The Hogar Report

2011-04-27T22:38:00.000-06:00

Life lessons learned in Honduras

BY MEREDITH BAKER

Thursday, July 30, 2009 4:25 PM EDT

“Oye Amor, es una tortura perderte.” Twenty-two little Honduran voices sang these lines back to me from Shakira’s song “La Tortura” this past month during my time at the Hogar de Amor home for abused children. In English, the line translates “oh love, it is a torture to lose you.”

One month ago I was listening to this song on my iPod, on a plane to Honduras, unsure of what was to come next, fresh off the podium of high school graduation.

Now the words have taken on a new meaning: it is a torture to leave those children and that experience in Honduras behind, with the 22 little voices still echoing in my ears as I make the difficult transition back to reality.

I went into my volunteer experience in Honduras with unrealistic expectations. I was going to transform the lives of these children, whom I had never met, and they would never be the same.

I was immensely humbled when I arrived at the Hogar de Amor, part of the Helping Honduras Kids Organization, and began to adopt the natural rhythm of the day-to-day routines of the children. The children (ranging from ages 5-14) get up every day at 5 a.m. and get in line, oldest to youngest, to use the showers.

They then do their morning cleaning, eat breakfast together and head off to the school building in the gated orphanage grounds to begin a day of learning at 7 a.m. sharp. Most volunteers teach students grades kindergarten to fifth, and by noon, classes are done and lunch is served. After lunch, the kids have a time for chores, then the rest of the afternoon and night is theirs.

Since my time at the Hogar de Amor was short, I wanted to take advantage of all the extra time I had with the children. Many of the kids were bright and curious, and wanted to learn English. We started an afternoon English class and in a week’s time, they all could introduce themselves in English and sing the chorus of Taylor Swift’s song “Love Story.”

I ended each day in utter exhaustion, having drained my energy on 22 never-tiring children. It was a good kind of exhaustion though, because for the first time in a long time, I was too busy focusing on the problems and needs of others, that I didn’t have time to dwell on my (small in comparison) own problems. For the first time in a long time, I was feeling content.

Teaching second grade was no easy task. I had a curriculum to follow but I exhausted half of my energy on getting the kids to stop fighting and focus before I could even begin to teach.

When I was not playing with the kids or teaching, I was getting to know the other volunteers. They came from all parts of the world and everyone had an interesting story behind their reason to come to Honduras. We picked up on each other’s “cultural quirks” and exchanged stories of Europe, Australia and the U.S.

It was nice to have others with whom I could observe the Honduran culture and share some of the same memories and experiences. Since we had the weekends off, and everything in Honduras is much cheaper than it is back home, we were able to visit islands off the coast of Honduras and recharge before another week of teaching hard and playing harder at the orphanage.

When it was finally time to say goodbye (I had to cut my trip a little short due to the political unrest in the country), I did not think I would cry, did not think it would hit me until later. I walked into the schoolhouse, where everyone was sitting obediently at their desks, to give one last “abrazo” (hug) to the kids.

It wasn’t until I was saying goodbye to Lourdes, a five-year-old who I called “my monkey” because she would climb to the top of the orange trees in the backyard that I started tearing up.

“Pon yo en su mochila. Trae tu mono a los Estados Unidos.” (“Put me in your backpack. Take your monkey to the United States”) Lourdes commanded in her tiny voice as she proceeded to unzip my backpack to try to fit in.

Going to Honduras taught me to be independent when getting around; commanding and patient when teaching a class and enforcing rules; understanding when dealing with kids who have had a difficult past; frugal when bargaining with hostel owners and fruit vendors; sincere when making new friends and sharing new experiences; and appreciative for the family I have in Houston that allowed me the trust and financial means to take the trip in the first place.

By the time I arrived in Houston, I was already homesick for Honduras. I couldn’t see that we were in an “economic crisis” when people in Honduras seemed perfectly content to get by with so much less.

The month I spent in Honduras was the best trip I have taken and was the best thing I could do before going to college, as I now have a new sense of self and independence. While I already miss the kids terribly, I hope to return and plan to start a support chapter of their organization at my college, so I can continue to help.

While I hope the kids remember me and I hope I had a meaningful impact on their lives, truth be told, they did more for me than I did for them.

Due to the political instability in Honduras and the recession in the United States, the Helping Honduras Kids Organization is in need of money to continue caring for and educating the children. If you want to learn more on how you can get involved with the Hogar de Amor or the Helping Honduras Kids Foundation, visit www.helpinghonduraskids.org.

Article written by Volunteer and student Rachel Forseth

2011-04-16T11:36:00.004-06:00

The Elusive Gift of Play

By Rachel Forseth

My journey in Honduras was filled with extremes -- beauty like nothing I could have imagined, but brokenness and hurt that I could not quite comprehend. Heart warming stories and heart wrenching tragedies. Laughter and joy that was contagious, but tears and burdens carried by all. On our third day there, I found myself at a loss for words while staring into the face of a starving, crying orphan living in a poor rural area near La Ceiba, Honduras. Saying “Jesus loves you” felt oddly hypocritical, or maybe just an understatement. It took everything out of these small children to squeeze a smile upon receiving relief supplies that might last them a month. I asked an 11-year old girl named Diane what she wanted most in the world. Her answer was simply, “para poder jugar”... “to be able to play”.

Diane takes care of her three siblings, and they live together with other children orphaned by injustice in a part of town known as “Grandmother's Kids”. I would have given anything I owned at that minute to bring hope to just one person. All I had in my backpack were pens, a chapstick, a few powerbars, and a hat. The small portion of food was probably all that the three of four children who split it would eat all day, maybe even for the next few days. The less than three dollars worth of spare change I gave to a 75-year old woman brought her to tears saying, “Gracias a JesuCristo.”

At the Hogar de Amor orphanage where we worked, the children were starving for love, but they seemed to have plenty of love to give. These kids have nothing but each other. They are a makeshift family but that is all they seem to need. From the second I met 4-year old Lourdes ("Lula"), my heart experienced a new kind of love. After holding her in my arms the entire time we were there, I found it hard to put her down. I carried her across the river on my shoulders. I watched her interact with other kids at the orphanage. Lula changed my life simply by being who she was. Lula had been living with an abusive father. She has a scar on her forehead that marks the trauma she has suffered.

While we were driving through a jungle road one day, Lula pointed to a house across the river and calmly explained to me that her older sister had died there. Lula had a habit of climbing up a tree in the backyard to collect beans that she used as jacks. On the last day of our visit, Lula screamed with delight when I brought her plastic jacks and marbles. When she went into her room to stash them in her pillow case (her safe haven for the most prized belongings), another girl named Patricia was crying on the bunk next to her. Without hesitation, Lula handed Patricia her jacks. She did not stop crying. Then Lula handed over her favorite pink shirt. Then her bandana. Nothing stopped the crying. Finally, Patricia told Lula she was crying because the “tios” and “tias” ("aunties" and "uncles", as they called us) were leaving that day. Lula broke down and started crying as well.

These kids are so desensitized to their own pain that they carry each other’s burdens without even realizing it. It was a cruel thing to leave these kids after the bonds we developed with them. We thought the goodbyes were heart wrenching, but to them it was more painful than we may ever understand. I will never forget Lula clinging onto my neck and crying for ten minutes. I had to peel her off with tears running down my face as I boarded the bus. She said “Jesus es el puente de tu y yo.”... "Jesus is the bridge between you and me". These words were uttered by a 4-year old.

These kids live a life as if Christ died yesterday and will return tomorrow. They have faith that is immeasurably great, especially considering the life they have been given. This is just one story of one child. All of the children at the orphanage have experienced horror that most of us will probably never have to endure.

Something that really made an impression on me is how those with the least are the ones that give the most. One day a group of us walked with a 13-year old named Eloisa on her daily 4-hour round-trip hike through the jungle to get to school. Upon arriving at her house, her mother -- surrounded by five of her children -- cooked us all the food they had -- food that was meant to last for the rest of the week. We could not help thinking, “Why don’t you eat it?” But selfishness is out of the question when there is nothing but need all around you. With a small contribution of change each of us carried in our pockets, we gave this family more money than it could earn in six months. That shows how far a small gesture can go.

Another site we visited was home to over a hundred small children, their mothers, and their grandmothers. I did not see a father or an older man. The supplies they needed most: birth control. It is not that teenagers are having unprotected sex; it’s because girls who were 12, 13, and 14 years old are being raped and are having children for whom they cannot care. This tragedy fuels the poverty in Honduras. The girls can barely take care of themselves. Without being able to protect themselves from the selfish acts others, these girls are left with numerous offspring to provide for as well.

Some of the things I saw and heard were too difficult to describe. I tried to take photographs of faces and situations that capture the desolation, but I felt like I was robbing them of something. I told myself that it would not be in vain. Leaving food and clothing and education is merely a quick fix. What I was seeing had to be broadly exposed and embraced.

It takes a while to process even a small portion of the grief that exists in the world. A lot of us who traveled to Honduras were left with confusion and anger. How could these things happen? Who is to blame? Where are the answers? The only answer I can think of lies within me. I am the only one whose actions I can control. Those with the experiences and the knowledge of what is out there, and the ability to do something to make a difference, have a responsibility to act. Each of us simply has to do what we can with what we have at this moment... and stop pointing fingers at others. This doesn’t mean that we have to sell everything we own or move to another country. It doesn’t mean that these problems have easy solutions. It means that we need to be conscious, and that apathy is not an option. (7/20/10)

Note: The author is a 15 year old high school student from California. The orphanage she visited is run by Helping Honduras Kids (HHK), a 501 (c) (3) non-profit based in La Ceiba.

Posted on volunteer blog from a Vanderbilt U. volunteer

2011-04-13T22:32:00.003-06:00

A Non-Traditional Thanksgiving

Posted by Laura Pierce on Tuesday, November 30, 2010.

Early November, my Thanksgiving Break plans looked something like this:

Spend time with family
Catch up with old friends
Start applying for summer internships
Get lots of sleep
Enjoy the timeless Thanksgiving dinner
Hide inside from the cold
Drive about 12 hours to Dublin, Ohio and back

My actual Thanksgiving Break went a little more like this:

Sent my family a few emails
Made many new friends
Volunteered at a school and orphanage
Got a little sleep
Enjoyed many unique meals (with lots of tropical fruit)
Spent hours outside in the sun
Travel about 32 hours to La Ceiba, Honduras and back

I believe that when an opportunity presents itself, you should say yes. Yes, yes, yes. A last minute spot was offered to me on a Manna service trip when a former participant could no longer go. Once I received my parents support, it took less than 5 minutes for me to decide to give up my Thanksgiving plans at home to travel to Honduras. (Here is another link about Manna Project International)

As volunteers we worked with the non-profit organization Helping Honduras Kids (HHK). In the mornings we provided manual labor at the Jungle School. We hauled sand, bricks, cement and other materials up the hill to the school to help construct a new classroom and fix sidewalks. About 80 children, most from poor economic conditions, attend this free, private school. For some of the students, the hot lunch they receive is their only healthy meal.

After physically challenging work, we would eat lunch before take a much needed swim in the Congrejal River to cool off. The afternoons were spent with children in the Hogar, or the Children’s Home. Reading, drawing, playing games, dancing, singing and more. Within a few days we genuinely felt connected to these kids.

Highlights from the week:

Watching the new Harry Potter movie with the older children (in Spanish subtitles of course)
Attending the Kindergarten and 8^th grade graduation at the Jungle School.
Going to fiesta at the Hogar for children with a birthday in November.
Watching the children put on a talent show. (We participated too with a funny dance to Shakira)
Our breaks from service: exploring a Honduran beach one afternoon, rafting down a river through the jungle Thanksgiving day, and exploring the local markets.
Painting a mural on a concrete wall at the Jungle School.

It’s amazing how much one can experience in a week. This list should be longer and the details I could add are endless. In general, the capacity children have to love is inspiring. Many of the children we met in La Ceiba were orphans, with shocking backgrounds of struggle and abuse. These kids, as well as the volunteers and caretakers were so compassionate and truly inspirational. While providing help and making changes for them, I changed as an individual, gaining new appreciations and a sense of awareness for international service.

This was an actual break from my life. New country, new culture, new people, new experiences. (The only thing that was the same was the Central time zone!) Don’t get me wrong – I missed my family and the highly anticipated turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. But Thanksgiving break – a holiday focused around being thankful and appreciative – was the perfect time to give back and serve others. This experience also gave me time to reflect and add to the Thanksgiving question “What I am thankful for?”

Today we received this touching email from Eddy Barillas, Sponsor Representative for HHK:

“… You guys have all left a permanent imprint in all these kids hearts, minds and souls which will never be forgotten… I thank you kindly for the great role models that you are and I hope that these kids can one day follow in the footsteps that you have left here. Thank you ever so much.”

To conclude, I will give a shout out to Tyler and Will, seniors who – by the time they graduate – will have volunteered with HHK in La Cieba five times. While this was only my first international service trip, I am, without question, so thankful for this Thanksgiving break.

This entry was posted by Laura Pierce on November 30, 2010

Vanderbilt University

2011-04-13T22:01:00.002-06:00

Vanderbilt University MANNA PROJECT INTERNATIONAL Volunteers at Helping Honduras Kids

Ryerson University

2011-04-13T21:29:00.003-06:00

Students from ALL ACCESS VOLUNTEERS Ryerson University in Toronto Canada Volunteer at the Jungle School during their spring break Feb. 2011

My Time in Honduras: Starting Anew

2010-11-01T11:10:00.004-06:00

My Time in Honduras: Starting Anew: "Feeling better! Around 85% which is pretty good in my opinion. I'm able to talk, able to eat more than liquid, and basically be normal; so y..."

My Time in Honduras: When I miss my Mother

2010-11-01T11:10:00.003-06:00

My Time in Honduras: When I miss my Mother: "Nothing makes you realize that you aren't at home quite like being sick in bed somewhere that your mom can't come take care of you. It's one..."

My Time in Honduras: Sickness

2010-11-01T11:10:00.002-06:00

My Time in Honduras: Sickness: "All teachers who have ever come to school sick, I forever give you my complete and total respect. It is not an action I would like to repeat..."

My Time in Honduras: How the Storm Hit

2010-11-01T11:10:00.001-06:00

My Time in Honduras: How the Storm Hit: "To the acute disappointment of Natalie and Ethan (who spent the entire night recording a song about the arrival of Richard), Richard indeed ..."

My Time in Honduras: 'Te Quiero Mucho'

2010-11-01T11:10:00.000-06:00

My Time in Honduras: 'Te Quiero Mucho': "We are currently preparing for the advent of a tropical storm and possible hurricane. I suppose the majority of preparation is mental, but ..."

My Time in Honduras: All grown up

2010-11-01T11:06:00.000-06:00

My Time in Honduras: All grown up: " La escuela no tiene classes hoy, porque ayer fue un dia ferriada. (Today there were not classes at the school because yesterday was a 'holiday'). So we rested up, slept in all the way until 8:30, showered in the cold water because the water heater is mysteriously not working today, and then headed over to attempt to draw money out from our Citi accounts that we purpously set up so they would work, but which do not. The citi bank in the center of town didn't have an atm, so we took a taxi to the mall. Once in citi bank we tried the atm. Our cards were declined and the people at the front said that we couldn't get cash from the citi atm, we had to go next door to an atm at a different bank. At this point we were quite dejected. Ethan had only 5 limperas left (the equivalent of about 20 cents). But we tried the bank next door and Glory Halleluia! our cards worked! Ethan kissed his money. Now why our cards worked at a different bank and not at our citi bank I can't tell you. Limperas in hand, we went shopping for some much needed supplies. I felt so grown up, dealing with all the money and going shopping; coming home and cleaning out the fridge and putting groceries away. I'll have to get used to this!

Eddie cooked some amazing pasta and sauce today! Spaghetti and home made tomato sauce. I don't know if I've ever tasted better. Oh and did I mention that he went to Georgetown? I thought that was a funny coincidence. Anyways, he is going to be the new sponsor coordinator for Helping Honduras Kids. I think that will be great. Already he has made little bios for each of the Hogar kids and is working on udating the sponsor list so he can send them to each sponsor. We are trying to centralize all communication for HHK so we shall get things going soon!

We are launching a new program for the holidays to help raise some much needed funds for HHK and hopefully expose more people to what we do. It is called the HHK Give Challenge. We are sending out packets to all of our donors which include 4 Holiday cards with handmade drawings by the kids. A cover letter asks each sponsor to send these letters to their friends and relatives, asking them to donate to HHK in lieu of recieving a gift for themselves. Our idea is that every person has people who send them gifts that they really don't need. Think about it. Aunt Martha who sends the same yellow sweater every year... you know the type of gifts. We are challenging those who care about our organization to give up gifts for themselves and experience the true meaning of the holidays. For one season to truly give. I think it is an interesting concept, and I know that I'm planning on participating completely. If you want to get involved and send some letters out let me know! I can have a packet of cards made by the kids mailed to you to send out to friends and family. Then your friends and family can donate on line or send checks to you which you can forward to HHK. See how much joy it will bring :D . "

My Time in Honduras: A Taste of La Ceiba

2010-11-01T11:05:00.000-06:00

My Time in Honduras: A Taste of La Ceiba:

" I think I am going to enjoy teaching English more than the kinder. I am more comfortable with the older kids, who are used to listening and want to learn. I love the little one's but I don't know how able I am to occupy four year old minds. I respect my Kindergarten teacher so much more. Lumilla came to the rescue today. She does so well with the kids. She pulled out some modeling clay and they were fascinated with molding it and shaping it. Then she gathered them all around like little ducklings for a story. Soon it was break time and all of the kids went to drink their warm milk which is part of their daily ration. I decided to tackle organizing the library which they have in the back of the kinder. The disarray the books were in was quite impressive. There are two shelving units with four shelves each filled with books, now nicely stacked more or less be grade level. Previously, they were thrown together and obviously hadn't been in use for awhile (evident by the mouse poop scattered throughout). Hopefully the books will be easier to access now. By the time I finished that project, it was 11:00; our allotted time for English classes. I wasn't planning on teaching and was going to let Ethan and Natalie do it, but in typical Kyla fashion I took charge of the second level English class anyways. Natalie began with the first level, the kids who don't know any English. I spent my time trying to find out how much English my kids knew, and was pleasantly surprised. They can all introduce themselves and say where they are from. They know the colors and several verbs. And of course they loved to sing "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" which we did several times. It was fun and I think I will have fun teaching the class. After classes were over, we waited for the bus and Rosa and Mercedes decided to teach me the dance they know. Well I ended up with a broken sandal and so was forced to walk around La Ceiba, through the dirt and on the bus and to a taxi etc. without a shoe. Ha! They got a kick out of that. First falling into the mud, then breaking a sandal... Aye.

When I got back to the Volunteer house I walked in to find Carmen sitting on the couch and a house without electricity. We had a conversation for about an hour in my broken Spanish, hoping Cristy would come save us. Turns out the electricity company shut off the power because the bill was more than the automatic payment. Hahahaha, no power because of an unpaid bill! But Cristy came through, got it fixed and then she treated us to a movie. Movies are so inexpensive here! Only $3.00. Granted they are not the latest blockbusters but still. And I am happy to inform you that they WILL be premiering Harry Potter seven in November! Happy days. I tried my first balleada today. These delicious creations are sold on every corner of La Ceiba and consist of a simple, melt in your mouth, handmade on the spot, tortilla filled with beans, cheese and meat or avocado if you ask. So amazing, and the best part is they cost about 40 cents each. Ah you gotta love it. I also learned about Honduran addresses. So the La Ceiba mail system apparently works with landmarks. People do not know street names, or have house numbers. You find a place by saying what its close to. For example, Carlos - A friend of Cristy's whom we met today - lives 'behind the soccer field, in a two story house across from the Pulperia' . And this is his address that he has people send letters to. Somehow mail miraculously is delivered to him! I am amazed. And on that note. The kids want all of their tia's y tio's to send them letters! I now have the official Honduras address for the Hogar de Amor. Ready? "Col Naranjal, Calle montecristo, atras de Gimnasio Nautilus, frenta a Mary's Castle, La Ceiba, Honduras". Mary's Castle is a bright pink house directly across from the Hogar, with a sign that literally names the house 'Mary's Castle". Hahah whatever floats your boat. Tomorrow there is no school, so we can sleep in! Buenas noches! "

Calling all Volunteers!!

2010-07-14T14:22:00.000-06:00

We have been slacking in keeping up this blog but we want to ramp it up and get this going again!! If you have volunteered in the Hogar de Amor for Helping Honduras Kids, please write to us!

Send all photos, video links, and letters to 'thehogarreport@gmail.com'!

Thanks!

Daniel is online!!

2010-07-14T13:15:00.000-06:00

Daniel, one of our kids at the Hogar, has made it online with a picture of his favorite passtime: Check it out!!

http://www.vanityfair.com/online/fairplay/2010/06/childrens-orphanage-honduras.html

Meet Santos

2009-09-18T22:17:00.004-06:00

Meet Santos:

How old are you? "6"

What is your favorite color? "Blue"

What is your favorite sport? "Baseball"

What is your favorite activity? "Running, and playing games"

What is your favorite song? "Baichata"

What is your favorite movie? "Matri"

What is your favorite food? "Cheese, grapes, chicken, rice, and beef"

Where is your favorite place to go swimming? "Beach: I love playing in the sand."

What is your favorite animal? "Dog and tiger"

Santos is by far the biggest and cutest spaz I have ever had the fortune of teaching. He is well known for his constant snotty nose and his inability to keep his pants covering his bottom. He makes everyday a little different and for that I am grateful. Santos is the youngest of his four siblings: Rosa, Daniel, and Patricia. Santos never needs to be entertained because he does a great job at entertaining himself. He is the first to laugh at his own smart comments and his own jokes. The joke might now be funny, but to me the punch-line isn't till Santos is laughing.

Despite being a spaz, he is also very intelligent for his age. He is able to learn quicker and remember faster than any of the other kids his age and isn't happy till I have given him a ton of homework.

Meet Sara

2009-09-18T22:05:00.004-06:00

Meet Sara:

How old are you? "14"

What is your favorite color? "Blue"

What is your favorite sport? "Soccer. I'm better than a lot of the boys."

What is your favorite activity? "Dancing, reading, and running"

Who is your favorite music artist? "Wisin y Yendel"

What is your favorite movie? "Spiderman"

What is your favorite food? "Fried Chicken, rice with beans"

Where is your favorite place to go swimming? "Swimming pool: I just like it more."

What is your favorite animal? "Tiger"

Sara is one of the toughest kids at the Hogar. Saying she can take care of herself is an understatement. A correct analogy for Sara playing soccer with the other kids would be compared to a semi-truck racing VW Beatles. The beatles would be faster but the semi would plow right through to get the end first. I don't say this at all in a mean or derogatory fashion, I only write what I believe can best describe her.

She may be tough on the outside but she has a soft and sensitive inner-core that would put any mother to shame. She also has a great sense of fashion and always looks her best. She will make a great mother someday.

Meet Moises

2009-09-18T21:53:00.004-06:00

Meet Moises:

How old are you? "12"

What is your favorite color? "Red"

What is your favorite sport? "Soccer, I'm pretty good."

What is your favorite activity? "Listening to Music"

Who is your favorite music artist? "Enrique Iglesias"

What is your favorite movie? "Narnia, Superman, and La Bamba"

What is your favorite food? "Rice, beans, and chicken"

Where is your favorite place to go swimming? "Swimming pool: The beach has salt."

What is your favorite animal? "Rabbit"

Moises is one of those people in this world that I am still trying to figure out. He is completely against making eye contact but instead his eyes wander around the ceiling, wall, and everywhere else but at you. He has three siblings at the Hogar: Gerson, Fransisco, and his sister Ruth. He has an adorable smile and personality and when he laughs he claps his hands repeatedly to further express his joy. He laughs more than any of the other kids at the Hogar, often when there is nothing to laugh at. If I were to trade minds with anyone for a day it would be Moises: he seems to have the most fun!

Meet Carolina

2009-09-18T21:28:00.006-06:00

Meet Carolina:

How old are you? "I am 6"

What is your favorite color? "Pink"

What is your favorite sport? "Swimming, I hate soccer."

What is your favorite activity? "Drawing and Coloring"

What is your favorite song? "Estamos de Fiesta con Jesús"

What is your favorite movie? "All Princess Movies. Princesses are so pretty."

What is your favorite food? "Chicken with Rice"

Where is your favorite place to go swimming? "River: Because I used to live by it and it was beautiful."

What is your favorite animal? "A Sheep, I like the sound they make!"

One of Carolina's best talents is her ability to make anyone laugh. I could be having the worst day and she will come up to me, give me a huge hug and tell me she missed me and then proceed to make odd faces by moving her eyebrows in all directions. It is impossible to not fall in love with her corky personality almost instantly. I taught her last year in kinder and now I have her in first grade. I have found that she is awful at remembering sentences and names but make it into a song and she will be singing it by heart almost minutes later. She has two older sisters: Reina and Cherlin, and a younger sister Lourdes who just joined us at the Hogar a few months ago. Carolina has a special place in my heart for always making my days better.

Meet Carlos

2009-09-18T18:57:00.003-06:00

Meet Carlos:

How old are you? "8"

What is your favorite color? "Red"

What is your favorite sport? "I love playing soccer"

What is your favorite activity? "Mathematics"

Who is your favorite music artist? "Halaverea"

What is your favorite movie? "Superman and Batman"

What is your favorite food? "Chicken with Rice"

Where is your favorite place to go swimming? "River: I love the cold water."

What is your favorite animal? "Puppies. They are so cute."

Carlos is one of the only well behaved kids at the Hogar. He is always polite and I have never seen him upset or angry. He has two younger siblings at the Hogar and is very protective of his younger brother Joel and sister Lorenza. He is a great example to all of the other kids whenever we go out on outings or just around the house.

Meet Enis

2009-09-18T18:50:00.006-06:00

Meet Enis:

How old are you? "12"

What is your favorite color? "Purple"

What is your favorite sport? "Basketball"

What is your favorite activity? "I love reading."

Who is your favorite music artist? "Daddy Yankee"

What is your favorite movie? "I LOVE Harry Potter"

What is your favorite food? "Chicken, French fries, Coca Cola"

Where is your favorite place to go swimming? "Beach: I love playing in the sand and waves."

What is your favorite animal? "Dolphins"

Enis may only be 12 but to be honest she is the most like a real teenager than any of the other kids. She doesn't care to be bothered about helping clean and is often seen carrying a book all day. From watching her, she finds joy in watching the other kids but doesn't care to join in. She, like most of the other girls at the Hogar, also loves dancing. When she is dancing she cannot help but just smile bigger than ever. She does not have any siblings at the Hogar but fits in quite well, I would say she has 21 siblings at the Hogar.

Meet Joel

2009-09-18T18:27:00.003-06:00

Meet Joel:

How old are you? "4"

What is your favorite color? "Orange"

What is your favorite sport? "Soccer"

What is your favorite activity? "Eating and Climbing Trees!!"

Who is your favorite kind of music? "Reggaeton"

What is your favorite movie? "Domiedo"

What is your favorite food? "Soup"

Where is your favorite place to go swimming? "River: because I like it."

What is your favorite animal? "Lions and dogs!"

Joel is a very interesting character. In my opinion, he has far more energy than any human being should ever have, no matter their age. If Joel is missing, and you have looked everywhere, look up. He will be in the trees or on top of the cupboards in the kitchen, somewhere off the ground. He is in his second year of kinder and seems to really enjoy it. Out of all the kids at the Hogar, Joel can complete a puzzle the quickest. He just has a mind for it I guess. Joel is the youngest of three children, his older brother and sister were just brought to the Hogar this past Spring and it was a great experience for Joel who didn't even know he had siblings.

Meet Rosa

2009-09-18T18:11:00.003-06:00

Meet Rosa:

How old are you? “"12"

What is your favorite color? “"Pink"

What is your favorite sport? “"Soccer"

What is your favorite activity? “"I love singing but dancing is my favorite!"

Who is your favorite music artist? “"Alex Campo"

What is your favorite movie? “"I love all movies but Harry Potter is the best"

What is your favorite food? “"Tortillas with chicken, rice and beans, and eggs"

Where is your favorite place to go swimming? “"The beach on a cloudy day, I don't like too much sun."

What is your favorite animal? “"Cats and lions."

Rosa has many talents but by far her best is her dancing. She is not shy and loves to show anyone willing to watch some new steps. She is happiest when she is teaching someone to dance to a song. Rosa is the oldest of five and all four of her siblings are always well looked after. They are lucky to have such a great older sister!

Meet Reina

2009-09-17T12:13:00.012-06:00

Meet Reina:

How old are you? " 14 years "

What is your favorite sport? " Baseball "

What is your favorite activity? "Sing and dance "

Who is your favorite music artist? " Michael Jackson, and I love Christian Music"

What is your favorite movie? " Futuro "

What is your favorite food? " chicken and rice "

Where is your favorite place to swim? " The river, I hate salt water "

What is your favorite animal? " Bird and cat "

Reina, in my opinion, has one of the most pure hearts out of all the children at the Hogar. She watches her three younger sister very closely and is the first one there if any of the kids are crying. She enjoys helping cook in the kitchen and prides herself of her perfectly round tortillas. (and believe me, it is a lot harder than it seems!!) She loves giving hugs and will one day make a fantastic mother.

Meet Maynor

2009-09-17T11:58:00.006-06:00

Meet Maynor:

How old are you? " 6 "

What is your favorite color? - " Pink! "

What is your favorite sport? " Soccer "

What is your favorite activity? " Eating food! "

What is your favorit food? " Chicken with rice "

Do you have a favorite song? "No, I like all music"

What is your favorite movie? "Batman and Spiderman"

Where is your favorite place to go swimming? "River because the beach gets salt in my eyes. It hurts. "

What is your favorite animal? "Monkey because I love bananas too!! "

Maynor is one of those kids that you can't help but chuckle to yourself when you watch him. He has an unnaturally high voice and when he runs and moves reminds me of the Oompa Loompas in Charley and the Chocolate Factory. Recently he discovered that he could add double didget numbers in his head quite quickly. He is in kindergarden and can add faster in his head than any of the kids in first, second, and third grade. He will grow up to be a very intelegent man.

Meet Wilmer

2009-09-17T11:22:00.005-06:00

Meet Wilmer

How old are you Wilmer? - "1 year."

How old are you really? - "15, and I have brown eyes."

What is your favorite color? - "Red, because it is very pretty"

What is your favorite sport? - "Soccer"

What is your favorite activity? - "Dance and.... (thinks for a moment) EAT FOOD!!"

What is your favorite food? - "Spegetti and Coka Cola"

Who is your favorite music artist or group? - "Me... I can sing better than anyone"

What is your favorite movie? - "Superman"

Where is your favorite place to swim? - "River, the beach is itchy."

Wilmer is a very unique person. He has his moments at being very much a sweetheart and other moments where everyone is afraid of him. His dance style I would say is something between Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler which brings a smile to anyone watching. He enjoys receiving attention and will misbehave just so you notice him. Even if it is negative attention, he loves it. Wilmer did not mention this but he also enjoys drawing. He will cover an entire page with small, neatly aranged and spaced circles. It is somewhat a spectacle to see him working on this.

One Week In

2009-09-03T14:58:00.002-06:00

Wow! So much has happened since Tracy and Dan have last written!!

As most of you know that get the HHK Newsletter, the children, staff, and Dan and Tracy had to be emergency evacuated two weeks ago from our Hogar in Agua Caliente due to shootings and threats.

The children and staff were moved temporarily into a local church in La Ceiba, the larger city about 20 km west of Agua Caliente while Cristy and Meily, Dave Ashby's two nieces, searched frantically to find a longer-term but still temporary location for the kids to live and still remain safe. A house was found in one of the safest neighborhoods in La Ceiba and all threats have ceased since the move.

This is the part of the story where I come in. My name is Nathan and I am a long-term volunteer that, up until the emergency evacuation and move into the city, was supposed to live with the kids at the Hogar de Amor. I volunteered for HHK the latter six months of last year, leaving two weeks after Christmas. A lot has changed since I was here last!

I arrived the 26th just after the kids were moved into their house. HHK has found a cozy little apartment for me and I spend all the hours of the day at the Hogar. Tracy and Dan, due to the “gang members” actually threatening them by name have decided to cut there one year trip short but nine months and headed home. I know they were sad to have to leave the kids in such disarray and they will be greatly missed.

As for the kids, they seem to be doing great. Like all kids, they are excited for a new house and new area but when the fun and newness wears off they will start asking questions.

As far as school is concerned, we have started classes again on the back patio of the new house, weather permitting that is. The long-term plan is still far from being set in stone since everything happened without any preparation. The children will finnish their school year out on the back patio until mid November when the Honduras school year ends. In February, the kids will be taken to HHK's Jungle School in the mountains across from the Rio Congrejal. This could potentially be dangerous for four sisters living at the hogar since their mother and father that they were taken from live in this community. But like I said before, only time can tell what the for sure plans will be.

I have started teaching English to the two Hogar Tias in the evenings and I am preparing to start afternoon English classes with the kids. I brought some great materials with me and I am excited to get started.

Today marked my first full week back with the kids. A year seems like a long time, but I know that it will go too fast. I have a lot of ideas and am excited to share my talents with the kids. I hope to leave knowing that not only did I show them they are loved but I helped them become better people as they grow older.

will write again soon.

My first day.

2009-09-03T14:51:00.003-06:00

I walked through the front gates of the new Hogar, taking note of the men building bunk-beds on the front patio and Joel being dragged inside, away from the power tools. He didn't notice Ron or I following him until we were inside the living room. His initial reaction was to stare with a blank face that I could not read. I said calmly, “Hola Joel” followed by, “Como estas?” He stood up and immediately ran to the back of the house shouting for Maynor to come quick. Maynor came in to see what was so exciting and immediately ran to me with the biggest smile yelling, “Tio Nathan!!!” That was the moment that I knew, with out a doubt that I needed to be here with these kids and it will always stand out in my mind as the moment I found my calling. I look forward to the next year with these kids with much enthusiasm.

Now you may ask, “What about the rest of the week?” My reply is simply: Wait, because this story has just begun!

2009-08-14T13:04:00.002-06:00

Hi all

I wanted to write quickly to apologise that no new posts have been added recently. We´ve had exams at school and life in general has just been hectic! So much has happened since I wrote last, and I have a lot to write about, so expect a couple of new posts really soon! Thanks for reading

Trace

Tracy and Dan- forcing big information into little heads

2009-08-05T12:28:00.002-06:00

Tracy, Lourdes and Ruth

2009-07-29T14:38:00.003-06:00

Nea´s look back

2009-07-29T14:33:00.001-06:00

To the cutest, craziest most adorable kids! For the Kids at the Home of Love - Hogar de Amor. A year into my studies in university I was facing resistance studying . My hand would not write what I had to learn and my mind didn’t want to suck in the knowledge my professors dropped on us. I was repelling information that I was supposed to suck in like a sponge. I was stuck. I felt like I had missed out on some things that I really wanted to do in my life because I had jumped into university straight after high school instead of exploring the world as I had dreamed of. So I started mind searching about what I really wanted to do and it all came to me pretty clearly. Volunteer work.

Somehow, I wanted to get my mind off myself and immerse myself into the caring of other people, my ego was just taking too much of my time. With all this in my mind, I went to the internet to see what my options were. I had my heart set on a few preferences: A Non-Governmental Organization working from a grass-root level. Helping Honduras Kids were just one orphanage of many thousands of orphanages in South- and Central America of this kind. I was just flicking through the profiles of all the orphanages when I was drawn to this organization. It was like the orphanage chose me and that was the end of it, I made up my mind to go there.

I was at the Hogar de Amor for 2 months and that period changed my life forever. There is so much love in those kids, its unbelievable. The first day I came to the Hogar, Santos immediately threw a ball at me to play with him and he quickly made me a part of their collective home. Soon my little Joel joined the game and he took my heart away the very first day. What a beautiful kid. He is extremely mischievous, we could all agree on that - but he is an adorable kid. We had so much fun my very first moments at the Hogar. What a successful start!

I was teaching the kindergarden including Loerdes, Joel and Maynor. It could be an uncontrollable playground, the kids running and screaming, hitting each other, fighting, laughing and all of them together singing their favoruite song “Ay, ay, ay, Como me duele”. But I would always sit back and look at them with affection. They were happy there. Their broken past didn’t keep them from enjoying and embracing life as it was at that very moment. See that’s how I will remember these precious kids: singing, dancing, laughing… As little beams of light.

It has now gone 1 month since I left them and I still feel the burning sensation in my stomach as when I left them. I wish that I could be with my kids again now. I love them so much and I always keep each and everyone of them in my prayers. I will do everything I can to continue to work with the children , in and outside Honduras. A promise to myself. I encourage others to take on this challenge: to go there and work as volunteers or to just support the Hogar by donating money or other supplies that are critical for the Hogar to run on a daily basis. Even little efforts can make a big change over there. And there is nothing more rewarding than giving.

Con Amor, Tia Nia (Neham ” Nea” Hassen)

Rough Diamond

2009-07-25T10:35:00.001-06:00

When you hold a diamond to the sun, thousands of tiny rays refract through the interior to create an image of untainted brilliance. Its perfection and beauty breathtaking to all who bear witness. But deep inside the core, hidden by the disingenuous radiance, is the true foundation of the diamond. The truth that lies in its humble beginnings as a piece of coal. And no matter how exceptional or striking the precious jewel looks in the light of day, beneath the surface beats a heart of coal. Always reminding the seer of the creation of what now is treasured, and the truth that no matter how amazing something looks from the outside, there is always another story.

One of these stories is our oldest child at the Hogar, at fifteen years old, who has been diagnosed with a plethora of conditions, the most prevalent of these being Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. When I arrived at the Hogar I wasn’t overly familiar with FAS. I had heard the term and knew how it occurred, but really had no idea of the associated behavioral problems. When it comes to this boy, one of the ways in which his FAS has manifested is through increasingly violent tendencies and what I can only describe as psychotic breaks- his episodes. Most of the time he is as tender as a kitten. With his big eyes full of wonder and amazement as he walks through life in a bubble untouched by the outside world. He is so open to love and always ready to hug you, or color with you, or simply to sit and enjoy your company. When you look at his giant smile, you could never believe he had so much frustration coursing through his body. You would never know that underneath the peaceful exterior, hides a confused young man, never in total control of himself and never knowing when he was going to lose the never-ending battle. And sometimes he does lose. And watching our sweet boy contort and fight against himself is one of the most terrifying experiences I have ever encountered. The first episode I witnessed has been seared into my memory for all time.

Daniel and I were standing outside of the Hogar in the front yard, watching the children. It was the day of Don David’s, (the director of Helping Honduras Kids) birthday. Just minutes earlier we had all been inside helping to serve the children cake and ice cream while singing in celebration for this special day. We had stepped outside as David and Ron, our volunteer coordinator, had told us they needed to speak with us. Ron began to explain that there was serious political unrest in Honduras and that he needed for us to collect the full names, passport numbers and emergency contact details of all of the volunteers (this just three day before the President was forcefully removed from power). We had heard nothing of the situation before this and it hadn’t begun to register, when something caught Dan’s eye. As if on cue, Joel, the wild child of the kinder, started screaming. Dan sprinted towards the sound. I ran towards Joel as he scampered into the Hogar, but halfway towards the door I glanced to the right, and saw what was happening. He was having an episode. Dan, Rosa (the oldest girl at the Hogar) and Selvin (the security guard) were restraining him on the ground as he yelled and tried to escape. I have never in my life seen a young man with the strength that he has. The two men struggling to hold him still as Rosa did her best to hold his head so that he didn’t injure himself. Then Rosa calmly turns to Dan in the middle of the hectic struggle. ‘He’s trying to bite my finger off.’ she stated with such a dignified air that I was sure I had misheard her, but as Selvin finally pulled her hand free I could see the swelling and ran for ice. When I came back, he had escaped from the grip of the two men and was stalking the halls of the Hogar.

The children darted out of the way of him as he furiously paced the halls, until he entered his bedroom and locked the door. Through the window we could see him throwing the furniture around and pacing violently. Terrified that he would injure himself, Selvin tried to force the door open, but to no avail. He looked around for a way in and realized that the wall did not extend entirely to the roof. Selvin began to climb. With more agility than I thought possible from a grown man, Selvin scaled the wall in seconds and lowered himself into the room. Seconds that lasted days ticked by as we waited. The click of the lock startled us all back into reality as Selvin softly opened the door. Behind him we could see the huddled shape of the boy lying on the floor. The men rushed forward and restrained him with a belt from his own pants. They tied his arms behind his back and restrained his legs. Struggling against the force of the belt, he snapped his legs free, and fought against the men. Legs flailing wildly, while wrenching at the restraints on his hands. Screaming to be free, Dan pushed a pillow beneath his head as he tried to break his skull on the hard floor. For ten minutes the struggle continued as he screamed and cursed, close to breaking the hold of the belt. And suddenly, as quickly as it had begun, it was over. The anger and frustration dissipated and he was back. Our sweet boy.

Its funny the things that stick in your mind after a situation like this. But when I look back at that day, what comes to the forefront of my mind isn’t him, but Rosa. The calmness and poise she maintained for her fourteen years, as she aided in the restraint of her comrade. It made me so sad. It made me realize that this wasn’t the first encounter she has had with his episodes. And that forced me to fight against tears. Tears for the children that had already seen too much violence in their short lives. For the boy, having to fight the demons that raged beneath the angelic surface, and for the world. The injustice that haunts every waking second of life, and that since I have been at the Hogar, I have witnessed in the strained smiles of the children everyday. There have been episodes since the first time, and there will be more in the future. The directors are searching for somewhere for him to live. Somewhere where he can be taken care of in an environment where he can be cared for safely, and where the lives of others can be protected. But with the mental health sector in Honduras being all but non-existent, this in itself is a struggle.

We need to find somewhere our treasured diamond can be seen for its truth. The humble beginnings to the radiance of his smile.

Three weeks in...

2009-07-15T13:28:00.000-06:00

It’s our third weekend here and finally I have time to write something down. I’d been keeping a journal for the first few months of travelling but gave up due to laziness so this will be a good way to get back to writing. We got back a couple of Thursdays ago, showed up at the Hogar and surprised the kids, who didn’t know we were returning. It was a pretty great homecoming- the kids were really excited, especially when we told them we were staying for a year. “How many days is that?” Francisco asked me. I told him to guess. “fifty! A thousand!” When I told him three hundred sixty five he jumped up and down. I think he thought that was more than a thousand, just cause the word is longer. We have some work to do on the education front. Ron, our “Volunteer Godfather,” invited us to spend that weekend at his villa in Palma Real. Ron has more kitchen utensils than anyone I’ve ever known. And the bed was like a giant marshmallow. That Saturday we went to the park with all the kids and had some treats, played soccer and swam in the river. They brought out some cakes, one saying “Welcome Back Daniel,” the other “Welcome Back Tracy.”

This is our second term at the Hogar. We left in April, moved to Granada, Nicaragua. I was teaching English and Tracy worked at a Beatles- themed bar for a bit. But our plan the whole time was to find a way back to Honduras, to the Hogar. To stay. Once we worked it out, we headed to Costa Rica for a week to renew our visas, then took the two day bus trip back to the north coast. We’re back in the volunteer house in El Cacao, about two kilometres from the Hogar. It was a bit weird coming back to a place I thought I’d left behind. Almost more like travelling back in time a couple months then across a couple countries. But it definitely feels good to be back, like it’s the right place for me right now.

We dove right into the work when we got back. Mornings we teach at the school, me with the second graders, Tracy with first. The school is a single room building on the property of the Hogar. We teach grades first through sixth, including all the Hogar kids and a number from the surrounding community of Agua Caliente. There is one hired teacher, Kenia, who handles the majority of them. The rest of the teaching staff is made up of us volunteers, placed according to need and also individual skills, Spanish abilities, etc. There is a curriculum, text books etc. And also tests at the end of each bimester (every two months) so there is some pressure to get the kids ready. In second grade, we just started times tables. One challenge is that some students just grasp it much easier than others. I have one who is struggling with the three table, while another is rattling off his twelves at will. Also, with very little (none) teaching experience, I’m constantly feeling my way. I’ve got my stern face down pretty good by now though. Over in first grade, Tracy discovered that the kids do not know how to read. They need to be reading fairly well by second grade, so that is a definite challenge. Anyone with ideas or experience teaching reading to children should definitely send them along. Same for the times tables.

One thing we noticed when we were here the last time was that after school, there wasn’t much structure to the children’s day. So we have started a few programs in the afternoons: Organized gym class, a homework class for those who are struggling, and a sex and social education class for the older kids. We’re starting slow with this class, right now talking mostly about self-esteem, emotions and friends. But there is a definite need for sex education here- it takes only a stroll through any of the small towns dotting the road, noticing the very young mothers, the single mothers, the poverty, the sheer number of KIDS to see that. And with some of the Hogar kids reaching adolescence, they’ve got plenty of questions.

So we’ve been busy, working most days from seven to five, usually too tired to keep our eyes open much past eight. Too busy to pay much attention to the tense political situation in the country these days. From what I understand, the president, Mel Zelaya, was removed from office last Sunday and flown out of the country. The replacement president is Roberto Michelletti, the former head of Congress. Zelaya has said he’s coming back to reclaim the presidency on Saturday (today) and Michelletti says that he could face prison if he steps foot back in Honduras. And with both sides (pro-mel and anti-mel) very passionate, there is some noticeable tension, though mostly in the cities. Out here in the country (about 25K from La Ceiba) we don’t see much difference other than that the public schools were closed all last week, and overall I feel pretty safe.

So we’re staying put in Cacao, doing schoolwork and eating pancakes, waiting for news (which usually comes in the form of our neighbor Reid driving by in his Jeep and yelling it out to us) Regardless of what happens politically, of who the president is, our plan is the same: keep on trucking.

Dan

In the beginning...

2009-07-15T13:25:00.000-06:00

Three weeks in. And I look back and can’t believe how much can happen in such a small amount of time, and how much I can change in three weeks. Who knows what will change in three more weeks, or three months, or even in three more minutes. Some days it really hits me that we’ve made such a massive commitment to these children. A responsibility that shouldn’t, and can’t, be taken lightly. They’re so used to people walking in and out of their lives, their parents, their community. And although we’re here for a long time, at some point we’re going to walk out on them too. So everyday counts. Every smile, every lesson, every single second. And even though it breaks my heart to think of the day we leave, I won’t show it. Because our work here as volunteers in Hogar de Amor isn’t about us. It’s about these children, and what we can do to help them rebuild their shattered lives. It’s about making this a home where the children have all of the love and safety that every child deserves. It’s about helping to create wonderful memories, for all of us, to sustain us through the hard times that are inevitable ahead. To show these children that out there, in the big wide world, there is more. And they deserve it as much as anybody else.

Patience. That is the word that follows me like my shadow. Sometimes patience is easy, especially when you look into the eyes of these beautiful little souls and feel a small inkling of the pain inside. But some days it’s almost impossible. The bad days. The days when the children can’t control the hurt and pain that courses through their tiny veins. When they can’t hold back the tears that hide behind their chestnut eyes. Or when they scream at you and call you so many horrible things, that the effect stays with you for days. It’s heartbreaking. Patience. It pays off. For as many days as I have been screamed at, there are ten more when I have been hugged with so much love I feel myself holding back tears. Or the days when the children understand something in school, and the smile on their face is from somewhere so true and so real, that I wonder if I ever could have smiled that way. Or when I carry a sleeping child to their room and tuck them in for the night. This is what counts. This is why I’m here.

Twenty-two. That’s how many children live in the Hogar. Twenty-two beautiful faces. Twenty-two haunting pasts. Twenty-two chances to make a difference. It takes time to get to know even one of these children, but after a couple of weeks their unique personalities begin to shine through. Like the Kinder kids. So mischievous and wild, running through the halls, climbing trees, pulling each other across the grass with a piece of rope and a soda bottle. But slowly, the tenderness glimmers above the surface. The eagerness for knowledge, the need for love and attention, the first time they listen to what you say. It’s so easy to look at these tiny little people, and forget that they are just that. People. They each have something inside of them that makes them special and irreplaceable. Like Joel. Tiny little man that he is. As wild and reckless as a kindergarten child can be. Sometimes truly impossible to understand, but sometimes the gentle little person can be found underneath the layers of frustration and fierce stubbornness. Last week, after having missed a day of kindy, Joel ran up to me in the yard. Pulling on my long skirt so that I would crouch beside him he hugged my neck, looked into my eyes and with so much innocence asked softly ‘Today we have class?’ My heart melted. I had to look into that face and tell him that there wasn’t any kindy today, or tomorrow. In fact, I don’t know when there will be kindy again. We simply don’t have enough volunteers to run the school, let alone the kindy. Angry and confused, Joel stalked away into the house. An hour later he was up a tree. But that moment when Joel showed me just how important the class was to him, that wonderful memory will forever stay with me. And the devastated look on his face as I explained that a class for him no longer existed, that memory is always on my mind.

Then there are the first graders. My class. It’s always been amazing to me that this tiny little people have such huge personalities. Like Carolina. With a skirt that almost reaches the ground and her wild hair resisting the attempts of her headband. Every morning she storms up to me as I arrive at school with her angry little face on, stops in front of me and just stares. So, I stare back, and after a while I see a little munchkin lingering just behind her big angry eyes. Then with a boisterous giggle she doubles over, and yells in her own secret language, ‘Choongy Peroongy!’ before running off to the schoolhouse. Or Santos. With his big smiley face, wide distracted eyes and the filthiest uniform I have ever seen. It took me a while to understand why. But I figured it out. This kid falls over more than anyone I have ever met. We counted once during an afternoon soccer match. He fell over twelve times. But he always picks himself up and keeps going, which is more than I would do after that many tumbles.

I could keep writing story after story about these little people, but I’ll save something for the next post! We really appreciate you taking an interest in the Hogar, and if you’re thinking about coming down to help out I can only think of two pieces of advice. Firstly, be prepared to always be unprepared. Nothing ever runs to plan, nothing is ever as organised as you had hoped it would be, and nothing is predictable in a house of twenty-two children! The second piece of advice that I would give you is to do it. When I first thought to do this, I was mostly in it for myself. But now, everything is so different. Everyday I wake up, work harder than I have worked before, and fall into bed content. Not because I’m here for me. But because I can see the bigger picture. Because everything we do here is for these kids. And the strange part is the more I work with the kids, the more I get out of it. The happier I feel at the end of a long day, and the happier I am that I’m here for the long haul. Without question or doubt this is the best thing I have ever done.

Three weeks in. And I can’t wait for three more.

Tracy

"Oye Amor"

2009-07-13T15:50:00.007-06:00

One of our volunteers, Meredith, wrote this letter after she left from volunteering at the Hogar de Amor.:

" ‘Oye Amor, es una tortura perderte.’ 22 little Honduran voices sang these lines back to me from Shakira’s song ‘La Tortura’ this past month during my time at the Hogar de Amor home for abused children. In English, the line translates ‘oh love, it is a torture to lose you.’ One month ago I was listening to this song on my iPod, on a plane to Honduras, unsure of what was to come next, fresh off the podium of high school graduation. Now the words have taken on a new meaning: it is a torture to leave those children and that experience in Honduras behind, with the 22 little voices still echoing in my ears as I make the difficult transition back to reality.

I went into my volunteer experience in Honduras with unrealistic expectations. I was going to transform the lives of these children, whom I had never met, and they would never be the same. I was immensely humbled when I arrived at the Hogar de Amor, founded by David Ashby, part of the Helping Honduras Kids Organization, and began to adopt the natural rhythm of the day-to-day routines of the children. The children (ranging from ages 5-14) get up everyday at 5 am with the sun, and get in line, oldest to youngest to use the showers. They then do their morning cleaning, eat breakfast together and head off to the school building in the gated orphanage grounds to begin a day of learning at 7 am sharp. Most volunteers teach students grades kinder to 5th, and by noon, classes are done and lunch is served. After lunch, the kids have a time for chores, then the rest of the afternoon and night is theirs.

I quickly realized that I would get as much out of this volunteer experience as I put into it. Besides following lesson plans to teach in school, the volunteers didn’t have any set guidelines. Some volunteers left at 2 p.m to head back to the volunteer house. Others would stay the night at the Hogar de Amor, and read to the kids and tuck them into bed. It would be up to me to plan and execute extra opportunities with the kids. Since my time at the Hogar de Amor was short, I wanted to take advantage of all the extra time I had with them. Many of the kids were bright and curious, and wanted to learn English. We started an afternoon English class and in a week’s time, they all could introduce themselves in English and sing the chorus of Taylor Swift’s ‘Love Story.’ Many of the girls wanted to be ‘una cantante famosa’ so we did music sessions and choreographed dance moves to Shakira songs. All of the kids wanted to use the computer, so computer times were set every day for kids who paid attention that day in class.

I ended each day in utter exhaustion, having drained my energy on 22 never-tiring children. It was a good kind of exhaustion though, because for the first time in a long time, I was too busy focusing on the problems and needs of others, that I didn’t have time to dwell on my (small in comparison) own problems. For the first time in a long time, I was feeling content. Not to say there weren’t struggles though. Teaching 2nd grade was no easy task. I had a curriculum to follow but I exhausted half of my energy on getting the kids to stop fighting and focus before I could even begin to teach. It was weird to think that a short time ago, I was the one sitting in the classroom, chatting with my friends, while my teacher waited impatiently for everyone to be quiet. Now I was telling a group of 2nd graders to ‘stop fighting!,’ ‘pay attention!,’ and ‘ who knew learning could be so much fun?’. Periodic breaks in the class to do the Macarena and sing Shakira songs worked wonders.

When I wasn’t playing with the kids or teaching, I was getting to know the other volunteers. They came from all parts of the world and everyone had an interesting story behind their reason to come to Honduras. We picked up on each other’s ‘cultural quirks’ and exchanged stories of Europe, Australia and the U.S. It was nice to have others with whom I could observe the Honduran culture and share some of the same memories and experiences. Since we had the weekends off, and everything in Honduras is much cheaper than it is back home, we were able to visit islands off the coast of Honduras and recharge before another week of teaching hard and playing harder at the orphanage. Because I was just getting a taste for my new freedom after graduating high school, I savored the spontaneous trips, and loved finding my way around in an unfamiliar country.

The ‘mini vacations’ were always much appreciated but after a day of swimming and basking, I was ready to return to my ‘home’ of Honduras with the kids at the Hogar de Amor. When it was finally time to say goodbye (I had to cut my trip a little short due to the political unrest in the country), I didn’t think I would cry, didn’t think it would hit me until later. I walked into the schoolhouse, where everyone was sitting obediently at their desks, to give one last ‘abrazo’ to the kids. I said goodbye to Angelo, a second grader who would proudly solve extra multiplication problems and do manly poses and ask me to take a picture of his strength, to Lorenza, a girl with a head full of curls who gave me a toothy smile and laughed every time I told her to stop teasing the boys, and to Cherlin, a 9 year old who danced and sang Taylor Swift’s ‘Love Story’ with me in the courtyard and read English books with me before going to bed. It wasn’t until I was saying goodbye to Lourdes, a 5 year old who I called ‘my monkey’ because she would climb to the top of the orange trees in the backyard, that I started tearing up. ‘Pon yo en su mochila. Trae tu mono a los Estados Unidos.’ (Put me in your backpack. Take your monkey to the United States) Lourdes commanded in her tiny voice as she proceeded to unzip my backpack to try to fit in. ‘I’ll just have to come visit you!’ I squeaked, trying to fight back the ‘lagrimas.’ It was too late. She saw the tears. Este es solamente sudor.’ I reassured her. ‘It is just sweat.’

As I drove away from the orphanage I thought about how this past month, I was worlds apart from the home I had been used to for 18 years, and yet I finally felt like the person I always wanted to be. Going to Honduras taught me to be independent when getting around, commanding and patient when teaching a class and enforcing rules, understanding when dealing with kids who have had a difficult past, frugal when bargaining with hostel owners and fruit vendors, sincere when making new friends with new experiences to share, spontaneous when jumping off a 30 foot rock into a river down below, and appreciative for the family I have in Houston that allowed me the trust and financial means to take the trip in the first place.

By the time I arrived in Houston, I was already homesick for Honduras. I was a little weirded out by the many Starbucks, and the constant go-go-go rhythm of city life. I couldn’t see that we were in an ‘economic crisis’ when people in Honduras seemed perfectly content to get by for so much less, because it was their relationships with other people that made life so rich.

The month I spent in Honduras was the best trip I have taken and was the best thing I could do before going to college, as I now have a new sense of self and independence. While I already miss the kids terribly, I hope to return and plan on starting a support chapter of their organization at my college, so I can continue to help out. While I hope the kids remember me and I hope I had a meaningful impact on their lives, truth be told, they did more for me than I did for them. Whenever I start to miss them, I turn on Shakira’s ‘La Tortura’ and I am there.

If you want to learn more on how you can get involved with the Hogar de Amor or the Helping Honduras Kids Foundation, visit www.helpinghonduraskids.org. "

-Meredith Baker