Volunteer travel documentary wins second challenge

Over 50 inspiring projects proposals were submitted to the second travel2change challenge. Participants were encouraged to submit creative ideas that linked their passion with the purpose of making good happen through traveling. H.O.P.E Was Here: A Volunteer Travel Documentary has won the public voting, receiving $1000 to go towards a travel2change trip to realize the project.

Since the challenge launch on September 4, over 50 inspiring projects proposals were submitted and open to public vote on the GOOD Maker website. Idea submitter Mark Denega was top-voted by both confirmed and overall votes for his feature-length documentary-in-progress that explores the effectiveness and ethics of westerners who volunteer abroad. The documentary will travel to Peru in the coming months and ask whether ‘voluntourism’ is the best way to engage in international development. “I’m ecstatic and very thankful to travel2change and GOOD Maker for the chance to enter, and now for the prize that allows us to see our project through,” said Mark. “The $1,000 will help me return to Peru this February for the final round of shooting. In the next couple months we’ll launch a website for the film, continue to edit footage, and prepare for the trip by contacting our community partners in Lima to set up interviews”.

Runner up of the challenge went to the Social Enterprise Product Discovery with Peru’s Indigenous Quechua project and Music of the Spheres project Brazil came in third. Travel2change aims to support all projects in the coming months, assisting idea submitters in realizing their projects.

Thomas Kohler, founder of travel2change, said he was impressed with the caliber of ideas submitted for the second challenge. “There were many outstanding and original ideas submitted for this challenge and I look forward to working with our community of travelers and locals to help realize as many ideas as possible,” said Thomas. “Our community is growing and we plan to launch the next global challenge open to everyone in the next few weeks.”

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