WorldVentures Foundation Sets Newest Goal: To Build 17 Bottle Schools in 2017
Campaign made possible due to the support, donors & relationship with Hug It Forward
Plano, Texas, January 30, 2017 – WorldVentures Foundation, a non-profit organization with a passion for giving back and making a difference in the world by supporting underserved children, has launched a year-long campaign for 2017 – to build 17 bottle schools in Guatemala, a country with more garbage dumps than any other country in Central America.
The campaign continues WorldVentures Foundation’s impact by supporting underserved children and giving them an opportunity to receive an education and bring the Guatemalan community together by discarding 10,000 plastic bottles and thousands of pounds of trash.
“Giving and serving are at the core of what we stand for, Guatemala is a country that we have always been committed to serve, and that commitment continues with the 17IN17 campaign. Bottle-school technology aligns with our vision to promote education and preserve Earth’s natural resources” said Gwyneth Lloyd, Executive Director of WorldVentures Foundation (WVF).
According to reports from the Global Education Fund and UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2014-2015, only three of 10 children in Guatemala complete the sixth grade, and less than 30 percent of indigenous girls in rural villages are enrolled in school. Rural children face more adversity because there is no trash pickup in remote mountain communities. This need for accessible education is the motivation behind the bottle school efforts.
“Everyone at Hug It Forward was inspired and impacted by the World Ventures family supporting us by funding 17 bottle schools in 2017! We feel very blessed and honored to be partnered with such an amazing foundation. We are very excited about having the volunteers and donors come down to see firsthand the impact they are having in the country of Guatemala!” added Zach Balle, CEO and Founder, Hug it Forward (HIF).
Bottle schools are built using "eco-bricks" – plastic bottles filled with inorganic materials. Turning one bottle into an eco-brick takes ~100 small plastic bags the size of potato chip bags, or the equivalent, and about two hours of tight hand-stuffing. It then takes about 10,000 of those bottles and $19,000 to build one school.
This accomplishment would not be possible without the VolunTours, the flagship initiative of the WorldVentures Foundation. VolunTours engage travelers in volunteering while vacationing globally; because of these unique travel experiences 100 bottle schools have been built to date in Guatemala. For more information and to Donate today: https://impact.wvfoundation.org/campaign/17-bottle-schools-in-2017/c101627.
About Hug It Forward
Hug It Forward is a grass-roots organization that facilitates education and awareness by empowering communities to build “bottle schools”. Bottle schools are schools built using “eco-bricks”: plastic bottles stuffed with inorganic trash. Entire communities come together to build more sustainable educational infrastructure for their future. Hug It Forward also strives to raise awareness in developed countries about trash, consumption and the power of community. This mission is equally important to us as facilitating the construction of bottle schools in developing countries. Visit www.hugitforward.org for more information.
About WorldVentures Foundation
The WorldVentures Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization with a mission to create positive change in the lives of children all over the world. The Foundation supports sustainable programs that promote children’s health, happiness, safety and development. Represented by the Heart to Serve logo and tagline, the mission is accomplished through four main ways: VolunTours, Volunteer Days, DreamCourts™ and fundraising. Learn more at www.worldventuresfoundation.org.
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