Give by Going
unlocking the transformative power of travel
.“We make a living by what we get. But we make a life by what we give.”
- Winston Churchill
Why We Do This. 2023
I.
Community is a journey
It sounds so naive today, but looking back, Elisa & I never imagined that community would play such an enormous part of our lives. We were determined to share the Stories of places that we felt deeply drawn to, but the truth is that we had no idea what that would require from us professionally, let alone on a personal level. We simply set out and made our way, step by step, learning as we went.
Today, we know that many of those steps have in fact been relationships, and that our journey all along has been community.
Looking back, it all makes sense. After all, there are no better ways to tell Stories than to be a part of them.
Teacher & Student / I miss you, Levi. 2022
II.
the tangible benefits of going
One of the best parts about owning a business is that you get to make the rules yourself. Here, in no particular order, are some of our policies & contributions to the communities & natural environment of the Serra do Espinhaço:
We contract exclusively with local businesses & individuals, including those in the rural communities we visit, with the intention of stimulating economies via genuine, non-intrusive visitation. When we need a service to be provided during our trips, we always seek to work with residents rather than contract existing providers based outside of the region.
We pay above-market wages to all personnel involved with our trips. Some of our Guest Crew Members have reported earning more income during 2 days on the trail with us than they make the rest of the month, while our local full-time Crew Members earn significantly above the going national (Brazilian) rates for similar work. The workload of our full-time Crew Members, in particular, is challenging, as is our (6-month) calendar. Elisa & I consider ourselves incredibly lucky to work alongside these men & women. We’re confident you’ll agree that they’re worth every penny.
We prioritize family-owned accommodations during our trips, and patronize a number of private residences owned by households who had never received guests prior to our trips. Some of the households we work with have reported making many times their regular monthly income during a single night of our trips, while others are able to meaningfully complement their existing employment.
We patronize small- and micro-businesses whenever possible, often going to great lengths in order to contract—and train—for even the “smallest” of tasks. Examples of this during our trips include training & contracting local women in rural communities to make trail lunches & snacks; training & contracting local men to assist travelers as porters & horsemen; and contracting local taxis for all of our overland transfers. There are more more convenient & cost-effective options when it comes to handling each of these tasks, but none are better for the Places where we work, and that will always be a higher priority for GOGO.
We regularly identify, fund, and produce R&D expeditions to under-explored areas with potential natural & cultural value, sharing our findings with community stakeholders, and uniting unlikely teams of scientists, environmentalists, land owners, students, small business owners, and government officials in the process. Our ongoing study of Sempre Vivas National Park, and the divulgation of our findings with local stakeholders, has led to multiple new potential touristic routes within the Park, as well as Park jobs for a handful of Guest Crew Members whom we trained for our R&D expeditions.
We actively advocate for the creation of a regional identity built around the Espinhaço’s uncommon historical, cultural, and natural resources—a monumental task that will require significant time, energy, and commitment for years to come, but whose fruits we believe will incalculably benefit the region as a whole. We regularly meet, interview, and document residents from all walks of life—from subsistence farmers to tenured academics to local government officials—in order to better understand & piece together the Story of the Espinhaço, with the goal of instilling a shared cultural patrimony across those walks of life.
We raise awareness within individual communities about the innate natural & cultural resources they possess as they relate to tourism, and advise them on practical steps to both protect those resources and to create value for themselves & the places where they live. We believe that community-based tourism & ecotourism have the potential to meaningfully complement the traditional, but fading extractive economies of mining, flower-picking, and ranching in smaller, isolated communities, and that such a change requires awareness & industry-specific education.
We maintain trails in local conservation units, picking up discarded items and (upon permission and/or request) selectively clearing vegetation along pathways—several of which still serve as vital passageways for remote households.
We sponsor personal projects by Crew Members that celebrate the places where we work. Eddie’s upcoming photo journal documenting the backcountry inhabitants of the Serra do Espinhaço, “The View Strikes at Once”, co-sponsored by GOGO and Diamantina’s Department of Tourism, is an example of this. GOGO also hopes to co-sponsor a documentary about the region in the coming years.
We allocate 5% of all proceeds from our trips towards a variety of local projects, causes, and organizations that we, as current residents of the region, are personally familiar with & vouch for. These projects & causes take many forms, but all contribute meaningfully to lives & nature in the Places we go. To learn more about where we allocate the proceeds from our trips, please keep reading.
Barbosa & Lúcia, Community-based tourism pioneers in Inhaí.
III.
The process of becoming part of something greater
Since September 2021, Elisa & I have spent just about every waking moment of our lives studying, documenting, and traveling in Brazil’s Serra do Espinhaço, to the point that if we previously had other lives, I don’t remember them. We spend our weeks working from our home outside of Diamantina, cooking for friends & neighbors, and taking Luca back & forth to school (and to music school, and to basketball practice, etc.); our weekends visiting friends in the tiny districts that line the dirt roads of the front country; and family vacations with Luca & Tiago trekking across the range to visit yet other friends further afield. Meanwhile, our R&D process continues to inevitably—and thankfully—fill our lives with countless new, unexpected & enriching relationships with people from all walks of life.
On one hand, it’s all part of the job; the time, energy, and resource investments necessary to get to the bottom of the incredible, untold Story that we want to share with travelers. On the other hand, it’s our whole lives; we’ve literally given the Espinhaço everything we have to give.
In turn, the journey has filled our lives with unexpected joy, meaning, and relationships. At some point during the past 3 years, “giving back” stopped feeling like a dutiful act of corporate goodwill and more like a free act of good neighborliness; the natural consequence of caring deeply for a Place & wanting to see it succeed.
First Trip to Dona Maria’s Home. 2021
IV.
The Real Questions
Elisa & I stopped worrying long ago about whether our trips would positively impact the Espinhaço & its residents. The answer to that became clear during our first 28-day trek across the region, when we witnessed first-hand how transformative community-based tourism could be economically for the individuals & households we work with.
Three years—and 9 multi-week treks—later, and we’ve never been more confident that working directly with residents creates a more enriching experience for travelers.
We know that the best trips enrich the lives of all who are involved. The questions today have become: “can we do more?” and “why settle for less?”
Best Party Ever. 2021
V.
The (overrated) Power of Resources
It’s no secret that building strong communities requires vision, commitment, resources, and time, yet it’s so easy to overestimate the importance of resources—especially financial ones—to the equation.
Stimulating the economy via service opportunities (the natural economic consequence of our visits & business model) is one obvious way to contribute financially—Elisa & I have witnessed first-hand how tourism at the community level can directly & positively impact various aspects of local life—but participating in those transactions is also quite literally the least we can do: exchange money for goods & services provided.
Donations are yet another way to contribute economically, but in the wrong hands or in the absence of a long-term plan and dedicated stakeholders, we have witnessed large sums of money accomplish shockingly little.
At the end of the day, while money is essential to building just about anything, it seems uncontroversial to suggest that providing enterprising individuals & households with the tools & knowledge to attract & maintain this type of patronage is more empowering, more valuable, and more sustainable than even the most generous donation.
Luca & Júlio. 2024
VI.
the 5%
Over the years, Elisa & I have found that the most meaningful & satisfying contributions we make are the ones that require our vision, commitment, time, and resources.
The fact that we live in & study the Places where we work makes these types of contributions possible. We work hard to get to know residents within the communities where we work. We attend community festivals, patronize local establishments, and accept & extend invitations whenever possible. We visit their homes to celebrate birthdays, and we invite them to ours for dinner. We ask lots of questions (to the point that we are often jokingly referred to as “the Researchers”) and we listen to the answers. We also invest quite a bit in exploration and research & development each year, a process that further cements our ties with communities and constantly reveals new realities & challenges.
We’ve concluded that the best way for GOGO & the travelers who come with us to give back is through a combination of projects that utilize our vision, commitment, time, and resources. We call this The 5%.
The Boarding School. Conselheiro Mata
VII.
the 5%: Dreams, Needs, Plans & Projects
5% of proceeds may seem like a modest figure when it comes to making real change, but in a region as isolated as the Espinhaço, every dollar counts—and exponentially more so when that sum is thoughtfully allocated. Over the years of trekking, riding, boating, driving, observing, asking questions, and listening, Elisa & I have identified dozens of projects in the region—some big, some small; some related to tourism, some to basic infrastructure—that we believe can meaningfully contribute to the quality of life of local residents. We keep a running list of these “dreams, needs, plans & projects” for both our own sake (sometimes you realize something in the field, but don’t come across that idea again until your next visit 100 days later) and so that travelers can learn a bit more about where their 5% contributions might go.
Here, in loosely broken down categories, are the projects currently on our list.
Ongoing Projects / Donations
The Serra do Espinhaço wouldn’t be the natural wonderland that it does today without the visionary efforts & studious initiatives of the Instituto Biotrópicos, a local non-profit dedicated to documenting & protecting the region’s immense trove of biodiversity. Whether in the field or on their laptops in Diamantina, the organization’s staff of natural scientists, social scientists, and administrators work around the clock on issues regarding conservation, public education, and economic opportunities for gateway communities. Elisa & I would like to donate a percentage of GOGO’s proceeds towards Biotrópicos’ general fund for projects in the region.
One of the most serendipitous things to happen to Elisa & I on Field Trip #8 was meeting André Jordani, owner of tourism consultancy Esfera in Belo Horizonte, and longtime visitor of the Espinhaço. Since February 2024, we have met regularly with André to improve GOGO’s operation in nearly all regards: from safety & emergency response planning to daily logistics to best practices for working with Parks, municipalities, and communities, and the results have been beyond what we could have hoped for. We would like to contract Esfera to work alongside of us and professors of Tourism at Diamantina’s Universidade dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri to construct regional & community-specific sustainable tourism management plans, and to provide training & consulting to entrepreneurial households & individuals interested in community-based tourism projects.
If you come on one of our trips (and aren’t allergic to nuts), you’ll almost assuredly take note of the delicious, chunky peanut brittle we carry on the trail, which we order from the Associação de Pais e Amigos dos Excepcionais de Diamantina (“PAES”; Association of Parents & Friends of the Exceptionals), a Diamantina-based non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of special needs individuals across the region. Elisa & I live nearby the seat of this well-run, much-needed, and under-funded organization, and would like to donate a percentage of GOGO’s proceeds towards PAES’ general fund for projects in the region.
Micro Projects
Estimated to Cost $2,500 - $10,000 USD
In addition to the Rio Capivarí and a 20-km dirt road, residents of tiny Angu Duru (pop. 8) must open & close 9 poorly constructed cattle gates to reach São Gonçalo do Rio das Pedras. We would like to install metal cattle grids to replace the cattle gates.
In addition to an exhilarating 30-km dirt road, residents of tiny Santa Rita (pop. <12) must open & close a dozen poorly constructed cattle gates to reach the neighboring community of Burití do Claudio. We would like to install metal cattle grids to replace the cattle gates.
Children outnumber adults in the tiny quilombola community of Quarteis do Indaia (pop. < 25), yet there are no established recreational areas. Residents gather to play soccer on a makeshift field in the center of the village, but complain of the lack of goalposts. We would like to buy them goalposts, and to help level the terrain of the field.
The Rio Capivarí separates the tiny agricultural community of Angu Duru (pop. 8) from the town of São Gonçalo do Rio das Pedras (pop. 1,800), leaving family members isolated at times during the rainy season (from October - March). We would like to commission the building of a bridge (or other solution, such as a steel cable zip line) capable of transporting residents from one side of the Rio Capivarí to the other during seasonal flooding.
There are few contaminated water sources in the Espinhaço, but those that exist present significant challenges for rural residents, not only in terms of hygiene, but also logistics. Residents living in the remote area between Curralinho (pop. 628) & Capão Maravilha (pop. <10) currently have to cross knee-high contaminated water in the dry season (from April - September) and waist-high water during the rainy season (from October - March). We would like to commission the building of a bridge (or other solution, such as a steel cable zip line) capable of transporting residents from one side of the Riberão do Inferno to the other during seasonal flooding.
Sr. Dorico, one of 4 individuals currently residing within Sempre Vivas National Park, maintains the traditional flower-picker lifestyle of his ancestors. He is a cultural patrimony all to himself, yet his wattle & daub home lacks electricity, his federal government-supplied solar power battery having been stolen many years ago. Without refrigeration, he must walk approximately 10 miles through the mountains to the nearest settlement outside of the Park—a trek that has become more difficult given his advanced age. He has requested help from us, and we would like to buy him a new battery and create a safe place for it, so that thieves can’t rob him of this basic need again.
Prior to obtaining satellite communications devices, one of the most precarious things about GOGO’s field work was our inability to reliably communicate with local authorities while in the backcountry. As it were, many rural households continue to be completely incommunicable, while the region’s mountainous topography often prevents firefighters & Park personnel from being able to respond quickly to wildfires. We would like to purchase repeaters and install them on prominent local peaks so that both our Crew and local response teams can access 2-way radio frequencies in cases of emergency. We would also like to buy 2-way radios for the region’s most remote rural dwellers.
As avid trekkers who cherish wild places, Elisa & I have mixed feelings about visible signs of human presence along trails, but we also understand how creating educational & recreational opportunities within National & State Parks can help preserve those Places and drive local economies in gateway communities. We would like to create signage for Park visitors along the main east-west thoroughfare in the Park, from Curimataí to Inhaí. This would offer trekkers a chance to experience one of the most beautiful stretches the Park, while leaving the vast majority of historic trails unmarked.
Small Projects
Estimated to Cost $10,000 - $25,000 USD
The historic ranching community of Mendes (pop. <5), located along the former railway (now bike trail) to the southwest of Diamantina, is at risk of becoming a casualty of real estate development. We would like to purchase the tiny former rail station in the town center, restore it, and create a Visitor Center. The Center, which would be staffed during weekends by local residents, would also house a small museum to showcase Mendes’s history, as well as a small concession area to provide snacks & refreshments to weekend bike riders along the trail.
Beautiful Itambé State Park receives over 3,000 visitors per year, yet lacks basic infrastructure outside of a single concrete guest house on the summit of Pico do Itambé. The Park Directorship has approached us about contributing to the creation of restrooms on the eastern side of the Park, and we would like to contribute funds to them build it.
The tiny agricultural community of Galheiros (pop. <25), located 25 km from Diamantina’s city center, has been inextricably linked to the flowery fields to its north & south for three generations—to the point that its residents have received a rare UNESCO Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) designation—but today suffers from an aging population, difficult access, and joblessness. We would like to purchase a small lot in downtown Galheiros, restore it, and create a Visitor Center. The Center, which would be staffed by local residents during weekends, would also house a Flower Picker Heritage Museum dedicated to showcasing the story of the community’s history of flower picking, as well as a storefront to showcase & retail local artisan crafts.
Rio Preto State Park is widely considered the region’s most exemplary State Park, yet it is visibly underfunded. Nearly all of the large visitor information plaques have been bleached white by the sun; a number of small, wooden observation decks have been closed for years due to unfinished (basic) repairs; rope bridges have become ropes; and bright yellow paint has been used on rocks as trail markers, a budget-minded decision that has resulted in unfortunate eyesores along the Park’s most beautiful trail. We would like to fund the improvement & completion of these specific projects, and to discuss additional projects with Park Directorship.
The tiny quilombola community of Macacos (pop. <20), on the southern border of Sempre Vivas National Park, has been inextricably linked to the flowery fields to its north for three generations, but today suffers from an aging population, difficult access, and joblessness. We would like to purchase a small historic home in the tiny quilombolo of Macacos (pop. 12), restore it, and create the National Park’s official southern Visitor Center. The Center, which would be staffed by local residents, would also house a Flower Picker Heritage Museum dedicated to showcasing the story of the Macacos’ rich history of tending to the fields of Sempre Vivas.
Sr. Santo & Dona Maria are two of just a handful of residents living in the remote valley of Bica D’Agua, and the lone residents able to receive visitors at their home. We would like to purchase a plot of land adjacent to Sr. Santo; to donate it to him; and to construct additional shelters & restrooms on it, so that future guests (including our own) don’t overwhelm his current facilities.
Beautiful & soulful but tragically forsaken, the colonial-era district of São João da Chapada (pop. 1,581) was once the epicenter of the Espinhaço’s mining efforts, but today suffers from an aging population, treacherous roads, and joblessness. We would like to purchase a small historic home in the city center, restore it, and create São João’s first Visitor Center. The Center, which would be staffed by local residents, would also house a museum dedicated to showcasing the story of São João’s rich history of both diamond mining and flower picking.
Mid-Sized Projects
Estimated to Cost $25,000 - $100,000 USD
Diamantina (pop. 50,000), current does not have a dedicated fine art gallery to showcase works by local artists. We would like to purchase a small historic home in Diamantina’s UNESCO World Heritage city center, renovate it, and create the city’s first permanent fine art gallery, to include rotating selections of paintings, sculptures, photographs, and other works by regional artists. The gallery would be donated conditionally to a local (as of yet to be determined) non-profit. We would also like to explore the idea of creating a traveling circuit of those works to be displayed in the region’s rural districts on a rotating basis, in order to benefit local economies, feature local artists, and further instill a shared regional sense of heritage & identity.
Diamantina, a city of 50,000 residents, has just two public recreation centers, both of which are in poor condition and one of which will be undergoing restoration for the next 2 years. Despite the centers’ lack of infrastructure, the community’s children and young adults depend heavily on them as social centers. We would like to create an additional recreation center, with infrastructure for soccer, basketball, volleyball, and handball, as well as chess, table tennis, and other activities, and to oversee improvements at the city’s existing recreation centers. The center would be donated to the City of Diamantina.
Large Projects
Estimated to Cost $100,000+
Wild, daunting, and virtually uninhabited, Greater Los Angeles-sized Sempre Vivas National Park is the jewel of the Espinhaço’s mosaic of conservation units, and the second largest conservation unit in Brazil’s precious Cerrado biome. Unfortunately, it is also the region’s most threatened unit, as a lack of funding has prevented the federal government from purchasing the former ranch lands that comprise the Park, resulting in a near-complete lack of awareness & visitation for 22 years, while traditional land use on those lands has been prohibited by decree. Consequently, the isolated flower-picker communities that border the Park and traditionally depended on its lands have lost not only their livelihoods, but also any economic opportunities that might ordinarily follow the creation of such an extraordinary National Park.
We would like to purchase Taquaral, a sprawling abandoned former ranch located deep within Sempre Vivas; restore its grounds; and turn it into the Park’s primary Visitor Center & wilderness refuge, providing basic accommodations & facilities for visitors & Park staff, alike. The refuge would be managed by Park staff, and staffed by residents of the local communities of Macacos, Inhaí, Quarteis do Indaia, Santa Rita, and Curimataí.
For generations, the boarding school in Conselheiro Mata (pop. 200) was celebrated regionally for its commitment to academic excellence. The end of the railway led to a steep decline in attendance for the school, however, to the point that today most of the historic buildings and grounds are empty & vandalized. We would like to purchase the school in Conselheiro Mata, restore its grounds, and turn it into an education center for children & adults, alike. Courses would include tourism, english, entrepreneurship, business administration, history, art, and public policy, among others. The school would conditionally be donated to the City of Diamantina and run by a board of directors comprised of local leaders (including members of the Conselheiro Mata Community Association).
“Wherever you stand, be the Soul of that place.”