Rwanda
 May 3-10 2008
To Benefit Women for Women International
Structure of the Journey
We have chosen Women
for Women International (WFWI) as the partner for our inaugural trip to highlight
WFWI’s mission and the message of hope and mutual support it brings to women
around the world.
WFWI’s Sponsorship Program offers a one-to-one connection
between sponsors
in the United States and 55 other
countries, and participants in the countries
where they work.
The program matches women with a sponsor who provides $27 in
monthly financial support for one year. These funds allow women to obtain basic
necessities for their families like food, clean water, medicine, school books
for their children or seed money for projects to earn an income. Sponsors and
their “sisters” also exchange letters. For a woman who may have
lost everything or who feels isolated, letters of support help renew her hope
for a better future.
A portion of your donation will be used for sponsoring a sister, whom you
will meet while we are in Rwanda.
 Itinerary
Metta Journeys’ Rwanda trip combines elements of a traditional yoga retreat
with the opportunity to interact directly with WFWI and the women it supports.
Each day will include morning and late afternoon yoga and meditation sessions
for both beginners and continuing students. Mid-day will often be spent interacting
with WFWI staff and program participants. You will experience the entire cycle
of the WFWI program, from an induction ceremony where you will meet your “sister”
to a graduation celebration. We will also be exploring Kigali and meeting WFWI
program graduates at their businesses.
Our eight days in Rwanda also includes visits to culturally important sites
in and outside of Kigali as well as a trip to the Virunga Volcano Region, where
we will spend a day on a guided trek in search of Rwanda’s famed mountain
gorillas.
Metta Journeys intimate trips – we take only 20 guests - are organized
to maximize your comfort and opportunity to interact with others. We will be
traveling in 4-person jeeps with local guides and translators. When we are with
WFWI, we will have personal translators for each of our guests to encourage
conversation and engagement.
While in Kigali, we will be staying in the capital’s only 5-star hotel,
located in the city center.
 Rwanda Journey Basics
The price of this inaugural trip is $5442, which includes
the following: - $500 visitor’s fee for the Parc National des Volcans
(park
entry plus compulsory guides and guards for gorilla trekking)
- 4+ hours of yoga and meditation instruction daily
- One 30-minute private session with one of our yoga teachers
- 7 nights single-occupancy accommodation, including 5 at Kigali’s
only 5-star hotel
- All meals
- All in-country transport
- Visits to cultural sites
- Trek to see Rwanda’s mountain gorillas
- Transport in 4-person jeeps with local drivers and translators
- Personal translators for all meetings with WFWI
- Evening talks and meetings with Rwandan women
- An on-site Metta Journeys concierge to assist you in all aspects of your
experience
In addition, there is a required minimum donation to WFWI of $360 (which will support one woman for one year). While we certainly hope those with the means to do so will donate more, we wanted to be able to offer an overall trip price that is more affordable. This donation is made directly to WFWI, and so is tax-deductible (in the US).
The trip price does not include airfare, applicable taxes,
surcharges and fees. Also not included are personal incidental charges such
as room service, use of business center, gratuities, alcoholic beverages, etc.
 Information on Rwanda
While we feel that Rwanda is a safe place to travel, we appreciate that many
people want to research for themselves current conditions. To find information
on Rwanda and the safety of traveling there, you may want to do an Internet
search, and/or look at various travel guidebooks.
Suggested resources:
Information on Visas and Vaccinations
Information about Travel Documents required to visit Rwanda
Information about Vaccinations needed to travel to East Africa. Please note this information is provided is for informative purposes only and is not meant to replace or substitute for the guidance of your professional healthcare provider. |
