Monica Herreras
Tumaini founder and project coordinator
Who is he?
Monica holds a degree in Business Administration and Management from the Complutense University of Madrid and a Master's degree in International Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid from HASC. A tireless traveller, she has travelled to more than 40 countries. She loves nature, trying all kinds of exotic foods and long walks.
Her story
Ten years ago, Monica was in finance. She worked in a big company, had a good salary. But one summer, she decided to go on a solidarity trip to Kenya and her life completely changed. When she came back, she took a year's leave of absence to return to the project. There, while coordinating volunteers, she realised that many people want to collaborate with NGOs in Southern countries but don't know where to start and also that she could support many local projects. This is how Tumaini was born.
In Tumaini...
She will help you find the trip that best suits your profile and interests. Monica is passionate about solidarity travels and will pass on her enthusiasm for traveling and helping. In addition, she will always be there, ready to answer all your questions.
Jennifer Peral
Communications Officer
Who is he?
Graduate in Tourism from the Rey Juan Carlos University in Madrid. Passionate about travel, photography, local gastronomy, communication and above all the transformative power of responsible tourism in communities.
Her story
She began his career in the world of travel agencies working in both the technical and operational areas, acquiring a great deal of experience and knowledge that allowed her to continue to evolve in startups where she discovered the other skills that fascinate her today; marketing and communication. These two tools, together with her great interest in sustainable tourism, led her to study a postgraduate course in Marketing and Communication of Tourist Destinations at the UOC, accredited with the UNWTO TedQual Certification, granted by the UNWTO. This stage opened the doors to the international market where she has managed to put into practice much of the knowledge acquired by supporting the three pillars of sustainability.
In Tumaini...
Jennifer takes care of all the communication and marketing so the Tumaini community keeps growing. She brings you closer to other realities and travels right from your couch 🙂
Marina López Tapias
Groups Coordinator
Who is he?
Bachelor in Tourism, Master in Marketing and Sales, MBA and Master in Digital Business and Digital Marketing. Marina speaks 5 languages and is fascinated by learning, growing both professionally and personally, and helping to generate positive impact especially among the most disadvantaged groups. She loves meeting new cultures and people.
Her story
When she was 20 years old, she went on a volunteer trip to Peru, which sparked her interest and fascination for NGOs. Subsequently she collaborated in different educational and environmental projects in 7 countries and hopes to continue doing so. In 2014 Marina opened a rural mansion in Extremadura and is currently developing a small project on the island of Santiago in Cape Verde related to animal welfare and recycling.
In Tumaini...
Marina's work focuses on solidarity trips to Cape Verde. In 2020 she went to evaluate projects in this country for a few months and liked the "morabeza" (hospitality) of its people so much that she stayed to live there. She will accompany you in whatever you may need during your volunteer trip, making this experience something you will remember for life.
Marina Nazarenko
Groups Coordinator
Who is he?
She holds a degree in Environmental Sciences from the Autonomous University of Madrid and a Master in Environmental Management and Sustainable Sciences from the University of Aalborg in Denmark. To strengthen her knowledge of sustainable tourism, she took a course in Creation and Management of Package Travel and Events and Tourism and Sustainable Development at ISM.
Passionate about travel, exotic landscapes and the sea and also about sharing experiences and raising awareness about other realities of our world. She loves cultural exchange and the personal enrichment that comes from getting to know new destinations and people.
Her story
During her professional career, she worked in various positions related to the environment and health and safety.
At the same time, she increasingly felt the need to travel in a more authentic, conscious and respectful way with both the environment and the local population in order to contribute positively to the destination. The combination of her interests and previous training led Marina to redirect her professional career towards the sustainable tourism sector, which is why she took two courses to better understand the current tourism and economic system, the tools available and the possibilities for change towards a more sustainable model. She started at Tumaini as a volunteer and also took the responsible tourism trip to Cape Verde, where she felt the magic of getting to know the country through a socio-cultural immersion and how rewarding it is to be able to do your bit for the communities that need it most. Now, she works at Tumaini in line with her values and life purpose.
In Tumaini...
Marina is in charge of the day-to-day management of the projects and volunteers, so she can advise and guide you throughout your trip to make it an unforgettable experience. She also carries out the search for new collaborations and partnerships and works on the implementation of environmental sustainability in Tumaini.
Sara Herreras
Vice-president and consultant on environmental solidarity trips
Who is he?
Sara studied Chemical Sciences at the Complutense University of Madrid and a Master in Renewable Energies and Sustainable Development in Utrecht (The Netherlands). For 11 years she has worked on environmental, climate change and renewable energy issues at national and international level. She has worked as a volunteer in two local development projects in India and Brazil: as a teacher in a school for children at risk of exclusion and as a coordinator of an environmental project. Currently, she works as a university lecturer in renewable energies and sustainability and helps local initiatives to find alternative energies to heat buildings.
Her story
Sara has collaborated with Tumaini since its beginnings. She is the vice-president of the organisation and has taken a large part of the training course that we offer to all travellers.
In Tumaini...
Sara coordinates all environmental projects to get the most out of them. She is involved in the presentation of competitions and assists in the mandatory training given to everyone traveling with Tumaini.
Arantza Casas
Secretary of the Board of Directors and Co-founder of the Cooperation project in Nepal.
Arantza studied Biology at the Complutense University of Madrid, although her entire professional career has been focused on programming. In 2011 she worked for a year and a half in the Philippines, it was the first time she had travelled outside Europe and had the opportunity to learn about other cultures and other ways of life. From that experience she began to rethink her life, seeking to help in a meaningful way to those who need it most. She has been working on solidarity projects in Nepal for seven years with the NGO CIDEN and currently collaborates with Tumaini as an expatriate volunteer between India and Nepal.
"Since I decided to live between India and Nepal, my mind has gradually expanded through interaction with other cultures, with new ways of seeing and appreciating life. The simplicity and joy with which other cultures live in spite of material difficulties continues to amaze me and it is a continuous personal learning that it is possible to be happy with very little. Tumaini offers you the opportunity to get to know other social and cultural realities that will go far beyond your expectations and will mark a before and after.
Antón Barros
Co-founder of the Cooperation Project in Nepal
He is a French philologist from the Sorbonne University (Paris) and an associate professor at the Alliance Française in Santiago de Compostela. He is fluent in several European and non-European languages and enjoys communicating with different cultures. Anton has travelled all over Europe, although his heart is in Asia, particularly India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. In the last seven years he has developed solidarity projects in Nepal. Buddhism and martial arts led him to a deeper concern for the human being.
"Because of my humanistic background, I felt a constant concern for the improvement of the human being in general. From a very young age, I always wanted to live in Asia and delve deeper into what compassion and love mean. When I saw the opportunity in 2013, I considered a radical change of life and left Europe. In Asia, I find a way of being more in line with my view and pace of life. Being able to help people directly is what really moves my heart. For me, Tumaini is much more than just a company, it is an intelligent and compassionate way of approaching different cultures and feelings.
David Díez and Laura Ávila
Digital marketing partners
Who are they?
David and Laura are two of Tumaini's most special volunteers.
David is an expert in digital marketing and SEM and has known Tumaini since its beginnings. He has accompanied us in our dream and wishes to improve little bits of this world.
Laura met Tumaini by chance, in a Google Ads course. She is dedicated to digital marketing and communication. She loves travelling and getting to know new cultures, as well as being an independent person and a passionate reader and bookstagrammer @proyecto_lectora.
In Tumaini...
They are responsible for the Google Ads strategy. In other words, they set up campaigns so that more and more people get to know us and are encouraged to collaborate in countries in the South. Volunteering from Spain is their way of doing their bit so that the projects we work with continue to grow and improve.
David Alonso
Tumaini vip volunteer
Who is he?
A teacher and high school principal, David is clear about one thing: his connection to animals is brutal. In 2015, he travelled to the wildlife rescue centre in Bolivia for the first time and came back fascinated. Since then, he has already travelled and worked with the project 10 times, is still in contact with the coordinators on a daily basis and keeps saying that "his critters" have changed his life.
In Tumaini...
He is always there when we need him. He participates in our talks, in our media interviews and guides and accompanies people who are going to Bolivia. Watch out: his excitement and enthusiasm for the rescue centre is contagious!