Walter Hollander

My 1 Home Away From Home encompasses a number of activities which can be viewed on our main website, http://www.clubforleisure.clubforleisure.com/

Just would like to share some thoughts with you that I sent to someone who asked me why I do what I do as far as the Cuba Culture Club goes. Hope that's OK.

Briefly, sometime back, I visited Cuba because I was exploring the direction I should go in forming a travel business. Truth is that I fell in love with the people and their culture. Largely due to seeing their resilience in the face of the hardships they experience on a daily basis in the way of food scarcity and financial resources, my leaning towards the business became completely that of wanting to promote sustainable travel. Thus, I would be employing those that are deprived largely of the means of providing daily provisions for themselves and their families and neighbors. I decided that the travel business would help those people to build self-esteem and self-sufficiency.

There is much talk about changing the way that Cuba is run and I hasten to add that I am not political. I have little use for politics since the people that ought to be helped by politicians and the political processes are the ones most often left out of the total picture. As a teacher at one time, a student that long time ago taught me a valuable lesson when he countered a reason I had for quitting that if I wanted to change a system, I should do it from within.

I believe that the money that is to be generated from the business should also go to better the lives of those whose lives are touched by the visitors.

Looking forward to expanding on that thought through time. Thanks for lending me your ear.