Just when you think an outstanding company can't possibly get better it does! I am not surprised to see one of the finest examples of selflessness, kindness and compassion demonstrated through Esprit's new Hermanos project. I have visited Jalcomulco, and I know how great of an impact Esprit has had on the spirit of the community. One may think that an adventure outfitter could leave a negative footprint on a small village, changing their traditions, values and culture. Esprit has done the complete opposite during their whole time operating out of Jalcomulco. They have brought opportunity, education, life, spirit and friendship to a warm community. They have been welcomed with open arms, and they have fallen in love with Jalcomulco and its people. Jim and Erin have made Jalcomulco part of the Esprit family. They open the eyes of their guests who visit and share their special Jalcomulco gem. The privileged guests of this warm family spread their "random acts of kindness" with this new opportunity with Hermanos. I think the Hermanos project is fantastic! Jim and Erin Coffey have done it again with another beautiful innovation in making this world a better place through experience. Esprit is one of a kind! They are not only the best outfitter on Earth ... but they are making changes on this Earth in the right direction. I look forward to experiencing more of the Esprit (spirit) movement! Spirit of Adventure, Spirit of Kindness, Spirit of Excellence, Spirit of Making this World a Better Place to live in! That is Esprit.

For 2 weeks in March this year, I had the opportunity to stay with Esprit and participate in the Hermanos project. During this trip, we spent time in the towns of Jalcomulco and Xopilapa. In both of these towns, everyone was so friendly and welcoming even though we were complete strangers who couldn't even speak their language. It was a very rewarding experience to bring them gifts that would be otherwise difficult for them to obtain. In Canada, we take something like buying lightbulbs or school supplies for granted. Everything we ever need is always right at our fingertips. In Xopilapa, getting these things could mean hiking 2 hours up and over a mountain to get to the nearest town. It was great to see how these simple gifts were greatly appreciated by the recipients. Especially how something like a soccer ball could provide countless hours of excercise and entertainment for all of the children in the town. If it weren't for Esprit, there would likely never be any tourism in Xopilapa and certainly less in Jalcomulco than there is now. This flow of people not only brings gifts through the Hermanos project, but it also puts money into the local economies. This was truly a wonderful and life-changing experience for me, and something that was beneficial for everyone involved.

Earlier this month I experienced the Hermanos Project first hand with 15 fellow high school students and teachers. When we arrived in Jalcomulco we could not believe how friendly and warm the residents were to people they had never met and spoke a different language. During the first couple days Jim and the Esprit team spoke of the "Hermanos Project" but we didn't really understand what it meant until went to Xopilapa. Our group helped hand out school supplies, soccer balls, food baskets, and changed lightbulbs. None of us knew how rewarding something as simple as changing a lightbulb could be. I am hoping more outfitters will follow in Esprit's steps and adopt the Hermanos project or build their own. I also hope more students will get involved with trips like these, not just ones with a beach. This was and extremely rewarding experience and I cannot wait to do it again.
Thank you Jim, Erin & team Esprit

Hello Jim,
Can you please explain what the campaign "A New Ear for Walter" is and what the "World's Smallest Museum" is? What are the "bigger and better ways" you mention that some guests are inspired to contribute?

Can you give some examples of the business ventures that the donations make possible?

To what extent does the community influence the gifts they receive? Do individuals come up with lists or top choices of what they need?

Instead of small donations being used to purchase small (but necessary) things, have you ever considered using donations to start a trust in which money could be pooled for the collective good. For example, several donations combined could eventually purchase something large that the community needs like a school, a library or a community well. What do you think?

I look forward to hearing your response.
Dana Frasz
Changemakers

I recently participated in an Eco-Adventure Discovery with Esprit in Jalcomulco, Mexico. The local community opened their arms and hearts to people they had never met and most of us whom couldn't even speak their language. Just walking down the street everyone greeted you with a smile and you could not help but feel so safe and welcomed. I learned of Hermanos about three days into my trip and immediately knew that I wanted to give something back to all the lovely and warm residents of Jalcomulco.
Being able to meet with the families in their homes and deliver what to me seemed such a small item such as lightbulbs absolutely changed my outlook on life and the blessings I have been given.
Thank you so much to Erin, Jim and the Esprit family. Without their sincere devotion to the residents of Jalcomulco, I would never have been given the opportunity to take part in such a life changing experience.

I recently experienced the Hermanos project first hand and it moved me to tears. Tears rising from the blatent inequality in our world. But I had good fortune to witness this inequality because it opened my eyes once more. In our busy, day-to-day lives we can forget. We can forget to give to those that need it most. But Esprit helped me remember and reacquainted me with the joy of giving. The warmth from a smile and hug from an elderly Mexican woman after receiving a food basket will be a feeling I will keep forever from this trip....thank you Jim, Erin and the Esprit family for the opportunity to experience Hermanos.

I never imagined that the simple act of screwing in a light bulb could move me to tears, but that is exactly what happened at the end of my recent week long Eco-Adventure Discovery trip with Esprit in Jalcomulco Mexico. I learned about the Hermanos Project my first day there but to be honest it didn’t really sink in. I was much more focused on the beautiful scenery and the amazing activity packed days that were to come. I had no idea going into this trip that what would impact me the most was the people and their culture. The people of Jalcomulco and of the other small villages we visited during our travels were so warm and friendly. Some have so little, yet they seem genuinely happy. The more I experienced the culture and interacted with these wonderful people, the greater was my desire to help in any small way I could. The Hermanos Project presented me with the opportunity to give something back, to help in some small way. Thank-you Esprit for one of the most humbling experiences of my life.

On my recent trip with Esprit, I was amazed with the small town that we were based out of, and grateful for the wonderful reception that I received from the locals. At the end of my trip, I wanted a way to say thank you, and after hearing about the Hermanos project, I knew that this would be a wonderful way to give back to the community. Knowing that I provided food to an elderly woman so that she could eat without worry, and school books to a young girl so that she could be a child, was amazing. To be so grateful for something that I consider so small, is unimaginable. We often forget as tourist that there is more that meets the eye to the wonderful places that we visit - Thank you Esprit for allowing me to face these realities and to give back to the people that make these trips truly memorable.