PEPY, “Protect the Earth, Protect Yourself” is a non-governmental organization registered in both the US and Cambodia. PEPY’s mission is to aid rural communities in improving their own standards of living, with a focus on increased access to quality education. Since the beginning, the founders of PEPY have recognized that successful and sustainable programs require local staff. As the organization grows, Cambodians are driving program development and helping foster the community relationships crucial to PEPY’s success.
PEPY primarily works in Siem Reap Province in the northwestern part of Cambodia, where more than half the population lives below the poverty line. Through their partner government schools, and informal education initiatives, PEPY is supporting education for over 1,700 families in 12 villages and 6 schools in rural Siem Reap. The creators and representatives of PEPY believe that education is the key to sustainable change, and are committed to a holistic developmental approach which empowers children, parents, teachers, and communities to make the positive changes they want to see in their lives.
Organization PEPY started with the tourism initiative PEPY tours in 2005. PEPY Tours is committed to designing experiences that foster appreciation and conservation of Cambodian communities.
“We think travel should be adventurous, educational, and fun but also benefit local communities. Our tours are a combination of responsible adventure travel and service learning, which fund educational programs throughout Cambodia. Our goals are to offer educational adventures and bicycle tours in South East Asia that put community needs first and expose travelers to inspiring people and programs along the way.”
PEPY Tours strives to ensure that every element of the organization conforms to a responsible tourism policy that includes actions such as using filtered water rather than bottled water on trips, using responsible and local businesses for all available tour services, and reducing the ecological footprint of their office. PEPY Tours continually monitors the social, economic, and environmental impact of operations. Furthermore, PEPY Tours looks for business partners who meet high environmental and social standards, together promoting travel that is eco-friendly, sustainable, and contributes to local development.
PEPY Tours has a two-part fee structure, which goes along with their motto, “Adventurous Living. Responsible Giving.”. To cover the costs of the adventure, participants pay a tour fee. In addition to the cost of their tour, participants are required to raise a minimum of 500 USD per week for PEPY Tours’ partner non-profits. These funds are used to support on-going projects that participants visit on their tour. These tours have helped raise over 750,000 USD for development projects in Cambodia since the first tour in December 2005. PEPY Tours is committed to researching and qualifying responsible development projects and following up on these donations to help ensure maximum impact for the communities and programs they are supporting. The economic benefits of tourism is not limited only to the required donation portions, as the locally owned or socially responsible hotels, restaurants, and partners bring as well important complementary income to the local communities.
Adventure volunteer tours range from riding in environmental education bike treks to building rainwater collection units and collaborating in cultural exchange activities in rural schools. Participants have the opportunity to visit the programs of partner nonprofit organizations during their tour and contribute to PEPY’s overall goal: improving education in rural Cambodia. PEPY tours recognize that “voluntourism” can be detrimental to the development and tourism sectors if travelers’ desires are put before local community needs. Therefore, PEPY tours design the tours in line with effective volunteer travel practices that they continually research and reevaluate.
Read more about practical information of PEPY tours here
Text: Emily H?ckert
Reference: PEPY
Images: PEPY and The PEPY People Network