What can Operation Groundswell offer that other trips can’t?
Lowest Possible Price – Real Experience – Amazing Projects – Independence – Ethical Travel
Price:
We have yet to find an organization that comes close to our price. Don’t believe us? See for yourself. As a registered Canadian non-profit organization we make sure our trips are as cheap as financially possible. We run a lean organization so we can stay affordable.
| Organization | Length of Trip | Including Flight? | Price |
| Cross-Cultural Solutions | 6 Weeks | No | $5,024 |
| Me to We | 3 Weeks | Yes | $4,995 |
| Projects Abroad | 4 Weeks | No | $3,095 |
| Operation Groundswell | 6 weeks | No | $2,499 |
Real Experiences:
Operation Groundswell is not a guided tour or a vacation. Our trips are intentionally designed to uncover the intricacies and on-the-ground realities of the everyday experience in each region. Participants eat local food, use local transport and survive each day as a temporary local. While we move generally as a group, participants are encouraged to heed the backpackers mentality, exploring as much as possible in small groups or by themselves, with the permission of trip organizers of course.
Projects:
Operation Groundswell trips focus around the core concepts of exploration, education and engagement. There are two types of projects on each trip:
Group Project: Our group projects focus on the needs of our partners and emerge from the requests of local communities. Check our past projects archive to see a list of our previous projects. They are pretty awesome.
Personal Project: Along with the group project, each participant will be urged to connect with locals throughout their experience. Participants have fixed computer labs, painted murals and benches, fixed wheelchairs, organized libraries and soccer tournaments. While it is impossible to foresee the true needs of locals before departing, all participants will be asked to initiate a project to create a lasting change while you’re on the ground.
Fundraising: Crucial to the projects are a mandatory fundraising requirement. While Operation Groundswell is not a development organization, we believe that true lasting change cannot happen during the short span of our trips. However, the funding we provide along with the impetus to make a project happen causes long-term benefits for our partner communities.
Independence:
As trip leaders, our goal is to facilitate the experience not manufacture it. Operation Groundswell trips have a block of time called Independent Travel Time (ITT) near the end of each program. Averaging between seven to ten days, this time allows participants to explore and engage in a more personal way. We encourage participants to set out in small groups for this time, but some may choose to go it alone. Trip organizers will provide all participants with a personalized guide of places to see and contacts to utilize. It is important to understand: During this time, participants are not under the auspices of the organized program and are entirely responsible for themselves. Participants are given the emergency contact number of trip organizers during ITT for any advice or safety concerns. After ITT, the entire group reconvenes for a trip debriefing known as the ‘Disorientation’ prior to flying home.
Ethical Travel:
Our philosophy starts with the belief that your program should do no harm in any way. With global warming as a reality with serious everyday impacts on some of the communities we work with, we begin by carbon offsetting all of our flights. Next, we work for our partner communities and only involve ourselves in community requested projects. Finally, our not-for-profit mandate states that we have to have your interests in mind over any profits. Check out “why we’re different” for more info on our philosophy.
