Fulfillment through travel is common; self-discovery, and the feeling that we are becoming part of a bigger picture are what make it so exciting. But what if we told you that you could take it a step further?

If you couldn’t tell, we’re all about immersive travel here at TomFlies.com, and there is no way to have a more authentic experience in a destination than dedicating your trip to living among and interacting directly with the locals. We spoke with two volunteers about their service travel experiences, and why you should step out of your comfort zone and do it too.

Lisa Saffire and Vinny Polsinelli have spent the last few years traveling to Haiti with Friends of Fontaine, a non-profit organization that aims to help and build the educational and medical community in the country’s town of Fontaine.

Service Travel: The Beginning

As an undergrad at Siena College, Polsinelli met Pierre-Louis Joizil, an exchange student from the rural town in Haiti, and forged a friendship with him. After Joizil achieved his dream of opening the first secondary school in Fontaine, Polsinelli began traveling down to the Caribbean island to help in its development. When he began medical school at the University of Buffalo two years later, Polsinelli formed a group of students to assist with medical care in the country.

“I started the medical branch of everything, so I organize all the trips that go down, and I organize different research projects,” said Polsinelli. “We started a healthcare program.”

They now take bi-annual trips to Haiti with groups of 20 students through Joizil’s Friends of Fontaine.

Saffire, a medical student and leader of trips to the town, said the service work begins before even booking the airfare. They start by gathering the supplies they need, and fundraising for the trip. After that, it’s staff training, to prepare first-timers for what they may see in a developing country.

“[We educate] all of the people that we are going with who either haven’t been to Haiti, or haven’t been to a third world country, on expectations and common conditions that we are going to see,” said Saffire. “We see a lot down there that we do not see in the States at all.”

Making a Difference

Although she said the conditions can be grim at times, Saffire beamed while mentioning the huge contributions the groups have made to the community over the years. She spoke of a pregnant woman who, for the first time, was able to see her baby through an ultrasound.

“She started crying. We found out through the translators that this was her fourth pregnancy, and the first three, unfortunately, she miscarried,” Saffire said. “She hadn’t felt anything, so she thought that this one was also a miscarriage. When we told her that the baby was okay and healthy, she was really emotional about it.”

These types of interactions with the locals are what Saffire said makes service travel so gratifying. Polsinelli also pointed out that service travel is mutually beneficial, with the opportunity for self-growth through helping people.

“A lot of times in the United States, or if you travel to Europe, it’s easy to get caught up in one perspective,” said Polsinelli. “Going on service travel, and more importantly, being actively engaged in projects and helping to organize them and working with the people on the ground, I think really helps you change your perspective and understand people’s point-of-view.”

We couldn’t agree more. If you are ready to take the next step in fulfilling travel, we’re here to help. We are proud to organize service trips, and of the work we have done with Friends of Fontaine. With your travel needs in our hands, you are able to focus on the rewarding parts of service travel without the hassle.

“[Planning travel] is one less thing that our leaders have had to worry about. Additionally, both trips I have been a leader of, we have had major complications with flights either on our way down or our way back,” said Saffire. “TomFlies.com has been great in helping us, even when I call at 4 a.m., with making sure we all arrive to our destination.”

Self-Service

Like anything that involves stepping out of your comfort zone, the idea of traveling to a developing country to participate in service can seem overwhelming or nerve wrecking. Saffire offered some words of wisdom for how to embrace a service trip.

“Learn as much as you can before, learn as much as you can there, and just be super easygoing,” advised Saffire. “Things are going to be very different, but just know that what you are doing is going to make a huge difference, and you’re going to grow a lot as a person. It’s a great experience.”

Polsinelli agreed.

“Most of the benefits that the community could reap from someone doing a service trip aren’t from one person going down one time,” he added. “It’s usually from one person going down multiple times, with a really good understanding of the community, their needs, and how to work with it, then working as a leader to make change in the community.”

For more information on Friends of Fontaine, visit their website.

For information on how TomFlies.com can help with your organization’s travel, contact us!