VAST Cares: Travel That Gives Back
Our social responsibility programme. Each year, 10% of Vast Ethiopia Tours’ profits support education, community development and people with disabilities in Ethiopia.
Founder, Vast Ethiopia Tours
It started with one chance
“Vast Ethiopia Tours was born out of the kindness of others. I grew up in Lalibela, one of Ethiopia’s most visited destinations, and tried to work as a tour guide from a very early age. As soon as school was over, I would run to the churches hoping to be hired by the latest group of visitors. It was very competitive, and my English was often too basic to convince anyone.
One day I met Leonard Goering, an American visiting Lalibela, and showed him our beloved churches. I felt a kinship with him right away, and that day changed my life. He paid for better schooling for me in Addis Ababa, which allowed me to improve my English, learn how to run a business and, in the end, open my own tour company.
Because of this, I have always felt a duty to my fellow Ethiopians, especially my friends and neighbours in the mountains around Lalibela. VAST Cares is how we give that chance to others.”
Your trip, their future
You don’t need to do anything extra: every tour you book with us helps.
You travel with us
Book any of our private tours or a tailor-made trip around Ethiopia.
We share our profits
Each year, 10% of our profits go to VAST Cares.
Communities benefit
The money supports schools, libraries, community development and people with disabilities.
Partnering with Ethiopia Reads
Access to books and early education is still limited for many children in Ethiopia. Literacy is one of the strongest foundations for a better future, yet learning resources remain out of reach for many communities.
That is why we partner with Ethiopia Reads, an NGO that has planted more than 60 libraries across the country and trains and mentors librarians and educators. Together we support:
Community learning spaces across Ethiopia
Reading materials in local languages
Mobile libraries reaching remote areas
Where your support goes
Alongside Ethiopia Reads, VAST Cares donates to and helps raise support for these schools and organisations:
Bilbala Elementary School
Where VAST Cares began: a school in an underserved area 30 km from Lalibela, where Habtu’s father has worked as a teacher and administrator. We donate books and school supplies and help bring in support from others.
Fregenet Foundation
A primary school in Addis Ababa, set up in memory of Fregenet Tafesse Woubshet. It educates children from low-income communities, including children orphaned by HIV/AIDS.
Ethiopia Reads
An NGO that has planted more than 60 libraries across Ethiopia and runs a peer-mentoring and training programme for librarians and educators.
PET Mobility Project
Students from McPherson College in the USA raise awareness and funds for Personal Energy Transportation, which builds all-terrain wheelchairs for people with disabilities.
Leverage for Lalibela
A Belgian NGO (Hefboom voor Lalibela) born from the city partnership between Peer and Lalibela, supporting youth and sport, healthcare, agriculture and education around Lalibela.
Heritage & Culture Camp
We help adopted Ethiopians living in the US and elsewhere reconnect with their country and culture, and have helped many find their home villages and meet their birth families.
Every journey makes a difference
When you travel with Vast Ethiopia Tours, you become part of VAST Cares: every journey helps support education and communities in Ethiopia.
Plan your Ethiopia trip
Tell us your dates, number of travellers and what you would love to see. We usually reply within 1–2 working days.