Travel for good

Today is World Water Day but considering it's key to human survival, the same could be said 365 days a year. Access to clean, healthy drinking water is an issue around the world. In most industrialized countries turning on the tap doesn't endanger one's health, but even if taps were available for many living in poorer countries, what comes out of them is dangerous to consume. The most vulnerable are the elderly and of course, children, so it’s especially heart warming when more fortunate children get involved in the fight for clean water.

A year ago, 11-year-old, Alaina Riviera heard about H2O for Life, which funds clean water projects worldwide. Inspired by the organization’s mission, she decided to create her own service project. Today, focused on providing clean water for children in South America, her Wishing Well project has been raising money for villages in Guatemala and Honduras.

Alaina, now 12, has persuaded three generations of women in her family (mom, grandma as well as aunts and cousins) to go there with her. A partnership with H2O for Life and Traterra, a new company that believes, “vacations should be inspiring and life-changing,” will be helping them get to one village that Alaina has been working with. They’ll meet local children, work on water stations and see first-hand the difference that the Wishing Well project has made.

Win a grant to fund your own travel for good:

If you want to make a difference in the world by traveling but can’t afford to, Travelocity is offering grants that could make that dream come true. The current deadline is just around the corner: March 31, and one is being given each quarter of the year. Each voluntourism grant is for $5,000 to fund transportation and other costs, whether it’s for a few days or months.

Applicants will need to make a video in two minutes or less on why you deserve to go and choose a trip from one of Travelocity’s sponsors. You need to be a legal resident of the United States to win. Visit their Travel for Good grant page for details.

Photo courtesy of Traterra Travel