Travel Wish: Travel with Ascend

For years , yes years, I have wanted to go on a Humanitarian Expedition vacation. The Ascend Humanitarian Alliance, which is the same place that I volunteered with at their Gala last September, has a really awesome program, and I really, really, really would like to venture on to an experience with them.

Go on a humanitarian expedition to a developing country that brings together volunteers desiring to empower those in need to save their children and ascend out of poverty. ASCEND expeditions offer opportunities for personal growth through Service Learning: a means of educating oneself through the experience of providing a service to someone in need. Participants can expect a life changing experience as they open their hearts and minds to appreciate a different culture and serve those in need. Expedition participants will generally have five to six days of service work, although expedition formats vary.

Currently, ASCEND is taking expedition groups to Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Ethiopia, and Mozambique. Service activities are designed to assist local staff and volunteers by addressing priorities in one or multiple solution areas including education, enterprise, health, and simple technologies

Quoted information, as well as photo insert source can be found here at the Ascend website.

I would really want to go on the Expedition to Mozambique. Mostly because I have a HUGE thing for Africa, and would love to help the African people. Plus, Mozambique would allow me to flex a little of my French muscles. However, I would really be okay with going to any of the places with Ascend. I really hope to get an Internship with the nonprofit in January - for Spring semester, here at their headquarters in Utah, and then go on an Expedition after.

One of these days..

* I plan on applying for an Internship position with Ascend in January 2010, and many times after you do an Internship with them, they give you a small scholarship amount to go towards doing an expedition with them. So hopefully this travel wish won't stay a wish for too long.. *