Impact Trips
Travel for Change
Hosted in conjunction with our partner, Actxplorer, impact trips create opportunities for meaningful and fun interactions, as well as allow travellers to contribute to projects that benefit the local communities. We accomplish this by collaborating with local groups, social enterprises, and non-governmental organisations to participate in projects for community development and economic empowerment.
Past Impact Trips
BALI HONEY
Bali Honey is natural raw honey (Pure Raw Honey) without pasteurization process, microfiltration, and dehumidifying so that the freshness of enzymes, vitamins, and all the beneficial minerals contained in it are maintained. Bali Honey also consistently maintains the purity of its products because it does not experience the addition of any substances so it benefits the health of the body.
KOPERNIK
We work with women weavers in Eastern Indonesia to make the cloth weaving process more comfortable for them. Right now, women sit on the floor and it’s literally back-breaking work to produce this extremely, culturally rich, and important cloth for their communities. And we have been working with the wood craftsman and the weaving community to improve the tool to make it more comfortable and encourage the younger generation to continue this tradition.
BYE BYE PLASTIC BAGS
With Bye Bye Plastic Bags, we focus as a youth organization primarily again on education. Trying to change the mindset of our community and those around We have created an educational booklet. This is our 2nd edition, a hundred pages, all in the local language. That shares a little bit about the problems but also about the solutions; how can young people take action. We have distributed over 11,000 booklets all around Indonesia to students in schools.
EARTH COMPANY
Based in Japan and Indonesia, Earth Company is an impact-driven social enterprise that offers transformational support to change-makers, delivers inspiring educational programs, provides professional consulting services, and manages a next generation eco hotel in Ubud, Bali called Mana Earthly Paradise. Earth Company aims to create a world that can be passed on to future generations.
GERASA
Generasi Bisa (Gerasa) is an Indonesian Non-profit organization that helps victims of drug abuse, sexual abuse, to recover and return as a productive member of the community. Gerasa's main programs are: Prevention Programs (Counseling, Campaign, Communication, Education and Information / KIE) Gerasa House Countermeasures program (After Care, Community Development) Completion Program (Skills Training and Social Enterprise)
SOCIAL EDUCATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP FOR CHILDREN
Dignity for Children Foundation is a one-stop holistic, community learning centres for the underprivileged urban poor, addressing the needs of children from pre-school level to IGCSE ‘O’ level and vocational skills.
Dignity has been recognised for its work in the world, hosting a visit by the President of the United States, Mr. Barack Obama in 2016 and being awarded the Sharjah International Award 2018.
ADEQUATE HOUSING FOR THE ORANG ASLI
Owning a home is complicated for most, and is a critical issue for those who live in poverty where access to adequate housing becomes even harder. We believe that the answer to solving this issue comes from collaboration, working together to uncover new solutions and opportunities. The EPIC Homes program is designed to develop support networks by bringing together rural and urban folk through the act of building homes, leading to the development of cooperative, resilient and sustainable communities.
EMPLOYMENT FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED
The concept of Dialogue in the Dark is simple, visitors are led by blind guides in groups through specially constructed dark rooms in which scent, sound, wind, temperature, and texture convey the characteristics of daily environments – for example, a park, a city or having a drink in a local stall. It becomes a new experience.
Blind people provide them with security and a sense of orientation by transmitting to them a world without pictures.
EDUCATION FOR THE UNDERPRIVILEGED – THE REFUGEES
IDEAS Academy believes in education for all. Education holds the key to global citizenship, which is something that no one regardless of background, race or economic situation should be denied. Our primary aim is that every child between 12 and 18 years old should gain a strong secondary educational foundation to become responsible, confident and compassionate citizens of tomorrow. We rely on the generosity of donors for support. Without the assistance of individuals just like you, we wouldn’t be able to pursue our mission to help these children.
EMPOWERING WOMEN THROUGH CRAFT
EARTH HEIR® works with over 100 artisans from women’s cooperatives, indigenous tribes, and refugee groups, across six states of Malaysia. By combining traditional artisanal skills with modern, contemporary design, Earth Heir is a true celebration of Malaysia’s varied heritage art forms and unique cultural narratives. We believe in human connections, and environmental stewardship and seek to keep heritage skills alive.
REBUILDING REFUGEE LIVES WITH CATERING
We identify families who can cook, train them to become professional chefs, design menu and packaging, run branding and marketing, and arrange logistics to deliver food cooked by the chefs to clients.
With this simple idea, we experimented with the business model with our first chef - Picha’s mother.
As they are putting food on your table, you are putting food on theirs.
PADEMANGAN DISTRICT HOUSING IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
Having volunteers who are a part of the community is extremely valuable in effecting impact. This is a housing project sustained by volunteers who were themselves beneficiaries of the home improvement work that changed their own quality of life.
Houses with inadequate space for large households and vulnerability to flooding inside houses, are key indicators the volunteers look out for when highlighting houses for re-development. The houses are privately-owned by residents.
YPU YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Yayasan Prima Unggul (YPU) is a children’s home that promotes the arts and entrepreneurship. Most of the children and youth come from Flores Island and Papua, which are parts of Indonesia with the highest level of poverty. Yet, the children at the organisation are extremely confident, vocal, and entrepreneurial.
The Foundation provides opportunities for talent development of students through learning opportunities to produce different types of food, and learning a variety of business skills.
GREAT LOVE VILLAGE IN CENGKARENG
The people of Angke River used to live in unlicensed buildings, which were very disordered and caused negative health impacts on the people. However, there was an enormous improvement in their comfort and living conditions after they moved into the 1st Tzu Chi Great Love Village in Cengkareng.
In the Great Love Village, there is a free health clinic, schools, and occupational training center to help the residents raise the economic status for their family.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUSTAINING EDUCATION
The mission of Al-Ashriyyah Nurul Iman Islamic Boarding School is to instil in its students love, virtue, character, and a capacity to care about others—in other words, to make them exemplary Muslims. With this mission, it is no surprise that ‘Nurul Iman’ means radiant faith, dazzling belief, or bright light of conviction.
When the Buddha’s compassion is combined with such “radiant faith,” the School is immersed in Great Love, the universal expression of love that is shared among all religions.
RURAL WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP MADE POSSIBLE
Paloma Shopway is a consumer goods distribution that provides opportunities for women in rural communities to become entrepreneurs through catalogue sales. Paloma also seeks to improve the lives of members through providing new experiences like overseas trips and members are welcomed to join family camps and marriage counselling courses. Paloma’s distribution network covers most of Indonesia.
YCAB YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
YCAB has evolved from a non-profit supported by donations, into a sustainable social enterprise throughout the years. Under the YCAB arm are 5 enterprises that fund their work.
On this trip, visit the vocational center that conducts workshops and classes for the youth, and later get to know their micro finance arm “YCAB Ventures” which supports over 40,000 female entrepreneurs in low income families. You’ll meet the female entrepreneurs of YCAB in an intimate sharing session.
MEEK FOUNDATION HOUSING PROJECT IN MARUNDA
More than just housing people, a good rusunawa (low-cost rental apartment complex) should provide adequate social and economic support for residents, many of whom have never lived in apartments, and are also now located further away from their places of employment.
Rusunawa Marunda is a good case study of how public-private partnerships are necessary to meet the needs of residents in education, skills training, and job-creation.
INDONESIA CARE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN TAMBORA
In 2016, 3 new towers were completed and Tambora now houses over 500 families within it’s compounds. Indonesia Care has been conducting it’s programs at Tambora, with 3 areas of focus: Education, health, and livelihood. This Impact Trip takes you throughout the housing estate of Tambora, of which you’ll be able to interact and engage with community members as well as Indonesia Care staff on various programs.
TBN delegates will also visit hold discussions with the ladies of the in-house sewing social enterprise.
PUBLIC COLLABORATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The focus of Habitat for Humanity’s work is on providing decent housing and settlements for marginalised communities. Habitat’s ability to mobilise volunteers from all over the world to work together for the greater good has brought homes to numerous communities over the years. In addition to good housing, Habitat provides community facilities such as schools, libraries, community centers, and playgrounds as well.
TZU CHI JAKARTA
Head to Tzu Chi Centre Jakarta to learn about the amazing work they have done all around Indonesia. We will go on a intimate guided tour of the compound to visit the school, exhibition centre, and auditorium, and speak to the volunteers who are hands and legs of the projects all around Jakarta.
WAHANA VISI COMMUNITY PROJECT
Jatinegara, located in East Jakarta which consists of 28% of Jakarta’s population, is one of the most crowded areas in city. Typically a crowded settlement, this results in a variety of environmental and health issues due to overcrowding and unhygienic living conditions. Due to it’s location, Jatinegara is also vulnerable to natural disasters, most particularly, flooding. Such as the one happening in 2007, which affected many lives. Wahana Visi’s work currently impacts 4 out of 7 villages in the sub-district. Their programs focus on child, youth, and economic development.