Book now to reserve your spot on Suzanne Broffman and Debra Given’s bottle school trip: August 14-20, 2014
Join us on our second Voluntourism trip to Guatemala with Hug It Forward to help build bottle schools. This is a unique opportunity to work with Guatemalan community members to build classrooms out of eco-bricks, plastic bottles stuffed with inorganic trash, which are then covered with cement to make walls.
Our group will work with the community, providing some short-term energy and assistance, but most of the work is done by the community members themselves. And that is how it should be. The point is not only to build sustainable infrastructure in the form of schools to educate the children, but also to raise awareness about trash, consumption and the power of community. And the community members are rightfully proud of their accomplishments.
The trip includes many opportunities not only to work, but also to learn about the Guatemalan culture and visit interesting sites. We will spend an afternoon at the Mayan ruins and learn some history of the country, visit local homes and see how families live outside of the cities, hear a community member recount his experience living through the Guatemalan civil war, visit a coffee plantation, and walk the streets of the picturesque colonial town of Antigua (a UNESCO World Heritage Center). Come join members of the Leonia Presbyterian Church and the Community of Friends in Action on a trip that will connect you with others who are collectively trying to create a better future for their children.
– Suzanne Broffman and Debra Given
Suzanne painting the new school in Chisunuc
A slideshow of our bottle school trip in July 2013
Some pictures from our bottle school trip in July 2013
Debra working on the bottle school in Xesuj
Community member throwing cement
Painting the new school in Chisunuc
Being embraced by the community
How kids and communities build bottle schools
Spending time at the Mayan Ruins
Group performing music for the community
Filling the walls with cement
Want to know more?
Visit the Hug It Forward web site to find out all about bottle schools.
Information about your trip
Please make sure you read all the information on this web site, including the Information section and the FAQ.
Book now by Paypal, or by check
Your bottle school trip costs $1,195 per person. What does this include?
You can reserve your spot by paying a $595 non-refundable deposit by April 14th, 2014, with the balance ($600) payable in full by June 14th, 2014.
Please make sure you have read the Terms and Conditions before booking.
Have you read the Terms and Conditions?
How to pay for your trip
There are several ways to pay for your bottle school trip. You can avoid paying fees if you choose Option 1 or Option 2. Choose Option 1 if you have a PayPal balance or if your bank account is linked to PayPal. If neither of these are the case, please choose Option 2 to avoid paying fees. If you want to use PayPal and don’t mind paying fees, please choose Option 3.
Option 1:Pay using Paypal’s “Send Money” feature”
- Log in to Paypal (www.paypal.com)
- Click the “Send Money” tab
- Enter our email address servetheworldtoday@gmail.com and the amount $1,195 (or $595 if you are just paying a deposit now)
- Before you click “Continue”, choose the “I’m sending money to family or friends” button. If you have a PayPal balance or your bank account is linked to PayPal, you will not have to pay fees. If neither of these are the case, please choose Option 2 or Option 3
- In the “Message” box on the following page, please enter which trip you are booking!
- That’s it!
Option 2:Mail us a check
- Mail a check payable to “Serve The World Today” to:
Serve The World Today
4307 1/2 Ocean Blvd
San Diego
CA 92109 - Send us an email to servetheworldtoday@gmail.com – please tell us:
- That you sent a check and what the amount was ($1,195 per person, or $595 if you are just paying a deposit now)
- Which trip the check is for
- The name on the check
Option 3: Paying by Paypal (this costs $36 in fees)
Click the “Buy Now” button on the right to pay the $1,195 cost of your voluntourism trip, plus $36 in Paypal fees.
Click the “Buy Now” button on the left to pay the $595 non-refundable deposit for your voluntourism trip.
Fundraising for bottle schools
You might also like to fundraise for Hug It Forward bottle schools. Fundraising for bottle schools is optional – it is not a requirement of participating in a bottle school trip.
If you choose to fundraise, we suggest a $250 fundraising goal, but some people choose to do more or less than this. It’s really up to you – how much you think your friends and families can give, how creative you can be, and how much time you’re prepared to put into it.