At the end of the trip I got behind on my blog. We had one more day at the worksite. By the end of our trip, we'd dug a 4 foot trench along the jungle exterior, filled most of the trench with cement to prepare it for building a wall, and built several metal towers for the skeleton of the wall. Based on the size of the security wall, our project will need to be continued with the next student group.
Now that I am home here are my reflections on the trip.
Reflections
1. Kids have it so good in the U.S.
You don't need to travel too far to acknowledge that children in the U.S. are living in a bubble from the rest of the world in terms of our high standard of living. Honduran children were thankful for whatever food they were given, and did not fuss about much. Children were running around barefoot in muddy waters and selling beaded bracelets, not for their own piggy bank but to help their family bring food to the table. This is a whole different responsibility that children acquire at a young age in many developing countries.
One extraordinary (although onery) 12 year-old child I met escaped a gang and walked from El Progresso, Honduras almost to the border of Guatemala. That's over 60 miles! He was found by a member of SHH on the street and was brought to the newly built children's home. It's survival stories like this that make you question yourself.... and say, "Could I do that?"
2. Job creation is critical in Honduras.
Now I know this is another obvious statement, but finding jobs in Honduras is much more difficult than in the U.S. In the U.S. there are jobs available, many Americans just have standards and requirements for the job they take on, but there are always jobs available. In Honduras, one of the best aspects of SHH was that it created jobs for women to cook and clean laundry for volunteers, for construction workers to help guide the building process for students, for bus drivers to haul volunteers around, etc. When the founder of the SHH asked the community of Villa Soleada what they needed, he got an overwhleming response, "Jobs!"
3. Sometimes it's difficult to get people to work for what they want.
I read through the background story of how SHH got started in Honduras and how the town of Villa Soleada was first created. A huge challenge in trying to help communities like this is that the people in the community want a better standard of living but are not willing to chip in manual labor. Observing this in other town projects and noticing some indolence in Villa Soleada, SHH made it mandatory for all community members to contribute manual labor to the creation of the town. I admired this requirement yet was astounded that it was even necessary to declare.
4. Friends make any time a good time.
Throughout our time in Honduras we spent a lot of time commuting on a bus and at the worksite, we spent a lot of time out in the sun or getting drenched in the rain. I felt good knowing I was there to help the community of Villa Soleada, but what really made this a fantastic experience was sharing it with the new friends that I met. (I know. I know. How much more cheesy can she get?) Honestly, I became friends with some quirky and fun people from across the U.S. and Honduras. (*ahem You wonderful people know who you are.) They were so full of life and knowledge that I couldn't help but want to keep talking with them and joking and all. In conclusion, no matter what amazing things you do in your life. It's always more amazing when you have friends to share it with. (Alright put your tissues away otherwise I'll post my Haunted Bakery joke on here.)
That's it folks, for this journey. To sum it up I would like to thank any one who made donations to help fund this trip. Especially after seeing such a strong joint effort by students across the U.S. I strongly believe that engaging in projects like this set a precedent for other people who want to help society but have little time to spare.
To my readers, I appreciate you reading my stories and putting up with my novel-size blogs. Let me know if you have any suggestions for the future blogs!
Now that I am home here are my reflections on the trip.
Reflections
1. Kids have it so good in the U.S.
You don't need to travel too far to acknowledge that children in the U.S. are living in a bubble from the rest of the world in terms of our high standard of living. Honduran children were thankful for whatever food they were given, and did not fuss about much. Children were running around barefoot in muddy waters and selling beaded bracelets, not for their own piggy bank but to help their family bring food to the table. This is a whole different responsibility that children acquire at a young age in many developing countries.
One extraordinary (although onery) 12 year-old child I met escaped a gang and walked from El Progresso, Honduras almost to the border of Guatemala. That's over 60 miles! He was found by a member of SHH on the street and was brought to the newly built children's home. It's survival stories like this that make you question yourself.... and say, "Could I do that?"
2. Job creation is critical in Honduras.
Now I know this is another obvious statement, but finding jobs in Honduras is much more difficult than in the U.S. In the U.S. there are jobs available, many Americans just have standards and requirements for the job they take on, but there are always jobs available. In Honduras, one of the best aspects of SHH was that it created jobs for women to cook and clean laundry for volunteers, for construction workers to help guide the building process for students, for bus drivers to haul volunteers around, etc. When the founder of the SHH asked the community of Villa Soleada what they needed, he got an overwhleming response, "Jobs!"
3. Sometimes it's difficult to get people to work for what they want.
I read through the background story of how SHH got started in Honduras and how the town of Villa Soleada was first created. A huge challenge in trying to help communities like this is that the people in the community want a better standard of living but are not willing to chip in manual labor. Observing this in other town projects and noticing some indolence in Villa Soleada, SHH made it mandatory for all community members to contribute manual labor to the creation of the town. I admired this requirement yet was astounded that it was even necessary to declare.
4. Friends make any time a good time.
Throughout our time in Honduras we spent a lot of time commuting on a bus and at the worksite, we spent a lot of time out in the sun or getting drenched in the rain. I felt good knowing I was there to help the community of Villa Soleada, but what really made this a fantastic experience was sharing it with the new friends that I met. (I know. I know. How much more cheesy can she get?) Honestly, I became friends with some quirky and fun people from across the U.S. and Honduras. (*ahem You wonderful people know who you are.) They were so full of life and knowledge that I couldn't help but want to keep talking with them and joking and all. In conclusion, no matter what amazing things you do in your life. It's always more amazing when you have friends to share it with. (Alright put your tissues away otherwise I'll post my Haunted Bakery joke on here.)
That's it folks, for this journey. To sum it up I would like to thank any one who made donations to help fund this trip. Especially after seeing such a strong joint effort by students across the U.S. I strongly believe that engaging in projects like this set a precedent for other people who want to help society but have little time to spare.
To my readers, I appreciate you reading my stories and putting up with my novel-size blogs. Let me know if you have any suggestions for the future blogs!
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