And I’m glad it wasn’t. Unlike last year when I was spoiled with living arrangements in the luxurious Palmo Real, immediately adjacent to our go-to-guy Ron Sparkman, I had the opportunity to live in the Cacao community and call it home for three weeks. What a difference it makes to live among the people I’m trying to help instead of commuting from La Ceiba, helping out for a few hours and peacing out every day at 3 or 4 in the afternoon. In addition to our health education project aims, I came with personal goals of improving my Spanish, teaching the kids something else besides health topics, and seeing more of Honduras. Check, check and check. Here are some of my memories from a wonderfully fun and rewarding trip (in no particular order):

-“No quiero…si quiero” -Franco “Hey bebe” -Anderson

Almost everyday after working at the guarderia, these three boys, Franco, Andrick, and Anderson, would come over and hang out with us. Even though they were at times mischievous, their youthful charm and easy-going attitude made it impossible not to like them. Anderson is the athletic, smooth-talker of the group. Andrick is the scientist, making some of the best paper airplanes I have ever seen. And Franco is…well, Franco with the most amusing laugh ever. Every time they come over, I ask them if they want water. Franco always says that he doesn’t want water but right after, he’ll walk up to the table, grab some water and then say that he wants it.

-Teaching at the primary school

I found it interesting not that the students were separated by grade but that the teachers were pretty much independent of each other. When I gave some first-aid supplies to one of the teachers and informed another that I had done so, I got the feeling that those first-aid supplies were not going to be shared among all the grades. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed teaching the first and third grades about hand-washing, hygiene, first-aid, dental health and disease prevention. The third-graders were especially well-behaved and enthusiastic about learning the material. If I were to return, I would definitely bring a lot of school supplies (crayons, markers). The teachers had precious little to give to the kids during art time.

-The kids
I’m writing this blog about a month after coming back to the States and I still miss the kids. Being in the community for three weeks, I was better able to form relationships with them, which made leaving that much more difficult. Some of my favorite memories with them are teaching Christian to play Good Riddance on the guitar, Eduardo David working extremely hard at reading with me, Mauricio staining all of my shirts by climbing on me with his dirty feet, getting Julia to puff out her cheeks, and Franco kissing me goodbye on the stomach.

-Community Health Surveys
El Cacao is a very close-knit community. Everybody lives very close to each other, with only small walkways separating homes. Fortunately, one of the maestras at the school was very helpful and introduced us to several families who gave us the opportunity to interview them about their personal and community health experiences as well as their attitudes towards various health problems. Some were quite knowledgeable about various health issues plaguing their community while others knew less about the lack of cleanliness of the water they drink and the prevalence of lice and parasites.

-Futbol

That hasn’t changed since last year. Hondurans still love their soccer. Kids are endlessly entertained by so little, especially if they have a soccer ball. Unlike kids in the U.S, kids in Honduras take pride in what they have. Example: young Melvin is extremely protective of his bike even though the seat is completely worn down, the chain is loose and there are no tires on any of the wheels. If I come back, I’m getting him a better bike.

Overall, this trip has only strengthened my interest to teach during my year-off before medical school. Also, seeing the clinic finally running with local nurses made me really happy and I would like to return to work at the clinic once I get my medical degree. Its kinda misleading to call this trip El Cacao Pt.2 because it was a very different and distinct experience. I definitely want to return, not for a Part 3 but for another Part 1.

Adrian

I was wrong. When I landed on American soil nearly two months later, I was seized by a surprising wave of stress. The crowds of the Atlanta airport, the cold blast of air conditioning, the people rushing about with their smart phones and laptops and fancy clothes – I felt like the world was playing in fast-forward while I was still moving at the slow and relaxed pace of life in rural Honduras. I was experiencing culture shock…in my very own culture. The feeling gradually dissipated over the next few days, but I still find myself feeling sudden pangs of surprise over the most random things – like how much money I spend on frivolous purchases, or how many times a day I check my email, or how I have my phone permanently attached to my hand. My life here is based extensively upon material things; though I feel fortunate to live in such a privileged country, there is something to be said about the simplicity of Honduran life. Let me explain.

In my experience with the people of El Porvenir and El Cacao, I have realized that what Hondurans lack in material wealth, they more than compensate for in a certain intangible spiritual wealth. Despite the hardships of poverty, they display a remarkable sense of faith – a faith in religion, in family, in community, and above all in the potential of the future. Yes, Honduras has many problems – high crime, inadequate health care and education, problems with water and electricity – but it also has a spirit of optimism that thrives in the hearts of people like Rosa (the indomitable teacher at the kinder), Alex (the firefighter who believes the cycle of poverty can be broken), and Miriam (the El Cacao teacher who believes in the potential of each and every child at the program). It is difficult to capture this spirit in words; it is more something to be felt than to be described (so, readers, go volunteer in Honduras!). Just to give you a taste of what I mean, I am going to list a few anecdotes about my interactions with community members. Hopefully these stories will inspire you, as they have inspired me.

1. On my last day in El Cacao, Miriam (the teacher) and her son Jeffrey came over to the volunteer house to say goodbye. While Jeffrey was playing outside, I began to ask Miriam about her house and family. With a gentle smile, she explained that space was limited in her house; there was only one small bed for a family of seven, so Jeffrey and his sister Miley had to sleep on the floor. After talking for awhile longer, I went into the bedroom and pulled the sheets off of my bed. I handed them to Miriam and told her that I hoped these would make the kids a bit more comfortable. She gave me a huge hug and thanked me. What she said next, though, made me realize that she probably would have been just fine without my small parting gift: “Nicole, we are poor. But we are happy. It doesn’t look like we have a lot, but we do. We have family, and I would rather have too little space for a big family than too much space and no family.”
2. Our volunteer group stopped in The Funez Store one day to discuss a new idea with Sr. Funez – a fundraiser for the local health clinic. We hoped Sr. Funez could offer us guidance; he was a prominent man in the community and was always eager to help out with any sort of improvement project. He said he would take us to meet with a nurse, and we all assumed that this meeting would happen sometime later, sometime when he wasn’t working. Instead, he walked right out of his store and told us to get in his car so he could drive us to the nurse’s house. It didn’t matter that he was in the middle of a work day, it didn’t matter that this hadn’t been planned in advance – all that mattered was that we had an idea, and he wanted to help.
3. Rosa’s description of Semillas de Esperanza, a local elementary school: “Hay muchos ninos y no hay mucho espacio, pero es maravillosa.” This means, “There are many children and not a lot of space, but it is marvelous.” Enthusiasm for education triumphed over lack of resources.
4. People make time for each other. (No, this is not a story…sorry to disrupt the list. But it’s an important observation). People are never too busy to help out with something, to stop and chat for a minute (or an hour, in the case of Alex), to offer a ride, or to offer a snack (like Sr. Funez and his bags of baby bananas). People are committed to each other first and foremost, and this is a refreshing feeling.
5. Honduras made it to the World Cup for the first time in twenty-something years, but the team didn’t score a single goal. Disappointment? No. Enthusiasm. People were proud of the team just for being there; it was amazing to see so much national pride and spirit. Everyone wearing soccer jerseys, waving flags, cheering when a Honduran player so much as made contact with the ball – it was inspiring to witness.
6. Throughout our health education camps, the kids were enthusiastic and eager participants. They showed an appreciation and love for learning, always wanting to sing more songs, play one more round of Simon Dice, or add one more food to the giant nutrition pyramid. They were excited simply about being students.

I realize these stories don’t give much information about our specific project, but I feel like that has been well-covered by the other posts. So what I wanted to do here was convey the experience outside of the classroom, in the hopes of offering a more complete picture of the life of a volunteer and the culture of an amazing country. In reality, the project was only a small part of what we did in Honduras. We came as volunteers – funny-looking gringos – but we left as friends, neighbors, respected teachers, and enthusiastic pupils. And I think this subtle change reveals more about our experience than any one of our lesson plans.

Que le vaya bien, Honduras.

- Nicole

Yet, when you take a look at each of my worries, they simply come from being unfamiliar and inexperienced. It’s been a blessing to work through these struggles. I’ve been able to slow down and appreciate the activities more. Honduras has been a place to exchange cultures and learn another language better. Even the humidity and lack of water has reminded me of how important it is to conserve. My desire to better health conditions has been revitalized after seeing the local leaders fight against dengue. Having less internet and phone access has pushed me to have more face-to-face meetings while building genuine relationship. And, I didn’t really arrive alone…

I’m currently living in the volunteer house with a group of Virginia Tech students. I have a Honduran community behind me. The support of friends and family has not faltered. God’s been ever faithful and constant. While everyone involved comes from different places and has different passions, our vision of helping each other is the same. I love how this year we have been able to flesh out more of our ideas and expand them to fall under one umbrella. It’s only been 4 days and we have already built and re-built relationships with:

• El Centro de Salud (health clinic)
• Engineers targeting the dengue emergency
• Dentist of El Porvenir
• La Junta de Agua (water committee)
• Los Bomberos (firefighters)
• Charlie & Amalia (American community leaders)
• Senor Funez (local community leader in charge of many community outreach initiatives)
• Professors from the colegio
• Students from the University in Ceiba
• El Kinder
• Semillas de Esperanza (public school)
• Jessica (Peace Corp Volunteer who has been here almost 2 years)
• Agriculture Committee

As you can see, so many ideas and projects have already been initiated! Last year, we had been a part of getting the people interested in these various areas, but currently, it seems as if they have started taking ownership of bettering their communities and are more than ever ready to partner. All the planning and time put into this community is certainly visible in not only the meetings on a project, but the commencement of the initiatives. We have come to understand that we are all in this together. Idea and cultural exchanges are not out of obligation, but out of friendship.

-Melody

And last – the beauty I have witnessed stems from the vivid and memorable landscapes of people, the environment, and the interactions between these two facets of life. Beauty has both sensory and psychological appeal.

I saw with my eyes the stunning beauty that Nature has bestowed on Honduras: the thatched-roof huts surrounded by banana trees that are sprinkled throughout the Honduran countryside and mountains (we saw many of these on the drive from San Pedro Sula to La Ceiba); the breathtaking juxtaposition of the Pico Bonito mountain range to the west of El Porvenir beyond the miles of piñeras (pineapple fields) in El Pino and the lovely view of the Caribbean Sea to the east of El Porvenir from the balcony of the volunteer house; the pleasing blend of colorful clothes hung stiffly to dry in the summer heat; the unfettered, vibrant contrasts of hot pink flowers and shiny green leaves, trees, and grass; and the soothing cotton-candy wisps of clouds on the horizon of a colorful goodnight at 6 o’clock most evenings.

I felt with my heart the beautiful humanity of each person who we worked with for our project: the laughter of Rosa’s children as I chased them around the church pews on a rainy afternoon will forever echo in my mind, and in my heart – because it is then that I felt most strongly that children can give us a renewed sense of life, much more than we can ever give them; the smile on Rosa’s face when she told us “hay muchos niños y no mucho espacio, pero es maravillosa” (referring to Semillas, “there are many children and not much space, but it is marvelous”) will forever stay imprinted with me as the moment when Rosa expressed her true nature and her true passion for children and teaching; the proud determination on Bomero Alex’s face when he shared with us his vision to build a community fire station and recounted that his team had rescued 22 people who otherwise would have drowned during the Semana Santa festivities; the unbridled joy of the kids at the Kinder when the Bomeros let them climb onto the fire truck and wear the uniforms and protective hats; the children softly singing our songs about handwashing, nutrition, and malaria and dengue while rinsing out their dishes or walking home; the giant bear hugs from all of the Grandma’s kids and even Luis; Luis’ unwavering enthusiasm for Kinder and his boundless energy, which at its worst still just reflected a basic need for attention and love; Edwin’s humor in the Water meeting and his kindness in driving us up to the community water source and water tank (while listening to “Hotel California” and “Red Red Wine” in the truck); Charlie’s reluctant but unfailing help with killing a stubborn scorpion that clung to the ceiling; Amalia’s thoughtfulness in driving us to the Kinder during our health camp week, and helping set up meetings with the nurses and doctor at the health clinic; Doctor Karen’s eagerness to share her opinions and concerns about women’s health in El Porvenir; Señor Funez’ jovial personality and awe-inspiring ability to shape ideas into action through driving us to the clinic, a nurse’s house, and finally the Kinder; and perhaps most touching for us all (besides the smiles and enthusiasm of the kids and adults at the Kinder, Semillas, and in Rosa’s group) was the personal investment that many of the current volunteers undertook to ensure that the kids were engaged and that our group had the resources we needed to carry out the project.

Each snapshot, or even all of them taken cumulatively, does not quite capture the full essence of my experience in Honduras. But I hope what you can see and feel from the words on this page and the pictures below can give you an idea of the richness and special meaning of each aspect of the experience. What I have seen, and felt, is not unique to me – but is simply one tiny bit of a vast human experience. I know there is still so much about people and the environment and all of our intricate interactions that I do not know and never may know. Yet I must say that life – as I know it – has plenty of difficult moments and yet it is something raw, tense, beautiful, … human.

~Anna

Nicole and I were also able to return to the Kinder for a few mornings during our last week. I really enjoyed the time that we spent with the kids there. During coloring activities some of the kids would ask me to sing our dengue and malaria song with them! All of the kids there are adorable and I miss them already. Last Friday was the day that Honduras played its third and final game in the world cup, so we decided to celebrate our Honduran pride at the Kinder that day with some special activities. The kids made Honduran flags and played a soccer match then had their faces painted blue and white by another volunteer. We ended the morning with a special meal prepared by Amalia as well as goodie bags for each student. After Kinder we went into Ceiba with some friends to watch the soccer match. The excitement in Ceiba was definitely contagious.

The weekend was fairly relaxing. We had quite a bit of rain due to Hurricane Alex passing by the coast of the country. Some of the activities for the annual El Porvenir festival were cancelled, but we were still able to see a few events with our friends in the community. Rosa gave us another cooking lesson and we learned how to make delicious Honduran enchiladas. On Monday we had our second Women’s Group meeting. This time it took place in the church where we ran our health camp with Rosa’s afternoon literacy group. We had a woman from the municipality speak as well as one of the nurses from the Centro de Salud. The group had an even better turnout this time and the horchata we served was a big hit. We also got to see most of the students from Rosa’s group one more time to say goodbye. We spent most of tuesday, our last full day in El Porvenir, saying goodbye to various community members and thanking them for all they had contributed to the project. Our conversation with Alex the bombero was especially memorable and he promised to reach out to our group when volunteers return in late July. That night we had a farewell dinner with some friends in the community and also invited Oscar Funez as a guest of honor to thank him for his help as well.

After only a month in El Porvenir, I didn’t want to have to leave and say goodbye. It was an awesome experience that I will always remember. I hope that someday I will be able to return to Honduras and visit all the friends I’ve made in El Porvenir. Good luck to everyone in El Cacao, I’m sure it will be great!

~Miriam

My trip is coming to an end, and I don’t want to leave. Honduras has been an amazing experience. The first week we had health camps at the kinder. The kids there are all around the age of five, and they are amazing! They have a lot of energy, but are eager to learn. Tjey seemed to remember a lot of what we taught them. We have also been to semillas de esperanza a couple of times and worked with the first and second graders. Semillas is a relatively poor public school in El Porvenir. There too the kids were very receptive and wanted to learn. In addition, we worked with adolescents and adults who were continuing their high school education. Here, we talked about topics like nutrition, dengue, malaria, water, and first aid. They were very motivated to learn as well. Lastly, we had a charla with a women in the community about important topics, including ideas such as birth control. I thought it went very well. In that environment, the women were very open and willing to share their experiences.

Honduras overall has been great. The people are incredibly friendly. We have been taught to cook many things, like empanadas. We also went to utila and Copan. Utila is very different than the mainland. Most people speak English, and there is a large diving community. The ruins in copan were really cool, and the town was small and had cobblestone roads. My trip has been amazing!

~ss

Unfortunately I don’t have any awesome pictures to show you all, but we’ve had an amazing time so far here in Honduras. We have met a lot of the local leaders, at the health clinic, the grocery store, the water department, and a Peace Corps volunteer. We had the amazing opportunity to go up to the mountains of “Pico Bonito” to see the water source for El Porvenir, the town we’re living in, as well as for several towns nearby. We even had the chance to see the water tank where the water is chlorinated, and to go inside since some of the water department volunteers were cleaning out the tank. It reminded us of the show “Lost” since it was almost like we were going into a cave the way that we crawled down into the tank. Sunday was relaxing. We went up to a different part of Pico Bonito to an area with a nice waterfall. We enjoyed a picnic and a nice swim there. Saturday night was also a bit crazy here… El Porvenir had a Beauty Pageant/Fashion Show and a big party that even drew in people from the larger city of La Ceiba. It has been amazing here so far, and the group is very excited for our upcoming health camps and talks at the local primary schools. We’re excited to also involve a lot of community leaders in our health lessons and talks, and for the local Kinder teacher to carry on a lot of the songs, messages, and health lessons that we will carry out this week. The town of El Porvenir has many friendly families and children, and it is so great to feel the energy of the town (and not so much the heat and humidity and bugs… but we’re getting used to all of that). Oh and on Sunday we also had the chance to do a bit of shopping in the giant “mercado” in Ceiba. It has been fun to experience the town and the people here, to be totally immersed in the Spanish language and the Latin American culture. We are planning to head to one of the Bay Islands, Utila, this weekend, and perhaps the Copan Ruins the weekend after. I am a bit sad that my time here is so short this summer, but I look forward to hopefully returning to El Porvenir at least one more time to enjoy the people and the service work. Muchos abrazos (many hugs) and stay tuned for more messages from our group.

~Anna

My name is Anna Brown and I’m the Founder and President of Project HEAL, a student organization at Duke University with the mission to plan and implement health education and research projects to help alleviate international health disparities, particularly in Latin America. Last year several students from Project HEAL spent 2 months in several villages near La Ceiba, Honduras, interviewing community members about health and environmental issues and coordinating health education camps in El Porvenir and El Cacao.

I’m excited to announce that 8 students from Project HEAL will be part of our 2010 summer experience to implement health education, research, and water purification initiatives in El Porvenir and El Cacao this summer. Our experience will begin this Weds, June 2nd, when 4 students travel to El Porvenir for the first part of our project. After a half week of orientation, we will be prepared to launch a full health camp week at the Kinder in El Porvenir. We will work closely with the local health clinic as well.

I’m looking forward to our experience and am happy that we can all share our perspectives in this blog.

Stay posted for updates from our group this summer!

~Anna

PS I’ve posted a few awesome photos from our experience last summer as a preview to what we’ll experience this summer!