disruptive and not going over well.
Sarah
During our visit, one extraordinary little girl made a connection with Chuck. He name is Sarah, and she has Down Syndrome.
She could not have been sweeter. It took a while, but she took his hand and showed him around the school with other children. The images of the two of them will absolutely melt your heart.
Supporting the Gate 1 Foundation
Whether or not you have ever traveled with Gate 1 Travel, we invite you to visit the Gate 1 Foundation website.Â
You’ll find lots of information on their projects changing children’s lives worldwide.
If you are planning to book a trip with Gate 1 Travel, several of their tours include stops at the schools they support.
We guarantee your life will be changed for the better!
I love your visit to the school! As a retired teacher, the bubble fun looks milder than some of the situations in my classroom. What do you suggest I bring in September to donate to the teacher, school or students?
We LOVED visiting the school! As we’re in Mexico most of the year primary school workbooks, puzzels and flash cards in Spanish or Spanish / English worked well. As a retired Math specialist, mathamatics flash cards could be great. But pencils, crayons, coloring books and stickers are always great too! Enjoy!