Ascend Travel Project Solution Areas

Ascend Travel uses a capacity-building program for integrated community and family development, which includes documenting measurable objectives. This program is based on the Ascend Humanitarian Alliance's sustainable development program, which has successfuly helped hundreds of communities eliminate poverty over the past 28 years. Solution areas are: 1) Education, 2) Enterprise, 3) Health, and 4) Technology & Construction. Program progress is documented using web-based systems. Community-based councils are organized to coordinate with Ascend. These councils nominate community workers, who are trained in solution areas and survey the families they teach. In-country staff members check the data and enter it into an Internet database and blogs on a regular basis. Ascend Travel holds itself accountable to donors and provides them with specific information on the result of their contribution. True sustainability requires what we define as "graduation." Ascend Programs work towards a phased-in, self-funding plan so that development activities and communities can operate using their own resources, and are no longer dependent on Ascend. This "graduation" enables Ascend to continue to expand its reach and impact, without taking on huge commitments for long-term maintenance of programs.

Education and life-skills mentoring are keys to sustainability. Our staff, service expeditioners, volunteers and interns assist beneficiaries to develop skills that foster self-reliance and open doors to a better life. Classes and workshops that are taught in local schools or community centers to adults and children by Ascend Staff and Expeditioners are as follows:

 

 

Basic infrastructure is lacking in the communities where we work. Simple technology projects are the answer to this need and they are affordable, easy to construct with predominantly local materials, and inexpensive to maintain. Ascend Travel arranges simple technology projects as such: 1) Community donates local materials and unskilled labor (i.e. stones, adobe bricks, lumber, etc.) 2) Local government provides skilled labor, blueprints and transportation of materials. 3) Ascend Travel provides non-local materials and skilled and unskilled labor from volunteers. These projects leave behind a visible contribution for program participants and when carried out correctly, an important benefit for the communities where they are built and maintained. Examples of Simple Technology projects carried of by Ascend Travel are as follow:

Ascend's health initiatives emphasize training and mentoring by promoting health in schools, hygiene and nutritional training, improved agricultural practices, and improved medical attention in health facilities by training staff and improving basic infrastructure. Medical campaigns are employed to meet immediate health needs, but also include educational workshops focused on empowering community members to improve their own health. Medical teams work in communities, health fairs, clinics and hospitals serving the needs of people without resources. Teams offer training to local doctors, medical students and/or community health workers. Surgeries and health/dental campaigns may also be part of the mission.

 

Ascend is proud to offer the Ascend Business Training Program. The main focus of the business course is empowering aspiring entrepreneurs to boost their sales, lower their costs, improve their savings and eliminate debt. The course consists of 18 lessons and includes professional guest speakers. Business Teams focus on training those less fortunate with basic knowledge and principles necessary to operate a successful small business. Teams may offer seminars as well as mentor one-on-one to help provide hands-on practice.