LeapGiving™

2011 has been a fantastic year for volunteering. Despite the recession and university fee increases there have still been a huge number of you taking The Leap and putting your time and money towards a great cause. We've calculated that approx. 85,000 hours of volunteering has been invested in Leap projects over the past 12 months!!!

We work our socks off to ensure that every Leaper we send overseas gives something back to the communities and environments they visit. How do we do this?

  • Approximately 63.5% of the placement cost is spent in-country. 
  • We employ as many local people as we can to help us facilitate the projects, supporting countless families in poor communities. We also include an additional donation to fund a project specifically chosen by you whilst on your placement.
  • We work with reputable in-country hosts whose expertise and knowledge helps us to identify simple but life-changing projects.
  • You will become part of our steady stream of volunteers, departing throughout the year, whose dedication ensures the projects are completed and sustainable.

So how did Leapers help in 2011....

South Africa

2011 has seen more people Leaping to South Africa than any other project with around 22,500 hours of volunteering time spent at Kwa Madwala game reserve and the surrounding townships. We are massively proud of all of you.

Kenya

This year Leapers have done us proud in Kenya. Volunteering for almost 16,500 hours between them our four teams have managed to build 5 (yes, 5!) houses for elderly Kenyas, plant 500 trees, build ponds, walkways and helped to set up income generating schemes for women in poor communities that will provide their families with money for the future. Go teams!

Tanzania

It's been a busy year for Leapers in Tanzania, this year they've volunteered nearly 8,000 hours teaching, building and helping with conservation projects in sme of the countries poorest regions. It's no mean feat painintg 12 classrooms, building 20 desks and 6 toilets and planting over 100 trees...but they've done it!

Ecuador

In 2011 Leapers have committed nearly 12,000 hours of volunteer work to projects in the Andes, Rainforest and Coast regions. We've launched some fantastic new projects in the Galapagos and helped communities to build cultural centres, schools, homes, bus shelters and a zoo! Leapers also assisted with harvesting food, interacted with local kids and helped to care for livestock...

Venezuela

2011 has seen some fantastic progress to Leap projects in Venezuela. In April we sent our largest group so far to Venezuela and they did us proud!

Costa Rica

This is the first year we have been worked with the turtle conservation organisation ASVO in Costa Rica, patroling beaches for nesting turtles and watching over man-made hatcheries to ensure baby turtles make it safetly into the seas. Thousands of turtles have hatched on the Matapalo and Quelonious beaches in 2011 and Leapers helped by volunteering for neariy 1,500 hours between them!

Borneo

Putting everyone else to shame our Borneo Leapers have worked tirelessley in 2011! They managed to plant over 1000 trees, comple 26 wildlife surveys, built a kindergarten and toilet, trekked 156km through dense, impenetrable jungle and commited close to 10,000 hours of volunteering to life changing projects. But theres still lots left to do!

Cambodia

This year we have been preparing new projects for volunteers to start work on in 2012. We've set up a link with the Cambodia Children Painting Project in Sihanoukville (the coast) working with the town's street kids, and partnered with the Wat Damnak Buddhist Pagoda in Siem Reap to assit them with their valuable community work. Already we have lots of Leapers signed up for 2012 - with around 4,200 hours of volunteer work already pledged!

The Leap

The Leap is a member of the Year Out Group an association of leading UK organisations formed to promote the concept and benefits of well-structured Year Out programmes

The Leap Overseas Ltd, 121 High Street, Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 1LZ Tel 01672 519922 Fax 01672 519944 Email info@theleap.co.uk