Meet Our Partners
We believe that to offer the best in modern, meaningful travel for women, we need to engage ethically, supportively, and safely with the communities we visit. We offer the absolute best in voluntourism by placing integrity at the center of positive social impact, interactive skill-sharing, and open-minded cultural exchange.
We spend many hands-on hours seeking, listening to and researching potential partnerships for our trips. Please enjoy meeting some of these wonderful people and the good work they do - here or in person on one of our adventures!
ADVENTURE TRAVEL TRADE ASSOCIATION USA
The Adventure Travel Trade Association inspires, connects and empowers the global community to do good through travel. We’re an ever-growing community of passionate travel professionals from destinations all around the globe. Inside our membership program and in-person events, you’ll discover enthusiastic people just like you who dedicate their life’s work to transforming people and places through adventure travel.
TRAVEL IMPACT ALLIANCE - USA
The Travel Impact Alliance is a community of change-makers, united by a love of exploration and doing good. Their community is made up of more than 20,000 individuals around the world who are committed to improving our world through tourism.
They have local chapters in more than 20 cities worldwide. Through education and advocacy around sustainable tourism, they are building a collaborative community that provides the tools and network to push our industry forward.
WANDERFUL - USA
Wanderful is the worlds first network for women who love to travel. There are local events, global chapters, conferences, trips and now a global networks of home sharing with the Wanderful community.
TAINO FARMS - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Taino Farm is a permaculture inspired, agro-tourism demonstration and education center inspiring sustainable, nutritious food, hidden away on a tropical river outside the surf town of Cabarete, on the north coast of the Dominican Republic.
The Taino Organic Farm is cutting edge for the region, with modern aquaponics and water management systems, vermiculture, animal husbandry practices, as well as apiculture and aquaculture. The systems are so advanced for the Dominican Republic that some of the country’s best Universities take field trips out to visit the farm to learn more about it’s systems.
ECUADOR NATURE EXPEDITIONS
Cristina Viteri has been helping us connect the dots for years and her deep insight and passion for her country has opened the dippers to some amazing organizations and communities. With a background education in Ecology and Tourism, she is the brains behind Ecuador Nature Expeditions. She has extensive experience in running tourism programs and is responsible for the complex logistics of the business. She speaks English, French and Spanish and has a basic knowledge of Japanese.
ENE is one of the leading tour companies in Ecuador specializing in nature, birding, Amazon, Galapagos and community-based tourism.
PAQOCHA - ECUADOR
Meet Felipe Segovia and Lorena Perez. They founded Paqocha in 2006 to bring together their love for the land of central Ecuador with their indigenous, Quechua roots. Paqocha (Quechua for Alpaca), was one of the first initiatives in Ecuador to restore alpacas to the region. They’ve taught and inspired local women the traditional art of spinning by hand, weaving, and naturally-dyeing the fleece, and in doing so have revived a sustainable livelihood for communities that have struggled for generations economically.
Only healthy humane practices of care are passed on through Felipe, who is deeply devoted to these animals. Top breeds are bought in Peru, with much importance placed on genetics and fiber quality, resulting in the Chimborazo region producing some of the best quality fleece in Ecuador. Felipe and Lorena purchase the spun fleece from the local women, and make beautiful, handmade products sold in Quito and beyond.
MANOS DE FE - GUATEMALA
Manos de Fe is a cooperative of women weavers in a small town outside Antigua Guatemala. Their mission is to preserve the rich traditions of weaving in their community. They work together as a group to promote community activities, tourism and women empowerment.
RAJPUT ADVENTURES - INDIA
Virendra Singh Chouhan is owner of RCA and also our trusted guide through all our India trips. His in-depth knowledge and passion for guiding has allowed Purposeful Nomad unprecedented access into many parts of India culture. He has a degree in Indian Hotel Management and Hospitality and has been working in this industry for almost 20 years.
Rajput Cultural Adventures are able to adapt a basic itinerary to your wishes and can suggest specialized tours if you have a particular interest in a geographical area or topics such as textiles, photography, architecture or cookery as examples. They have a vast in-depth knowledge of Rajasthan and neighboring areas and our aim is to make sure our guests get to see off-the-beaten tracks of India and experience the true culture and the people.
MARIPOSA FOUNDATION - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
The Mariposa DR Foundation was founded in 2009 by a group of caring volunteers and children who were inspired by past works, and the urgent need for community-based solutions to end poverty. Our mission is inspired by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. These goals include eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and empowering women, reducing the child mortality rate, improving maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability, and developing a global partnership for development. Achieving these goals is dependent upon the education and empowerment of women and young girls.
MASHPI CHOCOLATE - ECUADOR
Meet Alejandro and Agostina, owners of Mashpi Chocolate Farm. They’ve committed their lives to rebuilding their land, an agroforestry reserve high in the Ecuadorian cloud forest. Once depleted of its minerals and wildlife by poor farming practices, Alejandro and Agostina are deeply committed to restoring biodiversity to the soil, nurturing plant and animal life, and protecting the land from industrial farming. In just five years, their preservation work has restored over a hundred birds to the canopy from a mere fifty.
They lovingly steward each step of organic chocolate production on site, applying the highest tenements of permaculture to the finest quality Arriba Cocoa. This wee farm with tremendous heart and superior environmental ethics has won first place for two chocolate bars in the International Chocolate Awards (2016). But above all, Alejandro and Agostina are remarkable mentors in what it is to live with the Earth. They do much more than make chocolate to sweeten the world!
RUNA TUPARI - ECUADOR
Runa Tupari is a community-based tour operator in the Cotacachi region of Ecuador that helps create additional income and jobs for families in rural areas through sustainable, educational and traditional homestays. Runa Tupari in the local Kichwa language means "encounter with local people" and highlights their aim to facilitate cultural exchange between visitors and locals. It was established in 2001 by UNORCAC- a council representing 4 indigenous communities in the region. All of Runa Tupari’s profits are reinvested in the living conditions of the communities they operate in.
GUATE 4 YOU - GUATEMALA
Guate 4 You is a community based tour operator in Guatemala. They promote sustainable tourism in the communities of Guatemala and are committed to make a low impact on the environment and local culture. They give travelers a deeper reality of the country and a authentic cultural exchange. They specialize in offering once in a lifetime experiences that will create lasting memories and friendships.
SAMBHALI TRUST - INDIA
Sambhali Trust is a non-profit charitable organization based in Jodhpur, whose focus is the development and empowerment of women and girls in Rajasthan.
They provide underprivileged Rajasthani women and girls with an education in English, Hindi and Math, as well as training in vocational and social skills, to support them in developing confidence and self-esteem and help them work towards financial independence.
ST JUDE - TANZANIA
The mission of The School of St Jude is to educate disadvantaged, bright students from the Arusha District to become moral and intellectual leaders in their country.
St Jude's provides a free, high-quality education to 1,800 students at a primary and secondary campus and has a program to also support its graduates through higher education. St Jude's graduates, supported by the school, are also teaching over 10,000 government school students each year.
St Jude’s provides a free, high-quality education to children who — due to poverty and social pressures — would otherwise be unlikely to complete their schooling. Drawn from families who live below the poverty line, the pupils of St Jude’s are shining examples of what students can achieve when they are given the opportunity to receive a quality education. Education lifts people out of poverty and creates stable and growing economies.
SAFARIS-R-US - TANZANIA
Safaris-R-Us is a registered tour company founded by Richard and Gemma Sisia in order to achieve two dreams:
First, they want to showcase all that Tanzania, Rwanda and Kenya have to offer, as there is so much diversity in the cultures, landscapes and wildlife of East Africa.
For every guest booking, Safaris-R-Us makes a donation of $50 per client (for 2-day and above trips) to the work of St Jude’s. This means you “Double your Experience” when you travel with Safaris-R-Us, knowing that you are also contributing to the free, quality education of Tanzanian children and the future of Africa.
3 MARIPOSAS MONTESSORI SCHOOL DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Located on the North coast in one of Dominican Republic’s poorest communities, 3MM replicates the sustainable model of Montessori education throughout the Dominican Republic so that children, parents and teachers may be active leaders in society and take pride in their community. 6 out of 10 students live in poverty and attend 3MM on full scholarship. The student population has children from various cultures, nationalities and socioeconomic backgrounds creating a cross-cultural understanding and education that isn't provided in most Dominican schools. They work closely with the parents and communities in fostering cultural and environmental awareness, health, art and confidence.
MICHELLE - ECUADOR
Michelle is a cook, food writer, public health nutritionist and advocate for the traditional foods and ingredients of the Andes. She has partnered with OXFAM, Heifer International and the United Nations to name a few, to become a voice for nutrition in Ecuador. She has written best-selling cookbooks, hosts hands-on workshops, cultural cooking classes for small groups, and consults for NGOs and governments. In addition, in 2016, she also helped start FUEGOS, a culinary non-profit in Manabi. Michelle brings her zest for life and food to everything she does. Her infectious energy and passion for Ecuador has made her an incredible asset and teacher to Purposeful Nomad, Ecuador and its people!
BATZ TEXTILES - GUATEMALA
This community based initiative brings the highest quality textiles from the small town of Santiago on the shores of Lake Atitlán. They are focused on promoting the extremely intricate hand-made textiles from this region.
CRISSCROSS TOURS - ICELAND
Woman-owned, Crisscross Tours specializes in food and farm tours throughout iceland. They highlight delicious slow food and the stories of local people. Sigga, the company’s owner, will be our exclusive guide on our Iceland tour.
NomadsPath aims to promote responsible and sustainable tourism where there is minimal impact on the ecosystem of the local destinations. They support and contribute to the local economy of each region we visit based on a relationship of respect, solidarity and equal cooperation. They have absolute respect for the environment and contribute to the protection of flora and wildlife. Nomads Path offers an authentic and memorable experience where travelers will honor and respect their hosts, their environment and their cultural heritage.
