IGTOA Launches New Fundraiser to Help Galapagos Guides

When the Covid-19 crisis was declared a global pandemic last March, hundreds of Galapagos guides were suddenly out of work. With few other options to support themselves and their families, many guides are struggling to procure basic necessities.

Thanks to the generous support of IGTOA's member companies and 171 individual donors, IGTOA was able to provide 195 Galapagos guides with over $26,000 worth of food and medicine vouchers, food baskets, and direct cash payments in January. We raised $15,941 through a GoFundMe campaign and IGTOA contributed an additional $10,000 in matching funds. FUNCAVID provided an additional $538.

We are now pleased to announce that we are now relaunching our GoFundMe Campaign so that we can continue to help guides during this difficult time. Our goal for this round of fundraising is $10,000.  Even though the vaccine rollout has begun and there is at least a faint light at the end of the tunnel in terms of the pandemic, it will be a long time before things fully return to normal in the Galapagos and guides are working at full employment. Therefore, they will need our support in the coming months just as badly as they did in 2020. 

IGTOA has partnered with AGIPA (the Galapagos Guides Association) to identify which guides are facing the greatest and most immediate need and to distribute the aid equitably. You can read AGIPA's report on the first round of fundraising here.

Many of the guides who benefited wished to share their gratitude to IGTOA's member companies and the donors who have supported this initiative. You can read their comments here.