It’s been about a month since we left for Honduras, yet I still have trouble finding words to adequately describe the week we spent working with CARE. My experience on this ASB trip was without a doubt, however, life-changing for me: it completely reshaped how I view active citizenship, the state of rural healthcare in Central American countries, and the commonalities among all people, no matter what our geographic differences may be. I loved every minute I spent in Honduras with my ASB team, and it was an absolute honor to be able to participate in this experience with them.
Through working in the clinics taking blood pressure, pulling teeth, and filling prescriptions, we were able to learn firsthand the conditions and limitations surrounding healthcare standards in rural Honduras. Items that many Americans take for granted like antibacterial soap and antibiotics are rare commodities in Honduras, and healthcare professionals are limited in the care they could provide rural Hondurans because of supply restrictions like these. It was really humbling to learn that such healthcare standards are not unique just to Honduras or to Central America but are present in many areas of America as well.
One of my favorite days of our trip to Honduras was the cultural day, in which we traveled to a remote village in rural Honduras and participated in traditional Honduran games and rituals with the villagers. Despite the language barrier, I’ve never felt so welcomed by a community. Each and every Honduran we met during our trip showed us the utmost warmth and hospitality, and this is an aspect of Honduran culture I will never forget.
Overall, my ASB trip to Honduras is definitely one of the best experiences I’ve had in my life so far: the immersion into Honduran culture, the amount I learned about myself as both a person and a volunteer, and the amazing new friendships I made set this trip apart from anything else I could’ve been doing over interim. I’m so grateful to have had this opportunity and can’t wait to delve into the social issue of rural healthcare even further through our upcoming reorientation project!
Almost a month after our departure date, I find myself still constantly thinking about our trip to Honduras (not only because I’m still taking my malaria medication). What we experienced on our trip can’t be put into words, but I will try my best. Each day we embarked on a journey to a rural village in southern Honduras, where our team was responsible for setting up and operating a health clinic. At all times, I felt immersed in the Honduran culture, whether it be playing with the children waiting at the clinic, or filling prescriptions in the farmacia. Overall, the trip was incredible, and we have done our best as a team to realize that the issues of poverty, malnutrition, and poor/lack of healthcare are not isolated in Honduras, but exist in our country as well. We are working on our reorientation project to bring these issues home and inform the campus about our transformative experience!
Honduras was in one world–humbling. Experiencing an under-developed country firsthand and facing the daily struggles and problems that the natives faced was an amazing experience. I am so glad I decided to go on the trip, it was well worth it.
It feels like only yesterday I was spending my 19th birthday there and getting beaten by a piñata. I remember waking up at six am just to get to the clinic on time. I was always remember the pulling of teeth that the dentist allowed me to do. Not only did I first inject the gums with anesthetics, but then uprooted and pulled out two teeth from an older woman. I remember her vividly because she only had about three teeth on the right side of her mouth, I pulled two teeth from the lower front side of her mouth, and she had about only six teeth left of her left side.
By the end of the trip I was severely sunburned, but I did not care. I just kept thinking about how much of a difference us Lafayette students made in Honduras and will forever be remembered among the natives. It was not just Rosa or the little children that we will never forget, but they will never forget us. Americans are a rarity in southern Honduras and I just hope that our warm white smiles will always be remembered among the people. I had a great time and the best birthday ever.
On January 18th we embarked to Honduras, not exactly sure about the work we were going to develop within healthcare there, but with a lot of expectations and willingness to help others. Many meetings and a lot of preparation were held prior the trip, besides the fundraisers we were doing. It was definitely a lot of work, and it will continue like this until the end of this semester. However, all the work is absolutely worth it. Our trip was awesome.
We arrived in Tegucigalpa, Honduras’ capital around midday. Kristi, Marc and Andy, members of the Central America Relief Effort (CARE), were waiting for us at the airport. We had lunch in a wonderful restaurant downtown and then we headed to Pespire, a town in the Choluteca region. During the ride, Andy started explaining to us how our next days would be, helping people in three different towns in the South of Honduras. In each town we would go to schools or another building in town and build a clinic to receive people from the region for the day and at no cost. At arrival, Barraza, one of CARE members, would get their information, as name, age and we were responsible for taking their blood pressure. After that, they would go to the general physician, eyes doctor and dentist. All medicines prescribed by the doctor would be available at the “farmacia” for free. After that, they would get donated clothes that CARE receives or glasses, in case the eyes doctor had prescribed so.
Andy explained that our role in the clinics was to take their blood pressure, lead them to the doctor, organize and find medicines in the farmacia, hand them the clothes or help the dentist Gabi. In some towns we were also playing with the kids while their parents were with the doctor. Therefore, we were developing a hands-on work, interacting with the Hondurans directly and feeling very well integrated to the CARE group. Doubtlessly, this made our experience way more fruitful, and the learning was frequent.
Blood pressure in DuyurePlaying with the kids in San Marco de Colón
La farmacia
If it was either taking blood pressure or playing with the kids, each one of these duties that we developed provided us with a great opportunity to know more about that people and about their conditions. In one of the towns, San Marco de Colón, I was especially surprised with the high level of malnutrition. We saw kids who could not stand on their feet, and many adults who didn’t have enough information to know how to deal with it. Many people had really high blood pressures. We saw people who walked for hours to get to the clinic, because that was the only healthcare they would get maybe during the year. However, it was impossible not to be moved with the smile they were receiving us and the gratitude they showed us for being there. On my first day, while taking blood pressure with Alana, an old lady came to us, holding our hands and we could see in her eyes that she was happy because we were there. There was nothing left to say, we didn’t need to understand any Spanish to know exactly what she meant.
Outside of the clinics, we also learned a lot. For instance, just by driving on the roads, we could see a lot of trash on the street. However, at least if there was trash, it was a sign that there were people living there, and that they were eating something, consuming something to survive. I would get more worried about the regions we went were there was absolutely no trash, but we could see houses by the road. I couldn’t understand how people there would get water or food or any other kind of services. This would explain why some people were malnourished. The roads were terrible, and accessing those remotes areas was almost impossible by car. In one town we went, 15 minutes away from the borders with Nicaragua, it was easier for the population to go to a Nicaraguan hospital instead of going to the nearest Honduras hospital in the area. All this taught me the value of small things we take for granted in our countries. Especially for me, coming from Brazil, I could see that this same reality of extreme poverty exists in my home country, however, I was lucky enough to never go through any kind of these experiences, although this reality was always so close to me.
It was also very interesting to notice the international companies’ influence in the Hondurans healthcare. For example, one of the reasons that we had “dentistas” in the clinics was for teeth extraction. Many Hondurans had bad oral health because a lot of Coke and other soft drinks were consumed for being cheaper than treated water, which could not be found in the houses. This is a good example of how the Honduran government is extremely weak right now and how international companies were able to control people’s opinion to buy their products. It was also impressive that even in this really remote places we could see advertisements of Coke or Claro (a Brazilian telephone carrier controlled by a Mexican business), as we can see in these pictures:
Our view from the hotel where we stayed in San Marco.
In addition, I could not write without mentioning some small moments that led to deep learnings, which I am going to take for my whole life. On our last day we met a lady, Rosa, who was 105 years old. At first, I was escorting her to the doctor, afraid she would fall, but she was actually walking faster than me. Heading to the “farmacia”, the doctor prescribed her only “vitaminas” and “ibuprofeno”. When we asked her what was her secret, she told us not to worry about anything, that was the secret. She was clever and could understand everything that we were saying. I learned that day something that people live their whole lives without knowing.
Another fact that marked my trip was on our second to last day of trip. We had a cultural day with the Hondurans in a remote place, which I unfortunately don’t know the name. We played many games with them, and they were willing to show us their culture and it was a great moment for us to show them a little from the American culture as well.
During the cultural day
After our “día de cultura” activities, heading back to the car in a 20 minutes walk, a little girl held my hand and stared walking me back to the car. At first, no problems, because there were some other Hondurans with us so I thought she must be with them. But then they started walking to their houses and nobody called the girl to go with them. So I started getting afraid; “what if this girl is thinking that I’m walking her back home as if I know where she lives?” But ok, we kept walking, and talking along the way, when some one pointed me her house, so before she left I asked her for a hug. She hugged me and then I said “Dios le bendiga” (God bless you). I thought to myself “this was why I came here”. There is nothing better than a five-year-old, adorable kid who doesn’t know you but blesses you anyways. I think I will never forget her smiley face when she was saying goodbye and and wishing me a safe trip.
On our last day of reflection, Andy, asked us for a word to summarize our experience, and I mentioned “wonderful”. I explained that I think it’s very interesting who in English words are put together to mean something. For example, beautiful – full of beauty, powerful – full of power; and our trip was wonderful – full of wonder, because it taught me so much in every single moment of it.
THE BEST ASB TEAM EVER!!!!!!! Thank you guys, for the awesome time together!!!!!!! :) “Our true work is this voyage, this adventure” – Richard Bach
We depart for Honduras tonight, well technically tomorrow morning but since I don’t plan on sleeping before we get on the plane, it’s going to be a longgg night. I am beyond excited for this trip. I don’t know quite what to expect. I’m not very knowledgable about healthcare as a social issue and before this trip, I knew next to nothing about Honduras. Over break I tried to do some research about rural healthcare, especially in developing countries, and the history of Honduras. I am certainly not an expert yet but I feel a tad more prepared then I did last semester! I recently read the book Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World by Tracy Kidder. It was an amazingly thought-provoking book about the work of Paul Farmer with the organization he helped found, Partners in Health. While the majority of the book was about Haiti, it shed light into the healthcare system in the developing world and the attitude of the world towards this issue. It has given me a lot of food for thought as I prepare for this ASB trip. I hope that I can learn more about this social issue and Honduran culture that I can bring home with me to share!
With only a few hours left before I’m en route to Pespire, it’s only now starting to sink in that our adventure to Honduras is finally here. This trip is definitely going to be an experience unlike any other I’ve previously encountered, but I think that’s why I’m so excited for it. I can’t wait to fully immerse myself in the Honduran culture, from eating Honduran food to experiencing traditional Honduran values and customs (although my Spanish is going to need quite a bit of dusting off).
The social issue of rural healthcare we’re headed to Pespire to investigate is something I’m excited to learn more about, as the standard of healthcare is a topic I’m very passionate about. As a girl who’s been raised in an urban suburb of New York City, I’ve only been exposed to the quality of healthcare in the big city, so the standard of healthcare in a rural area, nonetheless in an underprivileged nation, is going to be quite interesting to experience.
I can’t wait to embark on this once-in-a-lifetime experience with a great team! Adios America!
Here is Amanda Furtado Sampaio, member of the ASB Honduras 2013 team!
We are leaving the US in less than 24 hours to go to Honduras volunteer together with CARE on healthcare. Honduras is located in Central America, To the west it borders with Guatemala and El Salvador and to the East Southeast with Nicaragua. The Caribbean Sea lies to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. It is one of the most mountainous countries of Central America, although it does not have any volcanoes. It has also a lot of preserved vegetation and an extended natural beauty, which would attract many tourists if it was not for the very poor and violent situation that Honduras is going through right now.
Honduras has the highest rate of intentional homicide in the world, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, probably a relfection of the weak government and law enforcement, especially after the constitutional crisis that happened in 2009. Hondurans have also been suffering with the lack of infrastructures, particularly after the severe floods in 2008.
On our trip we expect to be able to help as much as we can, serving the others, in cooperation with CARE. This will definitely be great experience of enriching the exchange of learning and cultures. Particularly for me, I’m expecting to learn more about the culture of a country that is similar to mine (Brazil) in so many ways, but completely opposite in certain aspects. This will definitely be a very fruitful and enriching experience!
I just looked over my list for a second time to make sure that I had everything. Check. I am ready to embark on this adventure. I have all of the physical items packed away and ready to travel. The next step is to mentally prepare. It still has not sunk in that in less than 12 hours I will be in the air on route to Honduras.
I am excited to experience everything this trip has to offer and learn more about Honduras. I can not fathom a better way to end this winter break and start off a great 2013!
The journey to Honduras has started a little early for Rich and me. Rich was kind enough to drive up to Maine to visit and give me a ride down to Newark (this is the first time since freshman year that I haven’t had to take a bus or a plane – thanks, bub!) Now that we’re in New Jersey, I can safely say that after driving through that snowstorm, the 80 degree weather of Pespire is sounding better and better with each passing second.
Now about the week ahead. I have never been one to get all excited before big trips or events. For whatever reason, I stay pretty mellow up until the trip begins. This might sound boring, but it allows me to put all that excited energy into the trip, so I can’t really complain.
I can say that I am eagerly anticipating the opportunity to shake off all the rust that’s built up in regard to my Spanish skills. It’s been almost three years since I last took a class and I look forward to getting in a little practice and learning some new phrases. Along with the opportunity to work on my Spanish, I really look forward to the opportunity to work in the medical clinic. Though I will never be a doctor, I do plan on entering the medical field as a medic, especially outside the US. The opportunity to work at a local Honduran clinic is the perfect start to what I hope is a career in medicine.
Beyond that, as an Anthro-Soc/Photo major, this seems like the perfect opportunity to get out there and experience a different culture. I plan on taking many photographs. In all honesty, I couldn’t be any happier that I got accepted to one of the ASB service trips, let alone that I got into this group of amazing people. I feel incredibly lucky.
I’ve always been fascinated by literary theory, particularly in the examination of the Monomyth or the Hero’s Journey. In this form, the hero begins in an ordinary world, enters a new strange world by some unknown force, faces challenges, receives new knowledge or a boon, and then returns to to his/her own realm to practice and spread the gift he/she has been granted, which also presents its own challenges and can be more difficult than the journey itself. Good examples of this form include Star Wars and The Odyssey. The story has been summarized into 17 individual steps, which make up three greater headings: Departure, Initiation, and Return. In this journey to Honduras, it’s safe to say that we are at step 4 of 17: The Crossing of the First Threshold.
We are about to leave the comfort of our homes and lifestyles to enter into a new world not entirely unlike our own. The rules are different, the obstacles unknown, and the experience… unparalleled, unique, and worthwhile.
This is my first trip with ASB, but I’ve had the opportunity to travel outside the country before during a semester-long experience and one that lasted three weeks during an interim. If I have learned anything during these trips, it’s that nothing goes as planned, and that things turn out better if you don’t hype them up. I’m excited for this trip because, for the first time, I have no real plans or ambitions for the trip.
In this trip, there is a singular united goal: to make a difference. Our issue is rural healthcare. We’re looking forward to helping others in service to a world that has granted us so much. Some of us get to dust off our old Spanish skills and take them for a test drive on a highway. There will be laughter (because I’m there), potentially tears (also because I’m there), and overall the experience should go swimmingly, no matter what happens. We have the opportunity to affect not just the experience of but the very being of human life here, and there is no higher calling.
There are two goals accomplished in the Hero’s Journey from the hero’s perspective: Step 11, the Ultimate Boon, which is the achievement of the goal of the quest, the completion of the task the hero sought after. For us, this is the service itself. Perhaps more important, however, is step 10: Apotheosis, the revelation of divine knowledge of happiness, love, beauty, and bliss.
I hope we find it. I hope we see that this trip is more than just service, a snapshot into Honduran culture, an examination of rural healthcare practices worldwide, and an opportunity to be with great people doing a great thing.
