Five charities DOING GOOD IN LATIN AMERICA

Healing Venezuela

An apolitical charity that helps deliver the best possible medical assistance to the people of Venezuela, Healing Venezuela provides medical supplies, sponsors junior doctors, improves infrastructure in hospitals and feeds children at risk of malnutrition.

Founded in 2016, the charity’s impact – so far – includes supporting over 400 junior doctors and providing more than 200,000 meals for children. You can support the charity by not just raising funds but also asking your local health centre if it has any medical equipment in good condition they’d be willing to donate. charitable.travel/ healing-venezuela

Just A Drop

Hoop Uk

Standing for Helping Overcome Obstacles Peru, HOOP’s mission is to eliminate poverty in the community of Flora Tristán near Arequipa in Peru. Founded in 2012, the charity is doing this by teaching English, which gives children an extra life skill and increases their chances of better employment; thereby breaking the cycle of poverty. But it’s not just aimed at children – Hoop believes education is for everyone, so it provides strategic educational programmes to give people of all ages the opportunity to advance their education and better their quality of life. charitable.travel/hoop-uk

The Galapagos Conservation Trust

As natural wonders go, it’s hard to beat the Galápagos Islands. Yet this unique and pristine ecosystem is also an incredibly fragile place, so the Galapagos Conservation Trust supports pioneering stewardship projects that work to protect species, restore habitats and find sustainable solutions. You can help protect the Galápagos by donating to the Trust, adopting a Galápagos animal or attending one of the charity’s inspiring events, which regularly feature talks by experts in their field. galapagosconservation.org.uk

The Lata Foundation

Set up by the Latin America Travel Association, which represents tourist boards, airlines, tour operators, hotels, ground handlers and more across Latin America, the LATA Foundation supports a range of social and environmental projects run by local NGOs. Currently helping many communities to recover from the Covid pandemic, the LATA Foundation’s focus is on supporting areas connected to tourism, and does so by supporting grass-roots organisations making a significant difference. charitable.travel/ lata-foundation

Taken for granted by so many, a drop of water is a basic human right, so Just A Drop works to bring sustainable, safe water, sanitation and hygiene projects to communities in need. By doing so, they help transform lives. Working on several projects around the world including one in Nicaragua, where around 20 per cent of the rural population doesn’t have access to safe water or adequate sanitation, Just A Drop constructs water distribution systems to bring water directly into households. justadrop.org