Click the above picture to see more photos from our trip to Honduras and Guatemala thus far.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Honduras Summer 2010 Kreie 3
Click the above picture to see more photos from our trip to Honduras and Guatemala thus far.
Chris' thoughts from our time in Honduras
It’s difficult to sum up my thoughts and experiences of the past few days because we have been packing so much into each and every day. I will try my best to summarize and perhaps focus mostly on Monday because that was the day in which we experienced so much of what HHK is doing for the children in northern Honduras.
David carted us around most of Monday. We started with an early breakfast at Helen’s before he picked us up. We then journeyed east toward Cebia and north up the mountains to HHK’s Jungle School. The school is located on the Congrejal river, up into the mountains adjacent to Pico Bonito National Park. The road up the river is just a dirt road full of twists and turns. Many villages are located along this road. The Jungle School is just a short journey up the road. The road then continues several hours by car up the mountain.
After an hour or so of visiting at the school, David drove us further up the mountain to visit some of the villages along the road. We stopped at one village in particular in which HHK has a relationship with three grandmas who live there and care for a large group of children. From time to time David visits them, bringing them clothing, supplies, and rice from Kids Against Hunger or other similar organizations. We walked with a group of about 20 children and David treated them to some snacks and drinks at the local pulperia. This area is so amazing beautiful. The rushing river cutting through this lush mountain landscape is spectacular. Yet that played against the poverty and difficulty of those living there is a troubling thing to see.
David drove us even further up the mountain, along with the 20 kids whom we had picked up in the first village, then back again just to get a closer look at the area. We then returned to the Jungle School which was ending for the day when we arrived. At the end of the day the children who walk from jungle villages are given a noon meal before they return home. The hogar children ride back home with David or catch the bus then have lunch at home.
We continued on with David. He did transport a few of the Jungle School children, the ones who live nearby, back to their homes further down the mountain. We said goodbye to those children then headed in La Ceiba ourselves for lunch. David recommended a little rotisserie chicken place operated out of the front of someone’s home in town. It was great. For a plate of chicken, cooked carrots, and coleslaw the price was roughly $2.00.
Continuing on David took us east where we checked out his former site outside of La Ceiba and a day care, after school care center operated east of La Ceiba by a friend of his. This place is really just a place where kids can go when school is not in session as a way to have something to do and a safe place to hangout. They do some educational projects and they also feed the kids two meals if they are there all day. It was a neat little operation, staffed by the man who is running the place, a couple of Honduran women, and some U.S. volunteers.
Our final stop along the way was to a tiny village near the town of Jutiapa. This is a village of people who were forced off their land by a company who claimed ownership of the land. David and a separate missionary group found new land for them and assisted them in their moving. The people are now in various states of living – some have mud huts, others have makeshift wooden homes covered in plastic, and the well-off have concrete block homes. But it’s a very tiny little development of houses, I think only 30 or so lots. David continues to drive out to the village from time to time, again to provide them with Kids Against Hunger rice or other essential items.
By day’s end we were wiped out. It was an amazing day, and a lot to take in. We appreciate immensely the time and energy David is giving to us by showing us all of the facets of his small but productive organization called Helping Honduras Kids (HHK). He is doing a tremendous amount of good for the children in this area. I will have absolutely no trouble coming home and singing their praises and working very hard to convince people I know to help them in any way that they can.
Our evening ended with a relaxing time in the hotel bar, in the pool, having dinner, and relaxing in our air conditioned cabin. It is not difficult for all of these things to remind me how very different my life is from those of all the people we have seen and met today.
David carted us around most of Monday. We started with an early breakfast at Helen’s before he picked us up. We then journeyed east toward Cebia and north up the mountains to HHK’s Jungle School. The school is located on the Congrejal river, up into the mountains adjacent to Pico Bonito National Park. The road up the river is just a dirt road full of twists and turns. Many villages are located along this road. The Jungle School is just a short journey up the road. The road then continues several hours by car up the mountain.
We enjoyed some time at the Jungle School, interacting a bit with the children, visiting with the cooks and teachers, and just taking a good look around at how the school operates. I was impressed. The school is nothing more than a few small buildings carved out of the mountain, but what they do with what they have is quite amazing. Over 70 children attend the school, only 20 of those being students from the hogar. The others walk through the jungle each day, some two hours one way, to get to school. The school serves students in K-6. Two grade levels are combined into each classroom. The students have a more than decent set of supplies – pencils, individual workbooks that they can write in, a couple of well-stocked libraries of books, and more. And order seemed to reign, as kids were invested in their work with few distractions or little misbehavior. The school was a well run facility.
David drove us even further up the mountain, along with the 20 kids whom we had picked up in the first village, then back again just to get a closer look at the area. We then returned to the Jungle School which was ending for the day when we arrived. At the end of the day the children who walk from jungle villages are given a noon meal before they return home. The hogar children ride back home with David or catch the bus then have lunch at home.
We continued on with David. He did transport a few of the Jungle School children, the ones who live nearby, back to their homes further down the mountain. We said goodbye to those children then headed in La Ceiba ourselves for lunch. David recommended a little rotisserie chicken place operated out of the front of someone’s home in town. It was great. For a plate of chicken, cooked carrots, and coleslaw the price was roughly $2.00.
Continuing on David took us east where we checked out his former site outside of La Ceiba and a day care, after school care center operated east of La Ceiba by a friend of his. This place is really just a place where kids can go when school is not in session as a way to have something to do and a safe place to hangout. They do some educational projects and they also feed the kids two meals if they are there all day. It was a neat little operation, staffed by the man who is running the place, a couple of Honduran women, and some U.S. volunteers.
By day’s end we were wiped out. It was an amazing day, and a lot to take in. We appreciate immensely the time and energy David is giving to us by showing us all of the facets of his small but productive organization called Helping Honduras Kids (HHK). He is doing a tremendous amount of good for the children in this area. I will have absolutely no trouble coming home and singing their praises and working very hard to convince people I know to help them in any way that they can.
Our evening ended with a relaxing time in the hotel bar, in the pool, having dinner, and relaxing in our air conditioned cabin. It is not difficult for all of these things to remind me how very different my life is from those of all the people we have seen and met today.
Hondurans Enjoying the World Cup
See how some of us in Honduras enjoyed the World Cup final. World Cup fever is everywhere - including on a tiny island off the coast of Honduras. We watched the game there with about 20 other islanders who gathered together around a TV. Also, listen one of our new young friends singing the song that has definitely caught on - Waka Waka.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)