Hermanos
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Hermanos - "Brothers & Sisters"
On Christmas Eve 2007 a series of events took place and the realization hit us that there are still many people in our Mexican community who are not touched by the "magic wand" of tourism. There are still many families struggling to get by, currently seeing little to no benefit from the 'tourism boom' in Jalcomulco. Taking our already successful model of micro philanthropy one step further we felt that we could encourage our guests to engage in a little micro philanthropy themselves. We thought we could ease the process in making micro donations to people in the community that could benefit from them most. We have put together a series of small low cost donations that our guests could give back to the community in a small but engaging way while at the same time making a particular connection with the most humble and challenged families in town.
The background on Hermanos
Jalcomulco, Mexico
Jalcomulco has traditionally been known for coffee, mangos, sugar cane and crayfish. Today Jalcomulco is also known for eco-adventure tourism... where world-class adventure activities such as rafting, kayaking, canoeing, rappelling, zip lines and awe inspiring trekking abound. Tourism has made the lives of many townspeople more stable, more comfortable and more lucrative. Esprit arrived in Jalcomulco in 1995. We had worked in many places around the globe and quickly became enamoured not just by the beautiful vistas and world-class adventures but by the friendly, honest hard working people. We started investing in our friends, donating small amounts of our private funds, and just as micro-lending and micro credits were coming into vogue in other parts of the world. our small scale micro-philanthropy was truly making a positive impact to particular families. Successful businesses and partnerships started to flourish. We realized that "by giving, we gain". Some notable accomplishments over the years include the opening of the communities first internet café, a photo business, a local rafting company employing local guides, the production of a local artist's music CD, the development of the "Worlds Smallest Museum" and a fair-trade coffee purchase program.
La Meta (Our Goal)
To facilitate our guest's ability to perform a "random act of kindness" to someone less fortunate in the community, someone beyond the touch of tourism.
Regalos (Gifts)
For 250 pesos ($25) our guests can purchase and deliver a small donation of their choice. - A dispensa (food basket) enabling a family's right to cook - Energy efficient light bulbs enabling a family's right to affordable light (and using less power) - A soccer ball and jersey enabling a child's right to play - A colouring, reading and writing set enabling a child's right to learn. Other donations ideas include bikes, school uniforms; baby baskets. The ideas are unlimited!
Estamos en Marcha
(From a model to a movement)
The story does not end here. It's just about to begin. We now have the model. Now it is time to make it a movement. As we have done in Mexico, other tourism outfitters can do elsewhere in the world, perhaps everywhere in the world! To find out more about how you can help spread Hermanos "a model of micro-philanthropy" to a community near you please contact us through our application on www.changemakers.com or e-mail us directly at mexico@whitewater.ca.
