Our trip continues...

Marcala, Day 2

This morning saw us on the way to visit a program which takes place at a junior high school just outside a town called El Perdenal. We met with a group of Grade Nine students who have been taking part in the Sexual Health program for the last year. With permission from the principal of the school the facilitators run the program in the school building once every 15 days.



This was the area in which the school was located...



 It was interesting today that when we got to school there was no school taking place as teachers were holding a protest. Apparently the teachers close the schools down two days a week as a protest against the government and this has been happening for the last few years! Then we found out that the city of Tegucigalpa  was shut down because of protests and violence in the streets. It seems that Honduras is still a country with much political unrest.

Here is a link to a news article...
Honduras protests

The students today were very shy and not very forthcoming with sharing their experiences. In order to get everyone warmed up, one of the grade nine girls did an icebreaker called “the flirty guava” she got us involved with actions, it was fun.  We each introduced ourselves and as the time went on they began to talk with us and share a little about themselves.



Mack and Jonathan doing the flirty guava...



They told us that being involved in the program gave them new knowledge about HIV and Aids prevention and other aspects of Sexual Health. When asked if their parents supported their participation in the program, one of the girls responded positively saying that her parents wanted her to be better informed so she could have a better future. They told her that they were proud of the community service projects they had performed such as cleaning up around their school by fixing broken desks, doors and windows.



Jessica with some of the students...



Handing out our Canadian pins to the students...



When given an opportunity to ask us questions, they were curious about what young people in Canada liked to do, what programs the YMCA offered, what type of sports we play and other things about our lives.





One of the students sharing her story and thanking us and God for our support...




In the afternoon we took the bus to a more rural community called Florida. There we met with a group of participants from ages 14-30. They were so gracious to us by offering us coffee and sweet cake as well as presenting us with gifts of coffee and coffee liquor.

Tania taking notes as she prepares to translate...

They told us their experiences with the program as well. We found it particularly interesting to hear from the older men who talked about the opportunity to learn along with the youth about their issues and how they can work together to strengthen their community.



Bev accepting one of the gifts...

A group shot...



We also an opportunity to walk through the small town down to the river. This is such a beautiful country, however, waste management is not a priority. Hopefully this is an issue they will work on as they live in such a lovely environment.



We are all enthralled with the beauty of rural Honduras...



Beautiful flowers are everywhere...



As well as all kinds of fruits...here are bananas and grapefruit



And then you see this...too much garbage around but there are signs of improvement...



We finished the evening with some coffee tasting provided to us by the hotel owner who is also a coffee grower. Marcala region has the best coffee in Honduras, last year they even won a Gold Medal for their coffee.

The taste test....

Oh yes and we did a little dancing to the salsa music as well…..

Bev’s thoughts

Today again was full and educational.  After Breakfast we went to the school and even though it was closed for the day, the students were so excited that we were coming that they showed up to meet us anyway.  Their curiosity was contagious and for them to tell us their interests and then ask about our Canadian youth.  Everyone who speaks to us as a group, wishes us good morning, welcomes us to their country/community and thanks us for coming and for giving our support.  In the afternoon we went for a long walk, to the river (uphill/downhill/uphill etc…), during our walk, our translators participated in a session (HIV and Aids awareness), we had a group session when they were finished.  Again, this group was warm and welcoming, they also presented us with gifts. 

The warmth that I feel when we go to a community is overwhelming to say the least.  These are very special people who benefit so much from the resources we send.  I now feel like it is so little. The volunteers and the youth participants do so much with so little and still thrive to do much more and reach more youth, their diligence and passion is to be commended.

Debbie's thoughts...

Like Bev, I continue to be impressed with everyone I meet but especially the volunteers and partcipants of the programs we support. It is easy to see the results of their involvement as they are so passionate about the programs. The volunteers are so dedicated and the youth are knowledgeable about the issues that face them in their own country both at the local and national level. They understand the importance of being educated about their rights and are eager to make a difference in their communities. It makes me realize how much work we need to do at home to be able to engage youth in a similar manner.