ASCEND, A Humanitarian Alliance

ASCEND, a Humanitarian Alliance is a unique organization where caring people make an individual impact at home and across the world. Volunteers young and old- including expedition participants and interns- join permanent staff to mentor children, families and communities in need in Africa and Latin America: specifically Ethiopia, Mozambique, Bolivia, Peru, Mexico and Ecuador.

ASCEND's Sustainable Development Programs transcend political, cultural, and language barriers to answer requests for life-changing programs in education, enterprise, health and simple technology.

ASCEND works side-by-side with those in need as partners. They assist with literacy programs, school construction, and library books and supplies. They also partner in enterprise training, small business development, health training, medical and dental services, and building health clinics. Those they work with have benefited from technology training, clean water systems, gardens, greenhouses, food storage, stoves, latrines, and community bathrooms. The programs continue to expand as each community puts forth effort towards continued success.

As a service-learning participant on an expedition, as an intern, as part of a sister-school program, or as part of our other volunteer programs, volunteers have the opportunity to expand their own potential and gain an informed global perspective.

ASCEND was organized in 1982 as the Andean Children's Foundation by Dr. Timothy S. Evans. This foundation was later reorganized as Chasqui Humanitarian, led by Joel Madsen. In 2005, the Engage Now Foundation, organized by Dr. Tim Evans and Carolyn Dailey, with origins dating back to 1984, merged with Chasqui Humanitarian and became known as ASCEND, a Humanitarian Alliance.

Capacity building and education is the foundation of all ASCEND initiatives. Life-skills mentoring- particularly for mothers and girls- has a tremendously positive impact on child survival and quality of life. ASCEND utilizes a broad range of simple life-skills manuals, ranging from basic literacy to health, enterprise, environment, technology, and human rights. This learner-centered, interactive curriculum, developed in coordination with ProLiteracy Worldwide and other partners, facilitates social change while students learn to read and write. Education initiatives also include teacher training, library books, school supplies, and educational scholarships.

During their first year, they trained 600 mothers in Bolivia. During their history, ASCEND organizers have enabled over one million people in need to be served through education programs.

During the last 10 years, ASCEND has helped communities construct or renovate over 100 schools, enabling children and adults access to ongoing education.

Business Training and on-site mentoring create self-employment opportunities and make family businesses more profitable. ASCEND offers comprehensive training, including on-site mentoring for existing small businesses and hands-on training for first-time entrepreneurs. Successes include animal husbandry, granaries and agricultural facilities, bee-keeping and honey production, stores, restaurants, brick-making, welding, shoe manufacturing, handicrafts, and sewing- just to name a few. ASCEND also works with experienced partners to facilitate micro-credit and micro-franchising opportunities.

In their first year, ASCEND didn't imagine their efforts would become entrepreneurial. During their history, ASCEND organizers have enabled training for over 10,000 entrepreneurs, helping them, their families and employees ascend out of poverty.

ASCEND tracks business training and mentoring graduates' progress for two years, with averages as follows:

118% increase in income
111% increase in sales
203% increase in savings
35% decrease in debt

Community health programs, continuing medical education, and treatment campaigns save lives and improve health. ASCEND health efforts focus on three areas: ongoing training for community workers and mothes groups in preventative measures and simple remedies; limited treatment of medical and surgical problems; and Sustainable Orphan Advocacy and Resuce (SOAR), combing with AIDS prevention training and identifying and prioritizing care of orphans. Linking with local medical providers and facilities is the key to both initiating and sustaining change. All aspects of helath intervention provide a unique training opportunity for professionals and students in-country and from North America.
In their first year, they started their health initiatives with a Rotary project in five communities. During their history, over a million people have been served through clinics and health instruction facilitated by ASCEND organizers.

During the last 10 year years, ASCEND has helped communities construct or renovate over 50 health posts, enabling ongoing access to health care.

Effective technology initiatives are easy and affordable to construct and maintain using local materials. ASCEND has significant expertise in developing innovative simple technologies. Hands-on training of Technology Workers and community members enables replication, maintenance, and sustainability. Initiatives include, but are not limited to, greenhouses, drip irrigation systems, and food storage facilities; wells, pumps, cisterns, spring and rainwater catchments, pipelines, and water filters; adobe stoves, latrines, and community bathrooms; and solar energy systems. Construction of community facilties- including schools, health posts, community centers, and various simple technologies- enhances Health, Enterprise, and Education Programs.

In their first year, ASCEND experimented with two water projects, and neither of them worked. Over otheir 26 year history, ASCEND organizers have facilitated over 10,000 water projects, enabling access to clean water, saving lives and irrigating agricultural projects.

During the past decade, ASCEND has helped families and communities construct over 15,000 simple technologies. All beneficiaries have also been trained in construction and maintenance.

ASCEND EXPEDITIONS are an important part of its mission and provide the opportunity for volunteers to give meaningful service to impoverished communities in Africa and Latin America. While an expedition of a few days by itself cannot offer sustainable development, ASCEND is able to combine it's expeditions with ongoing programs which are sustainable. With professional staff in country year-round, ASCEND expeditions are organized in advance so they can serve as a great catalyst for communities, families and individuals to set and achieve development goals in a short period of time.

Individuals join with ASCEND, a Humanitarian Alliance to empower those in need to save their children and ascend out poverty. ASCEND offers humanitarian expeditions to Latin America and Africa, where volunteers have life changing experiences as they give meaningful and much needed service.


Vital to ASCEND's mission, expedition participants deliver a needed boost toward sustainable development to the heart of each country we serve. ASCEND's full spectrum of community development covers Health, Education, Enterprise and Technology.

Expeditions to Ethiopia and Mozambique, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Chiapas-Mexico provide vital humanitarian service to some of the most impoverished communities on the planet. Expeditions are available throughout the year.

"This has been an enlightening experience. Although these people struggle and suffer through their day-to-day lives, they seem to maintain an inner peace that can only be found in a true understanding of life worth. An understanding not cluttered with material possessions or the degrading thoughts of self-concept, but rather one deeply rooted in the love one has for himself and his neighbor. It has been a pleasure serving these people and giving them hope, as they have given me new life!" --Bob Brooks, Expedition Participant to Peru

ASCEND delivers 25 years of expedition experience. ASCEND handles the travel and expedition details. Participants bring their time and talent to projects in a safe and professional environment. ASCEND's expertise frees participants from worry. The result is a unique and personal glimpse into the communities where we serve.

Participants create unforgettable memories. Meet and work with fellow expedition participants. Become immersed in a new culture. Work in impoverished communities. Serve those in need and work side by side with the local villagers and children. Those who give and those who receive are forever changed.


No specific skills are required to participate in an expedition. However, personal or professional skills will often help determine the nature of the expedition. For example, medical personnel will work on medical missions; business professionals will work with enterprise training.

ASCEND internships and fellowships require a great deal of maturity, self-motivation and patience. Students and volunteer professionals should have the education and the temperament, which fits the field experience or administrative work outlined.

For overseas assignments, students should be at a master's program level or undergraduate junior or senior with career interests that will be significantly enhanced by such cross-cultural training.

For administrative internships at ASCEND Headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, students should be a mature sophomore level or above. Mature students who have followed a non-traditional course and lack the stated level of class standing may discuss their circumstances individually with ASCEND.

Field circumstances vary, from business training internships in impoverished suburbs to living in very impoverished rural areas. Field Interns and Fellows coordinate their work with onsite project managers and help prepare for expedition groups. They receive training before departure in teaching / mentoring methods, cultural sensitivity, program implementation and administration, and have regular contact with Salt Lake City Headquarters.


Interns will acquire a variety of job-ready skills in their area of focus. Based on scholarship availability, need, and time commitment, students and volunteer professionals may earn scholarship support to cover airfare, in-country housing & transportation, training materials and other approved project expenses.

"My internship with ASCEND is the perfect capstone to my college education. It's a unique opportunity to put everything that I've learned into practice to help people. I couldn't think of a better way to finish my degree than being actively and intricately involved in helping these people improve their situations." --Chris Burton, Intern in Bolivia Summer 2006

Last year, 257 dedicated ASCEND US volunteers paid their own way to Africa and Latin America. Here is a glimpse of some of the things that they were able to help accomplish as they teamed up with ongoing operations made possible by generous sponsors and partners, in-country staff, interns, and thousands of local volunteers.

Education

-9,589 people enrolled in adult literacy classes
-Students who began classes in 2007 are now writing full paragraphs
-24 schools constructed or remodeled
-62,329 people served by our basic education programs
-242, 660 people served by life-skills mentoring programs

Enterprise

-2,797 people trained in ASCEND business programs
-90 new businesses created; hundreds of others expanded
-Average progress after one year of completing training:

59% increase in income
64% increase in sales
58% increase in savings
33% decrease in debt
-15,384 people served by our enterprise programs

Health

-2,369 people trained in AIDS prevention
-3,325 trained in reproductive health and family planning
-89 health campaigns serving 19,921 people
-3,251 people immunized
-14 health posts constructed
-119,526 people served by our health programs

Simple Teachnologies

-182 household water systems and 12 community systems built, including wells, pumps, filters and rainwater catchment
-315 family agricultural projects and 5 community projects enabled.
-498 household bathrooms and latrines built
-267 ovens and stoves constructed
-45,421 people served by simple technology programs

Join with ASCEND and become partners in progress; sharing our resources to help children and families in need to ASCEND out of poverty. Visit ASCEND's website ascendalliance.org

If you can't be an intern or an expedition participant with ASCEND, you still can help people ascend out of poverty in South America and Africa. Visit this link to learn of ways you can provide humanitarian aid. Click on Sponsor a Project if you would like to buy a hygiene kit, a school kit, a family garden, a clean water system, and several other humanitarian aid projects.