responsibility to the islands

Cape Verde

We are very conscious that Cape Verde is very much a developing country and it is not uncommon to be asked for money or food on the streets in some of the towns. There are obvious social and economic problems on the islands and we feel it is important to try to give something back to such a wonderful place. To this end we are working with four projects around the archipelago as detailed below.  We contribute annually to each of them, but we also offer the facility to our clients to make a donation (if they feel it is appropriate) when they are on these islands.  This is considered locally to be a much more constructive way of helping than giving to people on the streets and we are confident that all donations go directly (and in full) to the relevant projects.

Sao Vicente

Cape Verde Institute for Children and Adolescents
Founded in 1982 to address the needs of Cape Verdean children aged 0 to 12 years, this government organisation is now providing essential services including a support centre in Mindelo for child victims of violence, sexual abuse and those that have been abandoned. They also provide an emergency helpline number, a bit like the UK Childline. This is a professionally run centre staffed by highly qualified Cape Verdeans.
There are three planned projects at the centre which your donations can help with.

• creating a more colourful and educational playground
• providing the ten monitors needed for the computer room
• providing instruments and room rental for a dance and music school

Santo Antao

Kindergarten in a remote village
Based at the Belgian owned Casa das Ilhas guesthouse in the beautiful Paul valley, this kindergarten offers young children in the area the only opportunity for education for miles around. The guesthouse uses one of its rooms every morning as a kindergarten for the young children in the area. There are usually 10-12 children who attend and ongoing funding is needed for transport, materials and equipment.

Fogo

Medical Centre in Cha das Caldeiras
It was back in 1999 that an Austrian couple first visited Cha das Caldeiras and decided to help a local couple by funding the construction of their house. Their involvement with the area increased and they became aware that a much needed medical centre had been closed in 2000 because the nurse’s wages were not paid. It was clear that for the 600-1000 people living in Cha, the road to the nearest medical service was difficult and very expensive so people who needed medical care were just not travelling to get it. They took the decision after discussions with locals and politicians to set up a Non Profit Organisation to set about funding the reopening of the Medical Centre and in 2007, the nurse started working there once more thanks to the funds raised. This is an ongoing project though and donations will be spent on :

• the wages of the nurse (around 200 euros per month)
• renovation of the medical centre. The leaking roof needs repairing and partitions are needed where people can undress privately.
• transportation of medical goods from Austria to Fogo
  

Santiago

Education project for children
This Cape Verde/Austrian run association was founded in 2002 with the aim of improving the prospects of 6-20 year olds growing up in the islands and therefore encourage them to stay. Currently more than half of Cape Verde citizens live and work overseas and this has had a significant impact on family structures (absent fathers) and population age (45% of the resident population is under 15). At their centre on Santiago, children are given lessons in carpentry, needlework, IT, languages and literacy.  Counselling is also offered and there is a football school for 150 children.

Boavista

Turtle project
Every year, from late May to September, more than 3,000 loggerhead turtles come ashore on Cape Verde’s beaches, particularly at Ervatao beach on Boavista, the third most important loggerhead nesting site in the world after sites in Oman and Florida.
With marine turtles among the most endangered species on the planet, a Spanish organisation, Natura 2000, is working on Boavista to assess the status, distribution, and abundance of the turtles in Cape Verde. The team of scientists and volunteers have tagged thousands of loggerheads on the beaches of the island and some are being equipped with satellite transmitters that will enable researchers to track their migratory routes and feeding areas. Natura 2000 also regularly offers training to turtle specialists from Cape Verde and other West African countries.

During your stay on Boavista, you can make a night visit to the camp on the south coast beach and meet the Natura team and learn about their important work, see the turtle hatcheries and watch the female turtles come ashore to lay their eggs.
When you book a visit with us, a percentage of the cost of your trip goes directly to help fund this important conservation project.