MOROCCO \ PROJECT SOAR

We started working with Peacock Pavilions, our hosts in Marrakesh, to help lead small yoga workshops for the girls of the nearby village on the days surrounding the retreats. Then, shortly afterwards, Peacock Pavilions officially announced their new non-profit company PROJECT SOAR which will continue to do work with their neighborhood village of Douar Ladaam, just on the outskirts of Marrakesh. Now each Marrakesh retreat pledges 10% of profits to go directly to the efforts of PROJECT SOAR! We have also began to build in small opportunities throughout the retreat weeks where guests can have a chance to see and help first-hand with the group.

PROJECT SOAR uplifts underprivileged communities through art, design and movement. Cultural constraints sometimes allow girls fewer opportunities, so PROJECT SOAR empowers girls to grow strong, smart and creative. They also bring beauty to communities through art, rehabilitation and cleanup projects, helping them thrive for years to come.

BALI \ THREADS OF LIFE

For our retreats in Bali, we partner with THREADS OF LIFE. Threads of Life is a fair trade business that works with culture and conservation to alleviate poverty in rural Indonesia along with the Bebali Foundation. The heirloom-quality textiles and baskets we commission are made with local materials and natural dyes to an exquisite standard usually seen only in museums.  This Indonesian non-profit organization helps hundreds of weavers who live in remote, under-developed villages turn textiles, crafts, and other expressions of their local cultures into badly needed income in a way that is environmentally sustainable, promotes cultural integrity, and empowers women. The weaving communities we work with have provided the foundation with a “mandate” of issues that they want addressed, in three general areas: incubating community businesses, managing forests and natural resources, and nurturing traditional culture.

We work directly with over 1,000 women on 11 islands across Indonesia, helping weavers to form independent cooperatives, to recover the skills of their ancestors, to manage their resources sustainably, and to express their culture identity while building their financial security.

CROATIA \ CROATIAN SCHOLARSHIP FUND

The CROATIAN SCHOLARSHIP FUND was established in late 1989 in the San Francisco Bay Area by a group of Croatian Americans for the purpose of providing university scholarships for Croatian students who could not otherwise afford a higher education. In 1991, as a direct result of the war and devastation in Croatia, CSF and its Board of Directors became deeply concerned about the severe impact this war would have on future generations as the country began to rebuild. Assistance provided by the United States and other countries in the form of humanitarian contributions helped Croatia considerably. However, in looking ahead, it was clear that there was an urgent need to establish programs not only to help rebuild the infrastructure of the country during the post-war period, but most importantly to establish sound programs which would benefit the growth and development of Croatia’s most important resource — its future generations of leaders, workers and citizens.

Therefore, this newly established non-profit organization focused on the sole purpose of providing financial scholarship aid for Croatian students from Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina to attend universities in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The CROATIAN SCHOLARSHIP FUND's first Executive Board, elected to provide the leadership and direction for the organization, determined that CSF’s mission would be to raise funds in order to provide scholarships to help educate young, bright and financially needy Croatian men and women who would someday become future leaders in medicine, agriculture, transportation, technology, economics, law, engineering, political science, education, and other academic fields.

INDIA \ MAGIC BUS

Founded in 1999, Magic Bus uses a special combination of Physical Activity, Play, Sport and Mentoring to engage with children and young people living in poverty. Through our sessions, we teach important life lessons that will help those taking part to escape poverty. Over the years, Magic Bus has expanded to helping over 375,ooo children across India. 

Magic Bus’s mission: “We will take children and young people on a journey from a childhood of abject poverty and challenges such as child marriage and child labour, to a fulfilling life with a respectable livelihood.
Working with their communities and families, Magic Bus will deliver a programme that teaches life skills and resilience. Working with their schools, Magic Bus will ensure that they attend school and their education is optimised. As these children become adults, Magic Bus will work with them to ensure they have the right employability skills, get jobs and contribute to their communities.”

VENICE \ SAVE VENICE

On our retreats in Venice, Italy, we partner with the internationally recognized organization, SAVE VENICE INC. The mission of Save Venice is to protect the cultural patrimony of the city by raising funds to restore its monuments and works of art. Save Venice also values its educational mission to teach people about the culture and history of Venice through publications, educational trips, tours, lectures and events with themes pertaining to Venice’s history and festivals.

Every year, the Board of Save Venice, including a Projects Committee of renowned international experts in the fields of art, history, conservation, and preservation, selects restoration projects in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Culture based on artistic merit, historical importance, and urgency of need. Save Venice has numerous restorations underway throughout the city, made possible with support from individuals, foundations, and corporations who believe in a universal responsibility to preserve the world’s irreplaceable artistic and cultural treasures found in Venice.

Save Venice Inc. was established in response to the serious damage caused by the November 1966 floods – the highest tide in Venice in the last century. More than thirty international committees were formed under the administrative umbrella of UNESCO to restore and preserve the priceless and irreplaceable cultural heritage of Venice.

We couldn't think of a better beneficiary for our funds in this location, as we ourselves and our guests get to enjoy in person the outstanding efforts this organization has bestowed on such a unique and important city of artistic heritage.

PROVENCE \ LES RESTOS DU CŒUR

For our retreats in Provence, part of proceeds will go to benefit the French non-profit organization, “Les Restaurants du Cœur”. The Restos du Cœur’s mission is to "help and provide voluntary assistance to the poor, especially in the food sector through access to free meals, and participation in their social and economic integration, as well as any action against poverty in all its forms "

The Restaurants du Cœur (literally Restaurants of the Heart but meaning Restaurants of Love), is a French charity, the main activity of which is to distribute food packages and hot meals to the needy. The association does not only target homeless but also all those with a low or very low income (single families, old people with a low pension, young adults...). Now the association also helps people to find housing and supports other projects. 

south africa \ captured in africa foundation

A portion of our South Africa retreats will go to supporting the efforts of the Captured in Africa Foundation who’s motto is “GOING ABOVE & BEYOND TO WORK, RESCUE OR RELOCATE – ENSURING BIG CATS ARE PROTECTED”. The Captured In Africa Foundation is a registered non-profit organisation, established to support ongoing efforts for the protection, relocation or rescue of vulnerable and at risk big cats, both in the wild and exploited captive situations.

In countries such as South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Egypt and the Middle-East, there is huge exploitation of what some refer to as “Africa’s natural resources” and where these “resources” are under threat or have been exploited, Captured In Africa hope to protect and in many cases rescue and/or relocate to safeguard their future.

South Africa in particular is a hub for lion breeding and exploitation – times arise when lions and other big cats require intervention. This intervention can either be a rescue of an exploited big cat from breeders or private owners, or a relocation of a big cat from one wild area to another. The foundation works alongside various conservation groups in Africa to aide in wildlife management to safeguard wild cats, as well as to track, locate & protect at risk big cats.

ICELAND \ SPECIAL CHILDREN’S TRAVEL FUND

Icelandair’s Special Children Travel Fund supports children with long-term illnesses and children who live with difficult circumstances. The goal of the fund is to give children in Iceland and nearby countries an opportunity to travel with their families. The main objective of the Special Children Travel Fund (Vildarbörn) is to help children suffering from long-term illness or other difficult circumstances to see something of the world. The fund is supported both directly by Icelandair and through the generous donations of others. Over 55 children and their families, around 300 people in all, have received travel grants from the fund to go on their “dream journey”. Since the fund was established in 2005, over 526 families have been supported in this way. Vigdis Finnbogadottir, former President of Iceland, is the protector of the fund.