One initiative that makes me proud to be a member of the travel community is the annual Passports with Purpose (PwP) project which brings together bloggers, travel industry professionals, and nonprofit organizations in an effort to support various worthy causes since its inception in 2008. Last year, with all our collective help in raising over $65,000, Passports with Purpose was able to build a village in India.
This year, Passports with Purpose is teaming up with nonprofit organization Room to Read to raise $80,000 to build two libraries in Zambia. You can follow fundraising efforts and conversations on Twitter at #PwP.
Where I Come In
This year, I’ve partnered with Beyond Boundaries Travels to bring you an amazing tour which you can bid for – 8-Night Thailand Bike/Cruise the Coast from Bangkok to Koh Samui (LAND ONLY) in support of PwP. The prize is valued at $1,760 which covers land costs and other items as outlined here.
Fellow travel photographer, Matador Network colleague and friend Daniel Nahabedian recently traveled on this very same tour with Beyond Boundaries through Thailand and you can check out his gorgeous photo essay here – Cycling Southern Thailand.
This is a solid travel company I can personally vouch for because I discovered a new way of exploring Egypt through their Egypt Bike and Sail tour.
It was so much more than a leisurely cruise down the Nile or a camel ride to the Pyramids, and exploring Egypt on bike exposed me to its sights, smells, and sounds in a more intimate way. Plus I got to meet some amazing travelers like Ann Lombardi of TripChicks, Melissa Adams of WordGeisha, and the inspirational Alpha Bennett who I consider friends today.
You can view my photo essay here – Egypt by sea and sand.
Where You Come In
Starting November 30th until December 16th, you can make donations of $10 or more to the cause. In addition, you can choose which prizes you’d like to win (including the amazing biking tour above) when making your donation. Please reach into your pockets and give what you can. Special thanks to Beyond Boundaries for supporting this effort.
Please Donate Here
Previous PwP Efforts
To learn more about previous projects, please check out the links below.
2010 – LAFTI – Building a village in India - http://lolaakinmade.com/2010/11/15/passports-with-purpose-help-us-build-a-village-in-india/
2009 – American Assistance for Cambodia (AAC) - http://lolaakinmade.com/2009/11/26/counting-blessings-at-a-food-bank/
2008 – Heifer International - http://lolaakinmade.com/2008/12/02/passports-with-purpose-supporting-a-great-cause/
2008 – Giving Back: Passports with Purpose - http://lolaakinmade.com/2008/11/19/giving-back-passports-with-purpose/
Comments (8)
Lola is right about Beyond Boundaries cycling tours. I’ve had the pleasure of peddling in Egypt, South Africa & colonial Mexico with them on tours offering outstanding itineraries, sag support & small group intimacy. Build a library and win a trip!
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What a great prize! I would be up for this if it weren’t for my twin babies being too young to join me and too young to leave behind. I’ll help spread the word.
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[...] Or how does a bike tour in Thailand sound? Your $10 donation could get you an 8-day cycling tour from Bangkok to Koh Samui with Beyond Boundaries Travels (via Lola Akinmade). [...]
[...] Cycling tour in Thailand: You can get to Thailand pretty cheaply from Australia, even from the East Coast. So this prize is totally doable for travellers on a budget. And if you love to be active, this sounds like stacks of fun. It’s an eight-night cycling tour along the coast from Bangkok to Koh Samui with Beyond Boundaries Travel, hosted by Lola at Geotraveler’s Niche. [...]
[...] I don’t think there are any British bloggers hosting prizes in this year’s Passports with Purpose. This is a shame – in the past it’s been more of an international effort. That doesn’t mean that the Brits are sitting it out entirely. We have Mike of Fevered Mutterings supporting the fundraiser by offering to send curry spice to anyone who donates at least $20. Over on the continent, things are a little more active, where we have the likes of Lola in Sweden hosting a great prize for a cycle tour of Thailand. [...]
[...] Correct me if I’m wrong but I don’t think there are any British bloggers hosting prizes in this year’s Passports with Purpose. This is a shame – in the past it’s been more of an international effort. That doesn’t mean that the Brits are sitting it out entirely. We have Mike of Fevered Mutterings supporting the fundraiser by offering to send curry spice to anyone who donates at least $20. Over on the continent, things are a little more active, where we have the likes of Lola in Sweden hosting a great prize for a cycle tour of Thailand. [...]
[...] Writing To be honest, when I first saw our goal of raising $80,000 for Room to Read to build libraries in Zambia, I was a little worried and I felt those familiar feelings of doubt slowly creep in. Would our [...]
[...] 2011 – Room to Read – Building libraries in Zambia [...]