The Uganda summer expedition reported that "at one borehole opening ceremony, there was a gentleman of 102 years of age who said there hadn’t been a day gone by in his lifetime that he hadn’t prayed for clean water and that day his prayers were answered. It was so rewarding to be part of this special day." This 102-year-old man is pictured above.

The purpose of Family Humanitarian Expeditions is deep and multifaceted. Family Humanitarian's purpose is to eliminate extreme poverty through access to clean water and education. We are NOT a travel company, and this is NOT poverty tourism. FH believes in hand-ups, not hand-outs. We have learned that for humanitarian expeditions to be sustainable, they MUST be part of a locally driven program that exists before the expeditions arrive and the programs must have commitments and accountability from every community that last long after the expeditions leave, which is why we don't often open expeditions to new locations.

At Family Humanitarian, expeditions do not drive our development work; rather, we allow expeditions to fuel and accelerate the community building and development work that is already taking place year-round. Expeditioners bring LOVE, HOPE, JOY, and of course essential FUNDING of projects. Of the many villages that FH supports, very few will receive an expedition. The following principles help guide our approach: 



• A native in-country team
• Projects must be community-managed
• Expeditions are part of a sustainable program
• Expeditions promote the concept of global citizenship

Uganda Summer 2024:

At a borehole opening ceremony, a volunteer reported how impressed he was by, "the way the women of the village screamed and sang with joy while dancing and embracing our group. It was a life-changing experience."

"I cannot thank Family Humanitarian enough for the amazing work you do and for the structure, agenda, timing, and all the miscellaneous that you have worked through to get to this point. Bravo!" - Nick Scott

Guatemala Summer 2024:

It was reported that after over a decade of working with the Sesoch community and building a relationship with them, the people from the community expressed a need to Family Humanitarian for a water cistern. The villagers showed up in great numbers to volunteer to help the expedition group with the project. The in-country director, Guillermo, said that the number of adult villagers there to help build the project was a sign that it was something the community wanted, asked for, worked for, and truly took ownership of.

When we delivered desks and chairs to a school, the children came and helped us finish the project by eagerly grabbing sandpaper and helping in any way they were asked. When we set up some desks and chairs at the end to show them and when we opened the doors, they literally squealed with delight. When the children saw their new desks for the first time they ran in excited to be the first to sit at them. The principal took time to personally thank all those who came and worked on the project and he told us what a difference it would make in the lives of the students.

Guillermo, the in-country director, reported that he had follow-up visits with the families and the water filters improved the quality of life for families more than anything else we did. After they had clean water, they were not sick anymore and that made all the difference in their families and in their lives. We were told that "it is always heartwarming and a great reminder of priorities and privilege each time we serve with Family Humanitarian. It is hard to go back to work and to regular life after one of these experiences."

Can you imagine your family in Guatemala over New Year's? You can have it all - Christmas Day at home and the adventure and experience of a lifetime with us over New Year's. Check out the link below or email carrie.k@familyhumanitarian.org for more details. All other holiday expeditions have waiting lists.

Saturday, December 28 to Sunday, January 5

FamilyHumanitarian.org