The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation

Not only was this my very first international trip with FTPF, it was also my first time volunteering abroad period. I had lived in South America, but living/working in a city and volunteering with a NGO in rural towns are very different things.

I spent an amazing week in which I felt both challenged and at ease simultaneously; every day was full of new experiences and chances to learn. I racked up knowledge on planting techniques, organic tree care, how to say new words in Spanish, Salvadoran lingo, local foods, this small country's fascinating and unhappy history, traditional uses for medical plants, and the list goes on and on. But the best part was just being in these small towns, or in the schools, or in people's homes where you felt completely part of their lives. It was not a vacation or a tourist experience, but truly a slice of life in El Salvador at this moment.

I have since continued volunteering with FTPF, but as my first international trip with the organization, I can say that this project really lit the fire of my passion for their work. I highly recommend this trip to anyone looking to have a tangible impact on a local AND global level, while also getting off the beaten track and truly seeing a country. Me encanta El Salvador!

I spent a week in June of 2015 helping the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation plant trees in El Salvador. I am a 62 year old woman and I had just started traveling abroad. I really had little interest in going to Central America, but I have a lot of respect for FTP. I had such a wonderful experience! If you want to really meet people and get a true understanding of a country's culture, planting trees with a group like FTPF is the way to do so. We planted at schools and co-ops. I met school principles, students, teachers and local farmers. I was invited into their homes, shared their meals, met their children and spouses. I marched in the National Environmental Day parade in San Salvador with hundreds of local groups. I ate the local food, (yay pupusas!) drank the local beer, drove the local streets with a local driver at rush hour (not for the faint of heart), and was made to feel welcome everywhere I went. The personal satisfaction I got from knowing I was giving something tangible to a country in extreme need without asking for anything but for them to care for the trees and enjoy their fruit was wonderful. I would recommend to anyone of any age to try this experience. I hope to return in the future.

What an experience! This was my second trip with the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation as a volunteer (my first trip was to El Salvador earlier in 2014), and now I am addicted.

There are several factors that make this such a unique experience -- 1) The access to the real Uganda and the day-to-day lives of the people is unmatched. Because these projects take place all over, and especially in areas that are more rural and in serious need of fresh food, you are more often than not the only traveler in the area. Sometimes the kids even get star-struck because they have never seen a "mzungu" before! I had so many real conversations with people, and felt like I gained a nice insight into the lives of people who live in a very different place than where I am from. I haven't experienced this kind of travel outside of when I lived long-term in South America -- and this was just a two week trip!

2) I really felt that I made a difference. Every tree that I helped plant will grow to bear hundreds of pounds of fruit and live for decades. Even if I only planted one tree, that is a big impact! Now think about the hundreds of trees I actually helped to put into the ground, and the environmental, local, and personal level of impact is simply amazing.

3) The safari at the end of the project was the perfect end to the week. Giraffes, warthogs, lions, chimps, hippos, elephants, crocodiles....plus just being on the Nile River, hanging out with the group of volunteers and staff for a few days. It is a once in a lifetime experience.

Overall, I loved my time in Uganda. I'd recommend this trip to anyone who wants to get a feel for this country, and to really make an impact in an area that needs this kind of environmental work and education.

I spent one week in El Salvador in 2014 with the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation helping to plant 10,000 trees with children at schools and at family-owned farming cooperatives, providing training and education on the benefits of trees and proper tree planting techniques.

Each day brought a new adventure, on days that we weren’t at schools planting trees and educating children we would be at farming cooperatives planting trees with farmers. The work was focused in the western region of El Salvador where we worked in low-income areas, in mountain villages and along the Pacific coast, and at schools in remote mountain areas and in villages. We traveled from place to place in a pickup truck with a Spanish-English interpreter who is local to El Salvador and who translated our messages to the locals. FTPF staff ensured that we were safe, well hydrated, and had adequate food and a safe place to sleep. While the work was gratifying, spending time and getting to know the FTPF staff was equally as rewarding. The FTPF staff is a genuine group of people who have the utmost respect for humanity and nature. Not only that, but they are friendly and like to laugh and make you laugh…a lot!

The impact of planting thousands of fruit trees in El Salvador is tremendous and will only grow as the trees grow. The most rewarding thing about this trip, was working with children and families. Knowing that the trees we planted will provide a source of nourishment and a source of income for a poor family is really a profoundly positive feeling.

I honestly could not find a better use of my time than volunteering with the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation (FTPF).

This trip was a really wonderful experience. It was a treat to find so much companionship between the volunteers of all ages here and be able to walk away with so much inspiration and experience. From relaxing after a long day of planting trees playing Uno and drinking a few beers with our NGO's, exploring the city, checking out quirky restaurants and street food stalls together, car rides with endless laughs... Even during the planting it was unbelievable the appreciation and support we received. Not to mention the enthusiasm of all the community members and children planting by our sides. I would highly recommend this trip. The only thing I would say that made me feel unsafe was the country's current ongoing debates on the legality of Uganda's LGBTQ rights. This is a serious issue in Uganda right now however I never felt in harms way (as a queer woman) wherever I was. There are some cultural differences to look out for as with traveling anywhere... But otherwise I would say this program ran very smoothly with very little complaints.