Our Member Travel Program
Together Women Rise’s Travel Program provides meaningful and inspirational travel experiences for our members. These trips offer opportunities for members to connect face-to-face with our grantees and the women and girls we serve. Our goal is that these experiences will deepen our members’ understanding of the issues facing women and girls in the developing world, especially the women we support, while fostering strong bonds of friendship with travelers.
Together Women Rise’s exclusive travel provider is Elevate Destinations, based in Cambridge MA, which specializes in designing and implementing travel programs for nonprofit organizations while empowering and respecting the local destinations. It is a female-owned and operated social enterprise with a strong commitment to sustainability practices and gender issues.
Together Women Rise works with Elevate Destinations to select trip destinations that are of interest to our members and allow visits to Together Women Rise grantees. We are committed to offering unique travel experiences at a variety of price points in order to appeal to as many of our members as possible.
For questions or more information on any Together Women Rise trip, please contact Elevate Destinations at togetherwomenrise@elevatedestinations.com.
Visiting Together Women Rise Grantees
Together Women Rise members interested in visiting one of our grantees are encouraged to participate in a Together Women Rise sanctioned trip through Elevate Destinations. On occasion, our members are interested in connecting with grantees when they are traveling on their own. Some of our grantees have their own visitor/volunteer models and are well-equipped to handle tourists. For others, accommodating visitors can cause undue hardship because of their limited staff and resources. Together Women Rise has developed some guidelines that will help to minimize any hardship on our grantees while allowing our members to connect face-to-face with the women and girls we serve.
Guidelines for Visiting Together Women Rise Grantees
2025 TRIPS
Dominican Republic | March 16 – 22, 2025
Join Together Women Rise for an educational and inspiring journey to the Dominican Republic, where you will visit and interact with two organizations that Rise has supported: DREAM Project and The Mariposa Foundation. Together Women Rise funded the DREAM Project in 2021 and The Mariposa Foundation in 2014. Both organizations are committed to educating and empowering girls so they can reach their full potential, become leaders for social change in their communities, and end generational poverty.
Embrace the Dominican Republic lifestyle and explore the country’s natural wonders of mangrove-filled rivers and ancient cave systems. Meet with local women entrepreneurs, tour a renowned historical museum dedicated to women activists, and delight in traditional meals for a true taste of the rich and diverse Dominican culture.
Highlights
- Have an immersive experience with Together Women Rise grantees, including multiple opportunities to participate in activities and interact with the girls these organizations support.
- Learn about ecotourism and cacao, two of the Dominican Republic’s largest industries, from grassroots organizations that work to ensure positive impact to local communities.
- Visit the Casa Museo Hermanas Mirabal Museum which honors the lives of the Mirabal sisters and pays tribute to their fight against repression and terror inflicted by the Trujillo dictatorship.
- Lean into your adventurous side and explore famous, 5-million-year-old cave systems while swimming in the fresh spring waters of El Choco National Park.
Questions? Please contact Together Women Rise’s travel provider at togetherwomenrise@elevatedestinations.com.
Rwanda | May 31 – June 8, 2025
Join Together Women Rise for a transformative journey to Rwanda, where you will visit and interact with four of the organizations that Rise has supported: Gardens for Health, the Komera Project, the Kula Project, and the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. Across the four projects, you will see firsthand how these organizations are working to end chronic child malnutrition, developing women entrepreneurs, transforming the future of teen mothers and vulnerable adolescent girls, and involving girls in wildlife conservation efforts.
Broaden your horizons by learning about Rwandan history, from the lively Nyamirambo district in Kigali to the poignant memorials that reveal the heart of Rwanda. Experience unique wildlife encounters with safaris in Akagera National Park and Volcanoes National Park.
Highlights
- Have the unique opportunity to explore the daily lives of women and girls in Rwanda through deeply immersive and engaging visits with four of Together Women Rise’s grantees.
- Explore Rwanda’s culture and learn about the country’s traumatic history and the genocide in the 1990’s, along with stories of resiliency and reconciliation through visits to the Nyamirambo neighborhood and the Kigali Genocide Memorial Center.
- Experience Rwanda’s natural wildlife with a thrilling safari drive in Akagera National Park and exploration of the lush landscapes of Musanze, with opportunities to view either the golden monkeys or the majestic mountain gorillas.
- Experience the untouched beauty of Rwanda, known as the “land of a thousand hills,” boasting diverse regions and landscapes from city center Kigali to the volcanic landscapes in the north.
Registration ends February 18, 2025. Questions? Please contact Together Women Rise’s travel provider at togetherwomenrise@elevatedestinations.com.
Indonesia | September 6-18, 2025
Join Together Women Rise for a sweeping and immersive journey to three different Indonesian islands, where you will visit and interact with two organizations that Rise has supported: Health in Harmony (HIH) in partnership with Alam Sehat Lestari (ASRI), and Bumi Sehat Foundation.
Begin your journey on the island of Java, then travel to the Indonesian side of Borneo to engage with Health in Harmony, an international nonprofit dedicated to supporting the inherent connection between human and environmental health. They partner closely with ASRI, which works to preserve the forests on the island, currently experiencing some of the world’s most destructive deforestation.
End your trip on the lush, relaxing island of Bali, where spirituality is omnipresent. Visit the community health centers run by Bumi Sehat Foundation, which infuses spirituality in their work to deliver safe, kind, hygienic, natural, culturally appropriate reproductive healthcare as a human right.
Highlights
- Engage directly with two of Rise’s partners and see firsthand how our support has impacted gender equality for Indonesian women, especially in remote, rural areas.
- Learn how Indonesians are working to connect the challenges they are facing in nature and society. You will witness the devastating deforestation from industries like palm oil, as well as the efforts local communities are taking to fight against it.
- Visit three different Indonesian islands, all with distinct cultures and belief systems.
- Visit remarkable Indonesian sites, including the old harbor and Puppet Museum in Jakarta, the superb temple complex of the Balinese Royal Family at Taman Ayun, and the Alas Kedaton Monkey Forest. see a traditional Kecak Dance performance
- Participate with Indonesian women in hands-on workshops, such as herbal tea making, batik painting, soap making, cooking, paper recycling, or sewing.
- Immerse yourself in spirituality through temple blessings, a Balinese Astrology reading, and a baby ceremony that celebrates the first time a newborn touches earth.
Registration is open for Rise members until January 31. After that, any remaining spots will be open to non-Rise members. Questions? Please contact Together Women Rise’s travel provider at togetherwomenrise@elevatedestinations.com.