Overseas Charities

Responsible travel is about doing business properly, not just supporting charities. However, we are firm believers that travellers and tour operators should put something back into the communities they visit for the benefit of those who are unable to reap the benefits of tourism. Many of the people we work with share this ethos and more than 40% of our ground agents are also involved with local charitable causes.

When it comes to finding worthwhile causes and initiatives overseas, it is our tour leaders and agents who have the passion and knowledge to find the projects that really make a difference. Last year we wanted to help our leaders support the causes that they feel strongly about, so we ran the ‘Responsible Tourism Project Competition’. This was open to all tour leaders and agents around the world and allowed them to nominate a project, charity or initiative that they felt deserved our support. The winning project was given £1,000 and two runners up were given £500 each. Further information on the winning projects can be found here.

We also currently sponsor many other projects which you too can support (you can find a list of these below). In addition, on many tours it may be possible to visit a school or local project. Over the years we have helped many local communities with small but important projects such as building a community hall for our porters’ village in Peru, supporting disaster relief following the earthquakes in Pakistan and Gujarat, and providing a threshing machine for a village in Cambodia. Following the 2004 tsunami, Explore, its staff, customers and friends raised over £28,000 and sent over 8,000kgs of supplies to the affected areas. Check your trip dossier for what we are doing in the country you are visiting and how you can get involved.

We hope that you will consider continuing the support of these worthwhile causes once you return home. Membership and regular donations are the best ways to support as they give these worthwhile projects stability to plan for the future. Most donations in the UK can be made with Gift Aid which enables the charity to claim an extra 28p for every £1 given. For this reason, in most cases we do not encourage or accept donations directly whilst on tour. 

Note that we are unable to send or pass on gifts to individuals or organisations on your behalf due to airline security and luggage restrictions. If you wish to give gifts, please take them with you. Remember, the best way to support our charities is financially. If you do take gifts with you, please ask your Tour Leader for advice on how to give.

Charity		About the charity		What we are doing
www.toftigers.org		Travel Operators For Tigers (TOFT) is a travel industry body which works with suppliers in India's wildlife reserves to support conservation and motivates the local community to protect the tiger.		Since joining we have also enlisted our supplier in India and have been working with the hotels and lodges we use to ensure they are working to preserve the environment and support local people to protect the tiger. Read more.
www.savegalapagos.org		The Galapagos Conservation Trust is a UK registered charity which raises awareness and funds for a variety of conservation and education projects in the Galapagos.		Explore is a corporate member of the Galapagos Conservation Trust and our fee gives a regular income to the organisation’s projects. Read more.
www.foc-uk.com		Founded in 1982 to prevent degradation of the Masai Mara, FOC now runs conservation projects worldwide and is committed to working with local people to promote a balance between their needs and those of the wildlife with which they share their natural habitat.		We have contributed to FOC annually for as long as we can remember! We are working to add further value through links to their projects on our tours. Individual trip dossiers give details on specific projects. Read more.
www.wildorphans.org		The Fox family who run the Mufindi Tea Estate in the Mufindi Highlands established Orphans in the Wild to build a village for these children that will care for around 70 local children in a family environment.		As well as making an annual donation, we’ve been able to give the construction fund a boost through a special promotion in 2007 which raised over £4,000. Read more.
www.hopefoundation.org.in		The Hope Foundation works throughout India, supporting some of India’s poorest and most vulnerable communities through developing healthcare, education and vocational training.		We first worked with Hope in the immediate aftermath of the tsunami and purchased 5 fishing boats, complete with nets, to enable a South Indian community to get back to work. Since 2005 we have been sponsoring a teacher and recently purchased a new library for the school. Read more.
Azafady  www.azafady.org		Azafady is an award winning UK registered charity and Malagasy NGO which works in partnership with disadvantaged communities to improve living standards and quality of life in positive coexistence with the fragile and unique local environment.		Each year we sponsor the Azafady prize draw. Read more.
Sunshine Project www.sunshine-international.org.uk		The Sunshine Project in Luxor cares for abandoned children. Sunshine is working to give these children a decent start in life by providing a caring home and schooling.		We make an annual donation to Sunshine – consistent support they can rely upon. Read more.
Education for All  www.educationforallmorocco.org		Very few girls from the rural communities in the High Atlas get the chance to continue their education after primary school. To help tackle this, Education for All has constructed the first girls’ boarding house for 24 girls.		Explore are sponsoring 3 girls through their secondary education; paying their boarding fees and expenses. Read more.
Serendip the Elephant		In September 2007, Explore became the proud adoptive parent to a beautiful baby elephant who was rescued and transferred to the Elephant Transit Home at Udawalawe National Park when she was only 3 or 4 days old.		We 'adopted' Serendip and our sponsorship kept her fed and paid for vets bills until she was old enough to be released into the wild, which happened on 23rd June 2012. Read more.