Cuban People Inspire Travelers with U.S. Nonprofit

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A local nonprofit committed to expanding opportunities for rural students to learn and serve in other countries recently returned from Cuba with considerably more support for their efforts. The transformative power of witnessing joy in hardship was at least one of the takeaways – along with some coffee, honey and perhaps a few cigars.

Dresden-based nonprofit Global Citizen Adventure Corps and its educational partner Bethel University provided the means for 14 travelers from New York, Indiana, Washington, Texas, South Carolina and Tennessee to spend January 4-10 in Havana and Viñales, Cuba.

Stacie Freeman, Global Studies Director for Bethel and Co-Founder of GCAC, served as the group’s leader. GCAC Board Vice-Chair and recently retired newspaper publisher Joel Washburn was co-leader, having recruited many of the group’s participants.

As a first for the fledgling nonprofit that promotes the programs online and raises funds to provide scholarships for the journeys of economically disadvantaged high school and university students, GCAC saw a first as two Ph.D. candidates concentrating on global leadership from New York and Indiana connected via an internet search.

Educators, medical personnel, corporate and nonprofit professionals, farmers, a therapist and an electrician shared eclectic conversations over breakfasts served in the courtyard of the “casa particular” or hostel in Havana and the farm-to-table meals in the countryside.

Landing in Havana under the U.S.-approved category of “support of the Cuban people,” travelers made their way to a family-owned hostel in the old part of the city. The building was established in 1836 but included amenities such as in-room refrigerators and blow dryers.

A Sunday morning walking tour of the city’s squares and an afternoon ride in classic midcentury convertibles offered participants a glimpse into a complex history and difficult current reality.

Travelers soon learned of the shortages of food, gas, and goods Cubans face as the result of embargos or hurricanes, guides explained. Maria Elena Miqueli, the hostel owner in Havana, started collecting ingredients for the three days of meals the group would eat there two months prior to their arrival.

“We don’t have a shortage of sun,” Yaniel Luis Alvarez, the guide for the Viñales area, noted. “For everything else, we have shortages.”

What they may not have for the table, the Cuban people make up for in their hospitality as Maria celebrated both finding chicken in the market and her friends from Havana’s thriving music scene who entertained after a meal of a traditional stew called “ropa vieja.”

Time in the agriculturally rich valley included stops at national parks, farm tours, an in-depth look at the tobacco growing and cigar making industry, more music and a surprising abundance of pineapple, papaya, guava, bread, beans, rice, yucca, grilled meats and traditional dishes. Beach time searching for starfish, bicycle rides and horseback riding rounded out optional activities.

A component of all GCAC programs includes service, so the group spent one morning learning from and working alongside workers on a terraced farm-to-table enterprise before enjoying the bounty at the table.

The sacrifice and the hospitality were both acknowledged and appreciated by the U.S. guests.

"Cuba is a place where the past and present dance together in vibrant colors. Every street tells a story, and every sunset paints the sky with hope,” said Toni King, a nontraditional student at Bethel, currently employed in the medical field and pursuing a degree in business to make a positive impact through non-profit work.”

Brittany Burch, a Houston-based licensed clinical social worker and supervisor, found affirmation for her investment as a donor to GCAC scholarships.

“When I began donating to GCAC, I wanted to support my friend’s passion for this organization,” she explained. “After a week in Cuba with GCAC, I’ll continue to make recurring donations to support this incredible program. Visiting Cuba was both awe inspiring and heartbreaking. Students and non-students alike have so much to learn about the world, and GCAC offers phenomenal opportunities to learn, grow and contribute to our global community,”

Jessica Stricker, a corporate recruiter and aspiring agribusiness owner in York, SC, said, “Having traveled internationally when I was younger, I understand how transformative experiencing other cultures can be, especially during formative years. It broadens perspectives and inspires beyond one’s own environment. As a regular donor to GCAC and now a program participant, I’ve witnessed what a profound impact it has on students and the communities it serves, and I wholeheartedly support its mission.”

As the travelers were preparing to leave Cuba, the sporadic internet service revealed snow accumulations that would possibly make the returns difficult.

Carson Stover, a native of West TN and traveling nurse now on assignment in Washington, compared the cultural differences he’s observed, “Traveling while there’s a snowstorm predicted in Tennessee made me think of how we as Americans usually react – rushing to the store to get all we need without always thinking of others. Here in Cuba, they work together. The community meets the community’s needs no matter the cost.”

(Stover has participated in previous GCAC programs as both a student and a professional and will return to Honduras in 2025 as a leader of a medical team.)

Nancy Bean, twice retired, first as an administrator with the Commonwealth of KY and later as Vice President for Bethel is now the university’s chair of the board of trustees. A frequent traveler but on her first program with GCAC, she found both the company of such diverse fellow travelers and the experience enriching and enlightening.

“I’m convinced that students need such an experience to truly develop into ones who can navigate an ever-changing world, to see other cultures and the ways they face such enormous challenges is an incredible learning experience.”

“Hard work and tranquility can co-exist,” she concluded.

Global Citizen Adventure Corps is a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to cultivating global citizens through education, service, and travel. By offering transferable college credit and donor-funded scholarships, GCAC actively builds pathways between rural high schools, universities, and a robust network of global nonprofit partners to provide travel program opportunities to underserved students. For more information visit www.globalcitizenadventurecorps.org.