Volunteerism

Art for Humanity: Empowering the Agents of Change

Lech Walesa, Desmond Tutu, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and most other great agents of change all realized that they had the potential to make a difference.

By Glen Evans
Hondurans have, for too long, looked outside for help in creating a better future for their country. In some measure, that may be part of the reason Honduras does not seem to be able to develop and escape its high levels of poverty and dependency. To mainly look abroad for solutions to internal problems is ineffective as well as counterproductive. Unfortunately, the attitude of relying on sources “over there” rather than from “within” is an idea promoted in Honduras' education system, as well as in its churches -- thus pervading the culture in general. Not only are the schools not effectively teaching reading, writing and arithmetic, neither are they adequately teaching self-respect or self-empowerment. (7/21/10)

The Elusive Gift of Play

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.

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”. (7/20/10)

A Tale of Honduras

What is it that draws you back to a place? What makes it special? Is it the beauty of an area, the people, an unforgettable moment, a nudge from God? Somehow Honduras now has that kind of special tug on my heart.

By Beatty Collins
When I think of Honduras, I see faces. I see an orphan smiling, overjoyed when she receives a small toy. I see the blank look on the face of a child with cerebral palsy. I see the somber face of a child with a cleft palate... and the tired face of a woman drawing water from a well. I see a child shyly offering me a gift of a lollipop. Oh I see magnificent historic Mayan ruins and gorgeous mountains and lakes, and I enjoy the food and the inns and haciendas of Honduras. But it is the people who cause me to return, and my heart is touched. The more I learn about the people of Honduras, the more I want to return. (7/16/10)

Honduras Weekly extends a huge thank you to all the volunteer and humanitarian groups that visit Honduras throughout the year to help empower its people in a wide variety of ways. Many of you are listed on the Honduras Aid Map (HAM), but there are thousands more quietly doing invaluable work. We invite you to share your stories and insights with us. Please e-mail us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Art for Humanity: Teaching Leadership

If Honduras is going to improve its position as the fourth poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, its people -- not gringos -- will have to lead the way.

By Glen Evans
II believe education is the key to the future success of Honduras. As it is now, because of inadequate education, Honduras cannot even compete with its Central American neighbors when it comes to attracting international businesses needing workers capable of something more than assembly work. I am told the Honduran educational system lags 35 to 50 years behind those of other Central American countries. My personal estimate is that the average high school graduate in Honduras functions at about a 6th grade US level. (7/2/10)

Comments (4)

Pushing the Idea of Citizen Action in Honduras

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.

By Marco Cáceres
When it comes to solving the problems of our community, our country, and our world, there are essentially three kinds of people. The first (and probably the most common) is the kind of person who criticizes all that is wrong with society, expects government to fix everything, and blames all the failures on government and other people. The second is the kind of person who is more optimistic about society, sees the good things that government does, and cheers loudly whenever they witness other people making a positive difference. (7/1/10)

Art for Humanity: Creating Small Businesses in Rural Honduras

If India had Honduras' educational system, that country would still be deeply stuck in the poverty that I witnessed four decades ago, rather than becoming the fourth largest economy on the planet and a global leader in technology.

By Glen Evans
In the 1970s, I was a graduate student volunteering in India. At that time, India was about as poor as a country could be. The poverty was shocking to me. Today, much has changed for India. I hope the same happens in Honduras. I am with a small humanitarian charity called Art For Humanity. We mostly help the rural poor create small businesses. In the beginning, the businesses were mostly related arts and crafts. Mothers could do this in their homes as they cared for their children. Thus, the name "Art For Humanity". We have now expanded into other areas such as farming, welding, bike repair, and retail. (6/28/10)

Mission to Monte de Dios

The hospitality of these wonderful people is hard to describe. We had come to serve and yet we were being served. We went to work inspired by these people and treated 344 in the medical clinic, dewormed 250, and fitted 116 pairs of glasses.

By Bruce Carter
Today (June 17) began with a trip up the mountain that topped all previous trips. Elmer was on the top of his game and drove us up mountain roads that took us up through the clouds to the village. The scenery was amazing -- we were riding along the ridges of the mountains with a view back down to Lago de Yojoa. The coffee fields were planted on even steeper terrain. Farming coffee in this region is hard work. (6/23/10)

Networking to Change Honduras

... I think at times too much emphasis is placed on raising money, and not enough on raising awareness and mobilizing people. We are attempting to shift the emphasis... at least a little.

By Marco Cáceres
II have been studying Honduras from afar for 12 years. That is the amount of time that we have been building the projecthonduras.com network and staging the annual Conference on Honduras. One of things that I have observed is that the reasons people tend to give for what ails the country are usually symptoms of deeper problems or issues that have simply not been addressed over years and decades. These “symptoms” can of course also be considered problems in-and-of-themselves… take the problem of corruption, for example. But it is important to understand their true nature in order to be able to effectively deal with them. (6/23/10)

"Rebuilding Social Tourism" Theme for 11th Conference on Honduras in Copán Ruinas

Projecthonduras.com today announced that the theme for the 11th annual Conference on Honduras will be "Rebuilding Social Tourism in Honduras". The event, scheduled October 14-16, 2010, will be held in the town of Copán Ruinas. It will feature some 40-50 speakers as part of 6-8 panels that will focus on education, healthcare (including HIV/AIDS and clean water), and community building (including micro-credit and caring for orphaned children). Panelists will present on the work of their organizations and then engage in question and answer sessions with conferees expected to be in attendance. The idea is to provide a forum in which volunteers in Honduras and "social tourists" from abroad can exchange information and network to identify ways to collaborate and improve on projects. (5/17/10)