Terrapin has become involved in several activities which have become important to us over the years.  This is our way of giving back to the communities where we have traveled and have accepted us generously.

Yayasan Anak Bahagia (Happy Child Foundation)

Four years ago, we met Robin Lim, the founder of the Yayasan. Three years ago we started carrying her Travelers Journal in our retail store. 100% of the sale of the Journal goes back to the Yayasan. We fully support her ideals.

"Birth is the most significant physical and spiritual event, for all women and their families. It begins with love, grows in commitment, and bears the fruit of courage, a newborn person. We believe that gentle childbirth sets the child on a path to health, a way of peace. On our tilting planet approximately 1,370 mothers die each day, in childbirth (about one every minute), most of these deaths are preventable. From our humble beginning project in Bali, we hope to turn this sad statistic around. We have found that transitional medicine and cultural practices in synthesis with modern medicine can lower the rate ofinfant and maternal mortality."

By purchasing this travel journal at Terrapin, supporting Yayasan Anak Bahagia, you provide a foundation for safer choices in health services. Incorporating the sacred and keeping it simple.

Sigit

Our personal project is providing our friend Sigit Sediadi with the opportunity to pursue an education after High School. We had known Sigit for six years as he was in charge of helping to take care of his aunt's guest house (the guesthouse we stay in when we are in Yogyakarta) before and after school. We spent quite a lot of time helping him with his English homework and getting to know about his life and getting to know his family. His plans after graduation were to continue to work at the guesthouse, as there were no opportunities for furthering his education, as his family could not afford it and financial aid in Indonesia is practically nonexistent. We decided to offer to fund his education, be it a university or a trade school, if he desired to continue it

Enthusiastically he accepted and is now a 3.45 GPA student atlo the AMPTA School for trade and tourism. He has told us what a difference this has made in his life. He has made new friends, enjoys what he is learning, and sees the opportunities that this education will afford him. For us, this is the most rewarding of our activities in Indonesia. We always look forward to hearing from him or his family, and cannot wait to see him every time we go.

4 One World

4 One World is a Kalamazoo based non profit organization started by my good friends Tara and Wade Mc Kinney and Adam Stubbs. It’s mission is to provide a computer literacy program and the hardware necessary to the St. Kizito school in Uganda. To educate , inspire and empower these children to make a difference in the world. They have made incredible strides towards making this a reality. Check out their website and see how you can help. www.4oneworld.org

Fox on a Hill

Terrapin is Proud to support Fox on a Hill Productions and the wonderful Michigan based artists that form this collaborative. Fox on a Hill is based in Traverse City Michigan and is extremely vocal about the environmental issues plaguing Michigan and ultimately the world. From banning sulfide mining to protecting the fresh water of the Great Lakes. The artists involved in this organization donate their time and talents to make change for the better. Check out all the awesome music available at www.foxonahill.com

The Tibetan Cultural Preservation Initiative

The Tibetan Cultural Preservation Initiative provides funding food and shelter for practicing Buddhist Monks and Nuns. They have built several campuses in Tibet to protect and cultivate the sacred Buddhist traditions that have been so stifled since it’s occupation by China. Please read the following information and the lovely letter we received from Adzom Paylo Rinpoche. See how you can help preserve this sacred and precious tradition.
http://www.bumisehatbali.org
tcpi_info@earthlink.net
713-805-0699