About Us:

The Compassionate Travel Foundation came into being in Belize, Central America, during the personal travels of Marilyn Perks and Dennis Taylor in February, 2008. Marilyn and Dennis were hoping to meet local people, build relationships, and discover resource gaps they could fill by networking back in the USA. The concept was triggered, in part, by the compassionate travel experiences documented two compelling books:  John Wood’s  Leaving Microsoft to Change the World and Greg Mortenson's Three Cups of Tea.  We thank them for  changing our lives.

So how do we start? What can we do?  We set off for Belize with 55 pairs of glasses collected from relatives, friends and our local Target Optical Department. We stuffed these into our suitcases to donate to the Lions’ Club in San Pedro, Belize.  The club president happily accepted the glasses, and that seemed to be the end of our project. Surely, we thought, there must be more we can do?

Looking for a "local" experience we stayed at the Maya Centre in the Stann Creek area (specifically at Nu’uk Che’il Cottages) for the three days following the Belize national election. As we finished dinner the first evening, we witnessed the sadness and worry of the Mayans as they gathered in the restaurant for a village meeting. They explained to us later (the meeting was conducted in their Mayan language), the political representative who had made sure all the village children could attend school was now out of power, and some families would not be able to afford the fees of around $200 per year per child to continue their children’s education.

 We visited the school and discovered they had no computers, insufficient desks, and a significant lack of the supplies that we take for granted. The principal did not have an internet connection, a working phone or a budget for repairs and maintenance.

We met with women from the Maya Centre Women's Group and learned they wanted used clothing to sell, sewing machines, fabrics for projects and school uniforms, patterns and notions. They also need sewing instruction and adult basic education. What we learned about gaps in the resources necessary for the growing success of the village and its people has kept us very busy ever since.

This page to be continued