All packed? If not, make some space for Pack for a Purpose. The charity encourages travellers to make space in their suitcases for a small amount of school, medical or sports supplies for community initiatives.
Just 2.27kg is enough to pack 400 pencils, or five deflated soccer balls with an inflation device, or a stethoscope, blood pressure cuff and 500 band-aids. For every 500 travellers, it amounts to 1.25 tonnes of supplies to projects around the world.
The charity provides online lists of items requested by community groups and over 320 collection points worldwide, so it’s worth checking out if you’ll be heading near one of them on your holidays.
It has partnered with both accommodation providers and tour companies in 44 countries to distribute goods from South Africa to Costa Rica. Even if you are not staying in a designated collection point hotel, you can still drop off your supplies, and it will commit to ensuring they get to the right local initiative.
Before you pack, check the luggage allowance available to you. The website lists the specific needs requested by each project such as pencils and books for schools, or bandages and cotton swabs in medical clinics. Travellers are asked to bring only the specific items requested.
Since it was established in 2009, the all-volunteer initiative has seen the delivery of more than 4,500kg of supplies by individual travellers.
So this year, instead of packing everything bar the kitchen sink, maybe pack something more practical instead.
packforapurpose.org
