“We are very fortunate to have partnered with FSD to improve local communities—
and look forward to continuing our partnership into 2012.”
-- Randall Manley, principal of Lodestar Asset Management, co-founder of the Make It Real Foundation and alumnus of two traveling circles

Join Our Traveling Giving Circle Trip to SALTA, Argentina

Looking for a vacation where you can give as good as you get? One that allows you to revel in the local culture while giving back to the community?
Then consider a week in Salta, Argentina with FSD and our partner, the Make It Real Foundation. Our Traveling Giving Circle allows you to engage in international philanthropy—and experience a stunning corner of the world.

Join a select group of like-minded donors traveling to Salta this fall. You’ll observe sustainable solutions in progress—and fund projects with the greatest impact. After the donations have been awarded, you and fellow Circle members will receive ongoing reports on the progress of the projects.

You’ll combine your philanthropy with a vacation in one of the most appealing (and little-known!) parts of South America. Salta is very much still a reflection of its colonial past, with Spanish architecture dating back to the 18th century. Attractions abound—most notably, the city’s several stunning cathedrals, open to tourists during the day and beautifully lit by night. One of Salta’s many museums, the neoclassical Museum of High Mountain Archaeology, houses ancient Incan artifacts, including superbly preserved mummies. For a more relaxed day, you can catch a soccer game, explore the lively central plaza, or taste superb wines at a local vineyard. (You may want to add a visit Buenos Aires, one of the great capitals of the world, to your itinerary.) Check out the itinerary here!

FSD + SALTA

Salta became an official FSD site in 2011. The indigenous presence and embracement of traditional rural culture offers a rare opportunity to its visitors. You’ll be hosted by our Program Director who supports our effort to improve community development for local populations. You will observe several ongoing projects supported by our student interns, such as building organic community gardens, raising awareness about HIV/AIDS and the risks of human trafficking, and working on sustainable agriculture projects for indigenous populations. Perhaps most affecting is the music program FSD’s volunteers have helped build—an ongoing program that provides cultural engagement and life skills development with at-risk children.

FSD works closely with two organizations in Salta; Changuito de Dios and CeDRUS. The former is a youth center that works to change education and social paradigms for children from the Barrio Chalchaqui, a low-income neighborhood on the edge of the city. Their efforts focus on diminishing child labor, school drop out rates and instances of human trafficking by addressing development and social needs through daycare, nutritional meals, educational support and alternative recreational activities.

CeDRUS uses education and community action to promote sustainable development and prevent environmental deterioration. It uses workshops, seminars, campaigns, and public debate to educate the community on environmental awareness. CeDRUS then implements projects in urban planning, agricultural development, recycling, and other environmental issues. They also investigate community health and water situations, and implement projects to combat water contamination and scarcity.

FSD Giving Circles offer individuals the chance to travel and become immersed in community-based development projects. If you are interested in participating in this life-changing voyage to Salta, Argentina, please email julia@fsdinternational.org.

The Make It Real Foundation is provides like-minded people the opportunity to embrace a giving experience on a personal level through meaningful interactions with the beneficiaries of the charitable gifts, and to better understand the beneficiaries' situation through education and positive exposure to the culture of the area-in-need. To learn more, please visit Make It Real Foundation.
Saludos!