From the beginning gvi has been so helpful! I had no stressors on communication to what we needed to bring to Huay Pakkoot. Since I stepped off the bus from Chiang Mai I always felt like I was welcomed by the community. Even meeting staff at the hotel in Chiang Mai I felt very comfortable and welcomed. Being a new person in any environment is nerve racking but there I felt like I’ve always been apart of the community. There is so much love, support and respect for each other and the environment. From learning about the relationship between elephant and mahout, the biodiversity and for them just the everyday spider was so special. Being able to learn and hear from and about the people in Huay Pakkoot and their relationships with the earth and their elephants was something I will forever cherish and honor. No matter how long you choose to stay I don’t think it will ever be enough.
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Founded in 1998, GVI runs programs in 21 locations, in 13 countries around the world, each manned by our own staff and aligned to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals or UN SDGs as well as the objectives of local partners. We welcome participants from all around the world and help facilitate their development into global citizens. This is how we achieve our mission of building a global network of people united by their passion to make a difference.
Our commitment to running high-quality sustainable development and experiential education programs has earned us recognition from numerous organizations such as Panthera, Save The Children, and the Seychelles National Parks Authority, as well as, Stanford, NYU, Duke, and Ohio State. The work of our staff and participants is also regularly featured in reputable international and regional publications such as National Geographic, CNN, The Independent, and The Sunday Times.
Being responsible in our contribution to sustainable development is at the core of everything we do and we are guided by our ethical commitments and human empowerment principles. The design and implementation of our Child and Vulnerable Adult Policy is overseen by our Child Protection Officers, who are trained up to Level Three by children’s rights organization, ChildSafe. We also take Health and Safety very seriously, which is part of the reason why all our projects around the world are run by our own staff, who have each undergone a Background check, as well as off-site safety training. A minimum of one field staff member is assigned to a group of six participants although the ratio is often as high as one field staff member to three participants. In addition, any local services offered to our participants, including accommodation, transport, or tour providers, have undergone an in-depth risk audit.
We are truly a global family brought together by our dedication to long-term positive impact. At the root of our success is our commitment to investing in authentic, meaningful connections with one another, which is why mutual respect and trust are central to our operations. Although we respond with empathy to difficult situations, we believe that most circumstances can benefit from taking a light-hearted approach. By sharing stories of local achievement with our teams worldwide we build the momentum to catapult us toward our vision for the future.See more
