Swimwear:

Reformation (International) - this San Francisco-based company bills itself as sustainable from the outset. They choose fibers with the lowest environmental impact and highest positive social impact. When producing swimwear, they carefully measure: water input, energy input, land use, eco-toxicity, greenhouse gas emissions, human toxicity, availability and price. Website: thereformation.com.

Ruby Moon (UK & Europe) - Ruby Moon started in Brighton and now has HQs around Europe. This female-owned company focuses on women empowerment, giving their profits to female entrepreneurs in developing countries. They also use plastic found in the ocean to make many of their products. Website: rubymoon.org.uk.

Ama Saturday (US) - This black female owned company sells swim gear for all body colors, shapes and sizes. They also have a new range of face masks for the current pandemic. Website: amasaturday.com.

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Sunglasses:

Sunski (International) - Another brand from California, Sunski focuses on a low-environmental impact brand with its commitment to carbon neutrality, recycled frames and zero-plastic packaging. They are also part of the 1% for the planet scheme - committing to donating 1% of their sales to environmental non-profits. Website: sunski.com.

Pala eyewear (UK & Europe) - Very much in the Toms mould, Pala eyewear donates to eye-care programs in Africa, working to help solve the lack of prescription glasses in including Burkina Faso, Zambia, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Ethiopia. They also utilize recycled plastic to make their sunglasses, use eco-friendly recyclable packaging and offset their carbon emissions from shipping. Website: palaeyewear.com.

Bohten Eyewear (International) - using reclaimed materials, Bohten Eyewear bills itself as sustainable with their unique designed glasses inspired by the landscapes found in Ghana. After appearing on Canada’s Dragon’s Den, owner Nana Boateng Osei made it his mission to create jobs in Ghana through local production. Website: bohten.com.

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Summer clothing:

Ninety Percent (UK and some other countries) - This womenswear label takes sustainability seriously. It only manufactures its clothes in high-class factories in Bangladesh and Turkey and also uses organic or recycled materials in line with the Global Organic Textile Standard. Spoiler alert! Their name represents their commitment to giving 90 per cent of their profits to charitable causes. Website: ninetypercent.com.

Alternative Apparel (International) - While larger outlets have been found to be incredibly unethical and environmentally damaging in the way they operate, Alternative Apparel is different. This world-wide brand has developed a more eco-friendly production method by using recycled cotton, organic cotton, hemp-blend and has committed to using 100% recycled polyester by 2021. Website: alternativeapparel.com.

Summer footwear and sandals:

Toms (international) - We love this classic. For years Toms have been driven by their ethical company policies that include a donation of $1 for every $3 they make. As well as funding charities focused on equal opportunities and mental health, Toms have done their bit in the fight against Covid-19 by donating one third of their net profits to workers on the frontline. Website: toms.com.

Gumbies (International) - Born in the UK but inspired by Australia, Gumbies is dedicated to making eco-friendly flip-flops (or thongs) using a variety of materials like cork - a type of bark that is stripped from a tree that grows back over time. They also use recycled rubber, textile and plastic as well as natural algae foam and castor beans. Website: gumbies.com.

Wondering what to do with an old pair of flip flops? - Check out this YouTube video to see how you can easily repair them.

Good on you - The Good on you website and app rates international brands in line with their social and environmental sustainability. If you have a favorite brand or want to know about a new one, simply search in Good on you for a reliable rating.

The Good Trade - The Good Trade is a leading online resource for sustainability. Check out their website for more information on ethical clothing brands among many other themes. Website: thegoodtrade.com.

Thredup - Thredup has outlined the top eco and ethical brands for 2020 many of whom are well-known high-street retailers that have specific eco-friendly lines. It is also the world's largest online second-hand destination. 

PETA - Many clothing brands have committed to a production method excluding any animal interference whatsoever. PETA gives a great list of vegan-friendly clothing brands that have been researched and given the green thumbs up.

By Kagumu Staff
Posted on 18/4/2020

​The major advantage of studying Spanish abroad is that you are thinking about the language every day. You start by observing and listening, then you go out and interact with people in the food markets, talk with fellow students on the university campus and go for beers with new friends at night. From breakfast to dinner you are immersed in the language and the progress you can make is huge. I studied in Jerez and Salamanca in Spain and Guadalajara in Mexico. I took classes for 4 hours in the morning then used the language during my free time in the city and on travel adventures.

Being able to talk with people in their own language allows you to break down social barriers and understand their lives. You learn that people from different countries and cultures think very similarly to you. Talking with local Mexicans allowed me to become real friends with them. I also got to explain in the British culture, we weren't the bumbling, comedic characters portrayed in TV shows like Fawlty Towers. ​

By Kagumu Adventures Staff
Posted on 22/11/2019

​Students enjoy this cultural exchange by communicating daily with their new families, in their adopted tongue, and  learning how they live, eat, and work, all while discovering different family values and cultural traits. ​

​I want to increase awareness about our consumption habits and show the social, environmental and health impact. I’d like to show students alternative ways of consumption and do it in a responsible way.

​I’d like to show that everyone has a major part to play in the change. Through hands-on activities, games and workshops people can learn and assess their consuming habits. But also give people the opportunity to act in their own way after knowing all the facts.
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Julia has lived in Medellin, Colombia, for five years and leads Kagumu Adventures’ interactive and activity-filled organic farming tour in El Carmen de Viboral. She also instructs a yoga class in the verdant forest surroundings of Santa Elena, assists our sustainable cooking challenge and leads our unique reflections session on responsible consumption.

​Let's face it, travelling to Colombia around 15 years ago was deemed highly questionable for tourists. Even daring backpackers arrived in dribbles rather than droves. And for teenage students? Forget it. Barely even a consideration. 

Fast forward to 2018 and the second most biodiverse country on the planet is shining brightly as a hub for global travellers. Visitor numbers have soared 300% since 2006. Highly reputable publications like the New York Times and Lonely Planet are lauding Colombia as the place to visit. And president Juan Manuel Santos has added to the country's growing international reputation by winning the Nobel Peace Prize for leading the country's successful peace process.

This is quite a turnaround considering Colombia's often overstated and unfair reputation for violence, narco trafficking and general insecurity. But while tourism has been on the up for years, we wanted to explore why there is there still scepticism about school trips and whether Colombia, a country of undoubted natural beauty and intrigue, is now safe for teenagers to visit?

It seems these new guidelines take into account the security of individual regions rather than whole country (at last). And while it still states caution should be adhered to in certain areas, it's positive in its message:
 
“Tens of thousands of U.S. citizens safely visit Colombia each year for tourism, business, university studies, and volunteer work. Security in Colombia has improved significantly in recent years, including in tourist and business travel destinations such as Bogotá, Cartagena, Barranquilla, Medellin, and Cali.  However, violence linked to narco-trafficking continues to affect some rural and urban areas.”
 
The British Government takes a similar view. On its website, a map clearly marks which parts of the country are safe to visit including major cities like Bogotá, Medellin, Cali, Cartagena and huge swaths of surrounding rural regions.
 
Click here to listen to Kagumu Adventures founder Simon Willis interviewed about Colombian school trips
 
But what about parents and teachers who, somewhat understandably, may still be wary of a country with such a chequered past? Well, drama teacher, Sofía Elizalde Durán, witnessed first-hand the situation in Colombia during an immersive week-long trip to Medellin and Rio Claro with her students from Santiago’s Nido International School.

​Sofia and her students stayed in an eco-hotel on the outskirts of Medellin, witnessed world-class street art in vibrant Medellin neighbourhoods, walked through luxuriant forests and travelled to an Andean jungle in Rio Claro, trying extreme sports and living among endemic birds, creepy crawlies and howling monkeys.
 
During one day students explored the formerly infamous Comuna 13, a neighbourhood transformed from a no-go area to visitor hotspot. Victor, a 16-year-old student at Nido, admitted apprehension before he visited but was surprised with what he saw.
 
“At first, I had a different vision of Comuna 13,” he said. “However, when I actually went there it was a lot different to what I expected and a lot better.”