My husband and I have been trying to find a way to send our teenagers to a third world country. No...not to stay! Though it's tempting at times. We're thinking hard labor service. You know, work the grouchies out of them, help them learn to look outside of themselves, develop some deep gratitude for all they have, and really help someone or many someones in a way that will change lives and lift communities.
So this is what we found. There are several local organizations who take teenagers on two week-ish excursions to roll up their sleeves and do some good in this world. (While I know there are many other groups that do such things, I think I'd feel better working with a local group. Paranoid, I know.) Some of the places they go have been Bolivia, Tonga, Kenya, Mexico, Fiji, Brazil and Peru. While there, they may do all kinds of things like build schools, orphanages, dig wells, anything that will help the locals pull themselves out of despair and poverty. Most of these groups also include a day or two of sight-seeing. Because they are non-profit, those going can solicit help to pay for it from individuals and businesses who can write it off as a charitable contribution. Each group is chaperoned by several adult volunteers. In our case, either my hubby or I would go too.
Some of the groups we have found are:
http://www.ays.org/
http://www.hopeprojects.net/
http://www.youthlinc.org/
We're thinking we'll take our oldest in 2011. Extra bonus...he can do his Eagle project for scouts as part of his trip!
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