Support a Cause
FIND A MEANINGFUL WAY TO GIVE BACK WHILE YOU TRAVEL.
At GAP TRAVELS, we believe that travel can be a powerful force for good in the world, and by supporting any of our chosen causes below, you can make a positive impact on the world and the people and communities in need, while also experiencing the beauty and culture of these incredible destinations.
You can make a positive difference in the world, while also having a truly unique and rewarding travel experience.
We have identified several activities and experiences you can enjoy with some souvenir projects that could help you give back to society in a more meaningful way.
Join us in supporting these amazing causes and making a difference in these communities.
CULTURAL EXPERIENCES
1. CELEBRATING BATWA HERITAGE.
The Batwa community is an indigenous group of people who once thrived in the highland forests of Uganda, Rwanda, and the Congo. They were formerly hunter-gatherers and were commonly known as “pygmies.” The Batwa are usually compared to the ‘Amazon people.’ These marginalized people were displaced from their forest homes by the government to preserve Gorilla habitats in these Forests. The Batwa have a diverse and deep culture that ages thousands of years involving hunting, war, and plants turned into remedies, and all this is presented in an entertaining way to capture the hearts of so many tourists.
Please help us create a cultural center for Uganda’s Batwa community. The displacement of the Batwa has left the community devastated and landless. Today, the Batwa live on the peripheries of their former home, the forest, which they are not allowed to enter. They live in dire conditions, many in temporary shelters on roadsides. The community is yearning to reconnect with their ancestral lands and culture, which are deeply intertwined.
Currently, Batwa culture is largely performed and shown to Tourists as a source of income for the Batwa performers at 30$ per person. The activity for the tourist would last an entire afternoon with the Batwa people in their community experiencing their way of life and the 30$ would go to developing their community.
However, the Minority Rights Group (MRG) is hosting an appeal by request from the Action for Batwa Empowerment Group (ABEG) to set up a cultural center that will be a beacon of Batwa Culture allowing the community to celebrate their traditions on their terms.
Batwa Heritage is vital for the community’s sense of identity, mental health, and well-being. You can stand with ABEG to celebrate and strengthen it. Please donate today to let the community know they are not alone in their efforts to protect their heritage for generations to come. Follow the link below for more information.
2. THE CULTURE CONNECT PROJECT.
This is a project that focuses on tourists who are looking to dive into the deep history and cultures of Uganda and make connections that last a lifetime.
Anyone can book a trip, set aside a few days to connect with Change Agents in Uganda and spend some time living amongst the people in rural areas, meet incredible people from various villages, eat family meals prepared in their homes, and enjoy one of the most beautiful places on earth.
This project is committed to recruiting diverse participants and staff. The majority of participants are minorities from lower-income backgrounds who would not have had a chance to participate in the trip set aside for excursions such as Yoga, ATVs, Swimming, Photography, safaris, shopping for souvenirs, and more.
The project is also committed to having both International and Ugandan participants and staff volunteer and participate while ensuring that everyone is going for the right reasons. Every participant is free to volunteer and donate. Follow the link below for more information.
3. THE RWANDA GENOCIDE MEMORIAL AND MUSEUM IN KIGALI.
The Rwandan Genocide, also known as the genocide against the Tutsi, occurred in 1994, in 100 days where members of the Tutsi minority ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Batwa, were killed by armed Hutu militias. Over 1 million people perished in this Rwandan Civil War.
The Memorial Center is the final resting place for 250,000 Tutsi victims of the genocide. It is also a driver in Rwanda’s extraordinary journey towards healing and reconciliation.
Here’s how you can help. Please visit the Museum with us and enjoy the Ubuntu Package to enhance your experience and inherently, the money goes directly to supporting their various causes. Visit the website below to get more information on donating directly.
SOUVENIR PROJECTS.
4. CONTEMPORARY ART.
GAP TRAVELS is passionate about developing and nurturing young talent in our communities and in so doing, has partnered with several Art houses to facilitate this project. Please book a trip with us and consider including activities like Visiting caves and museums, Art galleries and engaging in ongoing exhibitions, and Community activities like Paint and Sip that encourage our guests to meet local people. The money from engaging in these activities goes to Art lessons for local students who cannot afford these services.
Visit the website below for information on ongoing exhibitions and current Art pieces for sale to support this cause.
5. COFFEE.
Women provide the bulk of low-paid labor in Uganda’s coffee sector. In South Western Uganda, land ownership is a major obstacle to women’s engagement in the coffee value chain as typically, it is men who own the land and make decisions about how everything is managed. This affects women’s ability to meet the criteria to join coffee cooperatives, access inputs on credit, and make coffee sales.
Luckily, we have taken the initiative to join this project along with Farm Africa and the UK-AID to help empower women in Agriculture thereby improving their standards of living in the long run.
Please book a trip with us and engage in the local Coffee making process tour where you can get a chance to volunteer, donate, and engage with the women in coffee at only 30$ per person. You can also buy good-packed coffee as a souvenir to further support these women.
For more information, visit the website at the link below.