The Backpacks 101 Project
Volunteer Abroad Program
4
JAMMERs volunteered
34,333+
kilometres travelled
280+
kids impacted
Growing with others around the globe.
JAM loves to keep charity initiatives local, but we also encourage our team to travel outside our community and country to help out in other nations and gain new cultural understandings. Our Volunteer Abroad Program provides 2-3 applicants per year with funding and extra vacation days to help them make a difference across borders. Below, explore a few of their experiences.
Karin in Kenya
Kenyala Little Stars Academy in Mbita
“I spent 4 weeks volunteering at an orphanage in rural Kenya. One of the things we thought to bring for the kids was balloons. They would play with the coloured spheres for hours until inevitably they would pop. Tears? Not a chance. They would pick up the pieces and carry them around like treasure.”
Nicole in India
Chokling Monastery in Dharamsala
“They showed me how, with a little imagination, any object could become a toy and any situation, a game. How easy it is to connect with a stranger, even when you speak a completely different language. How when you give back, you actually get so much more.”
Brienne in Honduras
El Hogar Orphanage in Tegucigalpa
“In the months leading up to visiting El Hogar – an orphanage in Tegucigalpa, Honduras – all I could think was “What can I take for the kids to make their lives better?” Though many of them were in desperate need of clothes, shoes and an education, a week in their presence proved that there was something they needed even more: love, attention and hope. The children at El Hogar taught me that there is always something we can offer the less fortunate; material goods are not always the answer.”
Aneta in Costa Rica
Habitat for Humanity in Buenos Aires
“Volunteering overseas was an incredible humbling experience – I gained a new perspective on everything back home and will no longer take for granted some of the “luxuries” of my life. It feels extremely rewarding to have built a house that a family can call home and to know I’ve left a lasting impact on a community for generations to come. The adventure has inspired me so much – my new goal is to build a house with Habitat on every continent.”