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BwB's Donor Trek for Knowledge Program is a unique opportunity for groups of people to raise money to build a school in a rural village in a developing country and travel to that village to help build it. Donor Trek participants have a direct and lasting impact on the education of the community, bringing literacy and hope to hundreds of children and adults.
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Jennifer Torey (far left) and her son, Dylan, (far right)
work alongside villagers in Carro Grande, Nicaragua, in June 2007. |
In fall 2007, Building with Books is leading five Donor Treks to Mali, in western Africa, and one to Nicaragua. By living and working within rural communities in two of the poorest countries in the world, Donor Trek participants will be forever changed.
The strong sense of community, family and tradition will open participants' eyes to another way of life. The beauty of the local culture is profoundly moving, but so is the hardship and despair of the devastating poverty.
In the midst of these challenges, participants will experience firsthand the transformative power of education and the life-changing capacity of literacy. In the end, the Donor Trek for Knowledge is an affirmation of the human spirit and our ability to affect positive change in this world.
Who Goes on a Donor Trek?
BwB works with many different groups of people who are interested in raising money to build a school in a developing country and then travel there to help build it. Families who want to broaden the global awareness of their children and themselves. Groups of friends who want to raise money to help change the world and use their 'vacation time' to help those in need rather than lounge on a beach. Communities who want to adopt a 'sister' community on the other side of the world. What do they all have in common? The desire to help people in developing countries change their lives for the better.
High School students in BwB programs at their schools also have the opportunity to go on a Trek for Knowledge through their program. Click here for details.
How a Donor Trek Works
Working with Building with Books, participants (usually a group of four) select the country they would like help (currently Mali and Nicaragua) and when they'd like to travel. They then sign a covenant (agreement) with BwB committing to raising $30,000 to build the school plus the related travel expenses for their group of four. Related expenses amount to approximately $3,000 per person and includes airfare, immunizations and visa, accommodations in the and transportation in country.
As part of their commitment, participants are asked to provide the funds for the construction of the school in advance of departure. Funds can be donated directly by the donor or raised through a fundraising campaign - such as hosting dinners, benefit concerts, or parties. BwB will support these fundraising efforts and help develop a fundraising plan to reach the goal. In addition, BwB will help monitor the necessary medical, travel, and visa preparations in advance of the trek.
Once in country's capital city, a BwB Trek Coordinator will meet the flight and be with the group for the duration of the Trek. All transportation and accommodations for the Trek will be arranged in advance and the BwB Trek Coordinator will serve as translator.
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| Members of the Hubbard family sort through rocks during their Donor Trek to Nicaragua. |
Arrival in the Village
When Donor Trek participants arrive in the village, they will be warmly welcomed by villagers who are eager to work alongside them in building their school. Elaborate and festive ceremonies often welcome BwB visitors as they are esteemed guests.
Mornings are spent on the construction site working alongside villagers to make bricks, sift sand, carry water and excavate the foundation for the new school.
During the afternoon, BwB will arrange cultural events to immerse participants in village life. Such activities could include meeting with the village elders, hearing from the medicine man, or visiting a nearby BwB school already in use.
Participants live in the village in accommodations provided by a host family. Conditions are spartan but host families are honored by are eager to make participants' stay comfortable. Donor Treks include a host cook who is responsible for preparing all meals.
Donor Treks generally last one week. This is enough time to see progress on the school and grow close to a new set of friends. Departure from the village is often accompanied by another ceremony and a few tears. The BwB trek coordinator will stay with participants until they fly home.
A Typical Day on Donor Trek: Mali
On a Donor Trek to Mali, a typical day starts with the sunrise.
By 5:30 in the morning, the compounds are bustling with activity, the women are carrying water and pounding millet for breakfast, while the children are busy with morning chores. Malians typically bath first thing in the morning and then again after work. Depending on the season, they may be very busy with their work in the fields as the villagers are almost exclusively subsistence farmers.
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| Women sift sand at the school construction site in Bougouni, Mali. |
After the morning rituals and breakfast, Trek participants head to the work site to beat the afternoon heat. Their work mainly consists of digging, picking, sifting, mixing concrete, making bricks, carrying water, and tying rebar. It is physically hard work; everything is done by hand.
After lunch there is time to bathe, rest and get ready for afternoon activities. Depending on the interests of the Donor Trek group, cultural education workshops with prominent members of the community will be arranged by BwB. These workshops could be anything from sitting with the village elders, working with the blacksmiths, speaking with the Imam, learning about village midwifery, to attending classes with the children in the temporary school structure.
The rest of the afternoon will be spent enjoying with the host family, maybe helping them with chores and playing games with the children. After dinner, the favorite pastimes are checkers or cards, everyone will crowd around to watch the fun. No matter what the activity or the time of day, many hours will be spent learning simple Bambara words and teaching basic English.
Learn More About Donor Treks
BwB challenges participants of the Donor Trek Program to be travelers not tourists. Tourists are people who try to take their accustomed style of life with them wherever they go. They travel in air-conditioned busses and collectively maintain their "otherness."
Travelers, however, adjust to the strangeness and newness of life in a different country. Travelers make the effort to understand and learn about the lifestyle of the country they are living in by doing as the locals do.
If you are interested in learning more about the Donor Trek program, contact
Marc Friedman, Chief Operating Officer, at mfriedman@buildingwithbooks.org
or (203) 357-3716.
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