TO: ROTARIANS AND FRIENDS
FROM: CHRIS SNYDER
DATE August 9, 2019
RE: ROTARY & FRIENDS SWEAT EQUITY TRIP TO EL SALVADOR – Jan. 10, 2020- Jan. 19, 2020
Hello Everyone,
Get ready for our first ever trip to El Salvador to build homes for people living in rural areas. This is a chance to escape the January cold and do something very worthwhile for a very low cost.
Our scheduled date of departure from Toronto is Friday, January, 10th, 2020 and leaving San Salvador Sun. January 19th, 2020. It will be sponsored by The Rotary Club of Toronto. Forms are included to be filled in and returned. Preference will be given to members of The Rotary Club of Toronto and those who have been on trips before until Oct. 1st. After the 1st, it will be opened up to others. Note: team size will be limited to 20 people. Many from previous trips have expressed an interest.
Our Work
We will be helping to build homes for very poor people. These homes are pre-cast. The recipients and other local people will work with us on the project. It will be overseen by local Rotarians from the San Salvador Noreoste Club.
There have already been a number of homes (125) built by this club in partnership with a number of Rotary clubs in Canada and the US. These homes are made from prefabricated concrete pieces.
The co-ordination, purchase of materials, local transportation, arrangement of housing etc. will be overseen by the Noroeste Rotary Club under the general guidance of Tito Mancia, a local Rotarian. Tito is well known to Paul Cusimano, one of the organizers.
Other Activities
We will be met on arrival, taken to our hotel and introduced to the local people. The first day will be spent acclimatizing and seeing the surrounding area. This includes the lush jungle area, beaches and volcano. El Salvador is also known for its coffee plantations. We will also learn about their flora and birds.
As with other trips, we will be interfacing with local people, being present in the schools and spending time in the largest city San Salvador. The people are very poor, education is underfunded and there is much inequality. Many of these people try to escape to other countries including the US. Instead of barring them from entry and treating them as criminals, most experts believe the solution is to improve the country and the welfare of the people. This is what we will be doing.
Partners
We will be partnering with The Rotary Club of Noroeste in San Salvador. They have hosted many Rotary groups from Canada and the US in similar building projects.
Trip Leaders
From Canada, the team leaders will be Chris Snyder, Brian Westlake and Paul Cusimano. Others who have been on these trips before will assist as well. In El Salvador, Tito Mancia, a local Rotarian, will be the leader. Paul speaks fluent Spanish and travels to El Salvador 3 or 4 times a year.
Transportation
We will fly from Toronto to El Salvador. The flight either goes direct or stops in US. Alternate trips can be arranged, if desired, with our travel agent. Our flights do not include cancellation insurance. If you would like cancellation insurance that will be extra and is your expense.
Trip Cost
Assuming 20 people, the donation for each person and made by each individual is $3,800. This includes airfare, accommodation, food, transportation and building supplies for 4 houses. Each person will make a charitable donation in Canadian dollars payable to The Rotary Club of Toronto (Phil Fund), the sponsor. The Rotary Club of Toronto will issue tax receipts after the trip.
A deposit of $400.00 is required with the Application Form to guarantee your place along with the remaining post-dated cheques before Oct. 1st for members of The Rotary Club of Toronto and previous sweat equity participants. After this Oct 1st, the trip will be opened up to others as outlined earlier. We will advise of availability shortly after Oct. 1st.
Participants should mail post-dated cheques as follows:
Cheques in the form of a donation are tax-receiptable and are to be made payable to
THE ROTARY CLUB OF TORONTO (PHIL FUND)
Deposit with Application – $400.00 (non-refundable)
Oct. 15th, 2019 – $1,700.00
Dec. 1st, 2019 – $1,700.00
Mail all cheques to: CONTACT JULIE DUNAISKIS (Julie@eccgroup.ca) to receive the details by email.
Please send in all cheques together, post-date accordingly and fill in the attached participant application form (using your full name as it appears on your passport) along with the waiver as soon as possible. You may also send in a cheque for the full amount.
• Note: while we hope you will not have to cancel, if you do cancel for health reasons, you will receive a refund of the full amount less $400.00 plus an airline cancellation fee.
• If there are extra expenses because of alternate travelling arrangements, this will be for your account.
Note: We suggest you send in the form and money as soon as possible to guarantee a place on the trip. The $400.00 will hold your place and is not refundable.
The cost will include our transportation, basic meals and accommodation. Locally, we will be travelling by bus, vans and other local vehicles. In addition to your expenses, your donation will pay for building supplies, employing local people to do the building, school supplies and other things required by the local people.
Personal sightseeing etc. would be extra for participants and is not receiptable. Additional funds could be raised from other sources to provide additional houses and other needed items.
Accommodation and Contact Information
We will be staying at a local hotel. (Do not expect the TaProhm Hotel in Cambodia for those who have been). It is located close to where we will be working but is clean and safe. We will have double rooms. If you wish a single room, this will be an extra cost. We will advise the cost later.
Changes and Separate Excursions
If you wish to make separate travel plans before or after, please review with Chris Snyder at (416) 364-0181 Ext. 2501, email snyder@eccgroup.ca or 905-990-1735. The cost of any changes is your expense. You can connect with the travel agent.
Weekend Outings
We will visit local places of interest. These have not been determined but there are many. Part of these trips is to provide an insight into their world. This will include a visit to a coffee plantation and other things of local interest. We will advise details later.
Passports & Visas
You will need a passport that has an expiry date not less than 6 months after your scheduled departure from El Salvador. A visa is necessary but will be arranged in advance and included in the price.
What to Bring
Your attitude is the most important thing to bring, however, once we have received your deposit, you will be sent a “what to bring” sheet as well as a wish list. Because of weight allowances, the extras we bring will be less than other trips.
Travelling Money
You will need to bring money for weekend outings, separate souvenirs and possible optional dinners. We will be visiting local markets. We suggest you bring at least $500 US in cash as US currency is commonly used. ATMs are generally not available and credit cards may be used in some places in the cities.
Participation
This is a trip in which everyone participates. Many activities will be group activities, however, it is recognized there is a need for individual space. It is not intended that anyone receives special treatment. We will be working alongside local people. The main focus will be to build, however, we will provide opportunities to participate in local activities at other places in schools and other organizations. It may take some time to get into the swing of the building and a certain amount of flexibility is required. We do not ask anyone to do more than they are able to physically or mentally do, but you should keep in mind this is a physical trip.
The schedule is important. It will be necessary for everyone to be on time. It is not fair for one person to hold up the entire group. Meals, flights, tours and meetings need to operate on schedule. Please act with the entire group’s welfare in mind.
Fundraising
We have found that friends and others wish to make donations to help with the building of the homes. We will send a draft letter later to use as we get closer to the date.
First Aid/Medical
Report any medical problems to the team leader immediately.
Because El Salvador is a hot tropical country, it is important to drink plenty of water whether you think you are thirsty or not. Water and other liquids will be provided for you on the job site.
Check with your family doctor to determine your personal needs for inoculations and for special medical precautions. We have been advised that malaria pills are not necessary for El Salvador, however, check with your local travel clinic. We would recommend Ducarol, which helps with stomach problems. Please bring any medical issues to the attention of the trip organizers.
The food is local and basic. Every care will be taken to ensure it is well prepared, cleaned and safe. You should, though, exercise great caution. You may wish to bring such things as peanut butter, granola bars or dry fruit.
Out of country health insurance coverage is your responsibility.
Pre-Trip Meeting
We will schedule an information meeting likely in Sept/Oct. This meeting is not compulsory, however, we will share more information and answer questions. It will also introduce you to a number of the other participants. Please plan to come to it, particularly if you have not been with us on a sweat equity trip before and are contemplating coming and wanting more info.
If you are interested in more background, here are some books and websites that will help.
An Imperfect Offering – James Orbinski – co-founder of Dignitas, Past President of Doctors Without Borders
Three Cups of Tea and Stones to Schools – Greg Mortensen – Greg grew up in Moshi, however, he has spent the past 10 years building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan
The End of Poverty – Jeffrey Sachs
Creating a World Without Poverty – Muhammad Yunus(former Nobel Peace
Prize Winner)
The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing & What Can Be Done About It – Paul Collier
Dead Aid – Dambisa Moyo
Common Wealth – Jeffrey Sachs – a great book by one of the world’s foremost developing country economists
Race Against Time – Stephen Lewis – about the AIDS pandemic and other poverty-related issues
Creating Opportunities: A Volunteer’s Memoir – Chris Snyder – several sweat equity trips are mentioned in his personal reflections
Creating Opportunities – A Volunteer's Memoir
FACEBOOK https://facebook.com/70YearVolunteer/
BLOG http://chrissnyder.makeanimpact.ca/
internet: makeanimpact.ca – our sweat equity website
In Summary
Past trips have been highlighted by the camaraderie not only with the people on the trip but the wonderful local people with whom we work. The work is a means to understand the issues of the people as well as providing them with assistance which will help improve their lives.
Regards,
Chris Snyder Brian Westlake Paul Cusimano
Coordinator, District 7070 Team Leader Team Leader
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