There are several Not Just Tourists (NJT) projects in Canada that operate on an independent basis. Each subscribes to a Statement of Common Principles.
We are all non-political, not-for-profit projects, patterned after the original Not Just Tourists group in St. Catharines (Niagara).
NJT collects donations of surplus medicines and supplies for use in countries in need. All NJT groups are completely managed and run by volunteers. There are no offices and minimal overhead and related expenses.
A country clinic typical of where NJT medical aid is delivered
Canadians travelling on business or vacation deliver these much-needed supplies to medical facilities at their travel destinations.
People can deliver a suitcase of medicine and supplies, or they can deliver a knapsack or even a plastic bag full of materials. We have different bag sizes to accommodate different types of travellers, trips, and destinations. To see sample suitcases and bags, go to the Take Medical Supplies page.
To see photos of medicine and supplies being delivered, go to Photos: Deliveries and What You Can Do: Photos.
Update on Activities for Not Just Tourists
Haïti
If you are travelling to the Dominican Republic, please contact your tour package operator about arrangements they may have to send suitcases of medical supplies into Haiti.
Travellers' Stories
All letters are reproduced with the permission of the authors.
From Jibacoa, in Mayabeque, Cuba
I am pleased to report another successful delivery, making it 8 suitcases over the past year for the area surrounding Breezes Jibacoa.
Once again, Sunwing was very co-operative and thanks to the humanitarian aid letter, even allowed us a few extra kilos for some sports equipment and other supplies we added to our luggage at the last minute.
For the third time in a row it was smooth sailing at the Varadero airport. We have never had a single question about the suitcases. The plane arrived at the gate at 3:35 pm and we were sitting on the bus for the hotel by 4:10 pm!
After deliveries in Hershey and Santa Cruz del Norte on our previous trips, we visited Canasi and delivered the suitcases to the local medical clinic. Once we explained the nature and source of the supplies, the doctor was pleased to accept everything and sign the receipt letter. The suitcases were accepted within a few minutes and it was once again a fun and enriching experience for us.
Thanks again for you making this possible. We will be in touch again, it is a just a question of when.
Submitted by Denys
From Matanzas, Cuba
I did not have one glitch from beginning to end. Maybe I am lucky, but it has always been super easy for me.
I checked in at 5:45 a.m. for a 9:00 a.m. flight. I was prepared to have a bit of trouble since my own suitcase weighed over 60 pounds!!! Plus I had a heavy carry-on and a gigantic purse.
All went extremely well. The clerk never charged me a penny for the extra personal weight and I had made sure that the NTJ suitcase was an exact 10 kilograms. He never even asked to see the waiver form (Sunwing or NJT). He checked the three suitcases and I was done in less than 10 minutes.
Juanita took us to the local dispensary, located inside the Catholic church and introduced me to the head nurse. What a nice lady. She gave me a full tour of the dispensary and introduced me to all the volunteers. Since it was around lunchtime, the place was quite busy, which was great.
It was the first time the person in charge of a polyclino asked for my coordinates and where the goods came from. She explained that once a month, someone from Havana comes to oversee the operation and that she had to account for all medical supplies at the dispensary. I made sure she understood that this gesture was made possible because of NJT.
Submitted by Sylvie Bernard
From Managua, Nicaragua
All went well with my last trip to Nicaragua. The suitcase went to the sister-in-law of my colleague there, as she is a nurse in a clinic just outside Managua. Seems the first night after delivery of the suitcase, an infant came in severely dehydrated and they needed to get a needle in but all of theirs were too big and they would not work. In the suitcase were some smaller-gauge needles and these worked perfectly, and ultimately saved the baby from (as I was told) a likely death. Just a little good news I thought worthy of passing along.
Submitted by Bob Anderson
From Las Galeras, Dominican Republic
We had an amazing trip and were successful in bringing the meds to two missionary doctors. The doctors met us at our chalet and were thrilled to get all the goodies we had. They were doing clinics in the little remote villages in our area and were going back to Haiti soon. There were lots of needy folks there, including many Haitian refugees.
Thanks again for all the preparation in getting us those supplies; it helped make the trip very special.
Submitted by Jim and Sharon
Photo used with permission from Brigit Nagy