I had a great time on my Teacher Familiarisation Trip with Camps International. I really feel that the work that they do is making a real difference. Their philosophy is to empower local people rather than giving handouts which is really impressive. We could see the direct (and indirect) impact that their projects are creating on the villages. Some of their projects included building chicken coops for people to give them additional source of income, teaching English to local kids to improve their chances in tourism industry, helping refurbish the schools in the area etc. They have their sites set up in the village itself and employs local staff to run the camp site. They are a part of the village since they have been there for quite some time, so it helps interact with locals as well. I think the students would get a lot out of the trip with them by doing service for the community, understand a different culture and learn about the hardships they face in day to day life.