The Saint Rose Chronicle

Issue date: 7/2/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Michelle Surprise Senior Michelle Surprise volunteering with children in La Ceiba, Honduras

Media Credit: Michelle Surprise Interacting with the locals in Honduras

Media Credit: Michelle Surprise The view across the street from where some of the volunteers stayed

Students at The College of Saint Rose find many different ways to spend their summer. Some try use the time off for vacation to meet up with old friends and generally relax. Others are working summer jobs or have a summer internship. Some also try to successfully combine the two. However, a group of students spent the beginning of their summer in Honduras volunteering on school sponsored trip.

From May 12th to May 25th, over a dozen students and faculty spent two weeks of their time volunteering at schools in Honduras. Trips like these are not unusual for Saint Rose students eager to volunteer. The college has tradition of fostering volunteer work locally at St. Anne Institute or abroad in places like New Orleans were some students volunteered during spring break. The joint efforts of the Campus Ministry and Community Service departments facilitate volunteer efforts through trips like these and events like Reach Out Saint Rose.

Rev. Christopher DeGiovine, the dean of Spiritual Life and Chaplain, and Sister Sean Peters, director of Mission Experiences supervised the students on this trip. Peters explained why they chose Honduras.

"We chose Honduras for several reasons: it doesn't take too long to get there… it's not outrageously expensive - either to travel there or to stay there for two weeks in a home stay, we liked the work when we went to check it out, it is not on any state department 'warning' lists, the people are warm and welcoming to strangers, [and] it had both good work opportunities and some good 'play' opportunities for the end of the trip - both opportunities had 'stretching' qualities," Peters said.

Students were interviewed ether by DeGiovine or Peters before going the trip. Peters explained that the Honduras was mainly for those students who have volunteered or performed community service. Previous experience was a major factor in determining whether or not a student was ready. For those who do not have experience, the community service department recommends that they volunteer locally and/or within the United States before an international trip.

Senior Michelle Surprise and was one of students who had the experience. Surprise has worked in the community service office for the past two years.

"This past semester I facilitated student volunteers at the ESOL (English as a Second or Other Language) After School Program at the Emmaus Church. I've done lots of other service activities through the college as well, but this was my first non-local service," Surprise said.

Surprise was not the only student who had never volunteered internationally. Recent Saint Rose graduate Jennifer Dunsieth and sophomore Katelynn Carrol were inspired to join the volunteer group.

"I wanted to go to Honduras since I was a freshman, but there was always something else going on. Finally, I was a senior so I think that once I realized this was my last chance, I just went for it! I'd also heard so many good things about it and I figured it was a time in my life that I really needed to do something bigger. Not that you need to go to a 3rd world country to do something big, but it just seemed like the right thing for the place in my life that I am at right now," Dunseith said.

"I want to travel everywhere, and I want to help everyone. I realize both goals are pretty impossible, so I'll settle for traveling to many places, and helping many people. The trip to Honduras allowed me to take steps in reaching both," Carrol said. "Doing non-local community service allowed me to learn about a new culture. The way of life in Honduras is certainly different than that here. My two weeks there made me both appreciate things and opportunities available to me in America, but also made me wish for the simple happiness and the kind spirit seen in Honduras."



Connections Abroad

Students made sure they had away to keep friends and family aware of how and what they were doing, along with stories they wanted to tell, through a travel blog they created.

"I don't remember who first thought of it, but it was discussed at several meetings early on before our trip. Most of us agreed it would be a great way to keep our friends and family at home updated throughout the trip, and would also provide us all with a place to share some of our stories and pictures," Carrol said.

After being inspired by stories and pictures of previous travels, Carrol created the blog the group would use.

"It was simple, just a basic blogspot account, but it did its job. There were several internet cafes in the neighborhood we stayed in, so it was easy for most of us to update during the trip. My only struggle was deciding what to write and what not to. Each day, I could go on and on about the details of what I did that day, all without ever touching on what I felt or learned that day," Carrol said.

According to students and their families it worked.

"It was great to have and to be able to share with people at home because there is no way of contacting everyone while you are there and even when you get back to relay stories. My mom liked the blog because she said it was nice to hear stories from others' viewpoints and not just mine. She felt like she started to get to know the people I was travelling with as well, so that was nice," Dunseith said. It was good to know that there was some sort of connection with the people at home who we could not communicate with."



Among the People of La Ceiba

The volunteers did not immediately arrive in Honduras the first day of the trip, and instead landed in the airport of El Salvador in San Salavador due to a layover. The group arrived in the city of La Ceiba, Honduras that Tuesday. La Ceiba is on the northern coast of Honduras, and is the third largest city in Honduras. The city is named after the cieba trees that used to grow there.

Five volunteers worked at the Emilia de Cuire School for children with special needs, while the rest worked in Las Casas de Los Nino orphanage which takes in street and abandoned children. The two places help out the children of the most economically disadvantage in La Ceiba. The first week was eventful, with teachers protesting on Wednesday for better wages followed by the Feast of San Isdiro on Thursday.

While helping out the children, students and faculty alike got to experience the culture of Honduras including learning or relearning Spanish and enjoying the food as well.

"Two weeks is not a really long time, but we did get to interact with our host families and we did get to meet some Garifuna people who have a separate culture within Honduras," said Peters.

Carroll was one of the students that worked Emilia de Curie School where she, along with other students, performed a wide range of activities. One Thursday they made jewelry with the children in order make money for the school, played ball and named body parts and colors. The volunteers learned Spanish Sign Language, which luckily has many signs similar to American Sign Language, from the students. The following Friday they used a pool for water therapy.

Carroll described her daily routine at the school, where she also became aware of some of the cultural differences between Honduras and the United States.

"It was really difficult, and really rewarding…I worked with a group of adult students, age 12-30 something, in the mornings. That was very difficult for me. The students varied so much in their abilities and developmental levels," said Carroll. "The teacher, kind as she was, did not provide the students with any activity other than rolling tissue paper into tiny balls. This is supposed to help their fine motor skills, but many students have already perfected this skill. I spent a lot of time interacting with the students, and became so frustrated as I saw such great potential that simply was not encouraged to be met."

For Carroll, who is majoring in Communications Sciences and Disorders at the college, she also tried to understand how the students were being taught, along assisting in the classes. There was a communication barrier between the English-speaking volunteers and the Spanish speakers of Honduras, the but also gap in speaking abilities of some of the students.

In her afternoons, spent time with the younger children of the school.

"This was a more comfortable experience; the teacher spent a lot of time teaching structured lessons. However, corporal punishment is used in Honduras. It was really difficult for me to watch the teacher hit children with a wooden stick when they misbehaved," said Carroll.

Surprise spent her time with the volunteering at the orphanage.

"I helped the boys learn to paint when we painted the outside of the orphanage. We also played lots of board games, card games, and computer games," said Surprise. "It was a lot of fun! We worked and played together. They taught us lots of card tricks and Spanish! It was very difficult to leave after we had a "carnavalito" with them, but I managed to not cry until I got in the van."

The last day all of the Saint Rose volunteers celebrated with a party entitled, 'Carnivalito Casa Del Nino.' The party let the boys of the orphanage dance with girls visiting from a near by school. Volunteers left behind a photo album full of photos from the two weeks at the orphanage and framed group photo of the volunteers and the boys.

There were moments that stuck out to the volunteers during the trip.

"One of the boys had given me a bracelet on the first day…on the last day he asked me who gave it to me to see if I would remember him," said Surprise.

"Maria Elena, one of the adult students, gave me the biggest smile the first time I spoke to her. I spent the rest of my days at the school trying to get her to smile. It lit up the room," said Carroll. "Tonito, on of the adult students, loudly repeated syllables such as 'Mamama' and 'Dadada' but didn't appropriately use any true words. One day, he used 'Mama' to get my attention. I turned to him and in Spanish I said "No, my name is Katie,' and he, with a huge smile on his face, repeated 'Katie.' He didn't say my name again, and he may not have truly grasped the meaning of it, but I felt that, for the moment, I helped Tonito learn to use language."

It was not all work for the volunteers, as they were allowed some time off to have fun in Honduras.

"On the weekends we took a break from our volunteer work and really had some wonderful adventures. Snorkeling, hiking, zip-lining, and rafting all made for an amazing experience," said Carroll.

The first weekend of the trip involved a trip to a butterfly museum and shopping a souvenir shops on Saturday and a visit to the coast that Sunday where some snorkeled in the Caribbean Sea and visited the Garifuna people who live on the island of Roatán just off to the north of Honduras.

The last weekend of the trip, the volunteers spent their time at Pico Bonito national park. Students swam, hiked, climbed and jumped their way around the park. There was also the previously mentioned zip-lining and white water rafting. Volunteers got to exist among the some of the animals and plant life in their natural habitat.

Returning home meant another lay over in San Salvador before the flight home with the volunteers ready to enjoy the rest of their respective summers.



Reflections

With a month to reflect on the trip, the volunteers are eager to share their experiences after transitioning back to life in the United States.

"Leaving Honduras was sad, but it mostly seemed unreal. Being back in the states was difficult. My biggest struggle was trying to empathize with, and give compassion to my friends and family at home. Their complaints seemed so trivial compared to the trials I saw on my trip. I'm still trying to overcome that difficulty," Carroll said.

"I thought that I didn't take things for granted, and I have to admit that I kind of prided myself on that. But, going to Honduras made me realize all of the amazing things in my life that I may be missing out on… I learned I need to start just living and not worrying so much about the outcome or how I'm going to get there." Dunseith said.

"I like to say that the trip wasn't life changing…it was life strengthening. It reassured me of the decisions I was making and am making in my life. I wish the world, especially the people of the US, could see how welcoming the people of Honduras were. We didn't work for them, we worked with them," Surprise said. "It felt like all fun and no work."

Small things mattered as much as the big things as well. Surprise was also happy to have the opportunity to work on her Spanish.

"My Spanish definitely improved while I was there. I couldn't believe how much I learned in just two weeks! It helped that I had to translate between the host family and my housemates," she said.

Carroll shared a list of things she is learning to do that she wrote down a few days after she returned. Some of the things included are finding time to travel, surrounding herself with people who can make excitement for themselves and making topos, homemade ice-pops with fruit.

Peters and DeGiovine felt that the students and themselves benefited from this as well in a variety of ways.

"This was an exceptional group of students and, among many other things, I re-learned how much I enjoy spending time with engaged, reflective and committed young people," Peters said.

DeGiovine explained that this trip gave him and the students a better understanding of life outside of 'first world' countries.

"I always remind students (and, of course, myself) that we will learn from our experience with the poor and the children of Honduras that they have so much more to teach us than we ever really bring to them," said DeGiovine. "We who live in the "first world" need to understand how 75% of the world lives. Most of the world lives like Hondurans not like us. Once we have experienced the "third world" we can never be the same again. I believe that our experience and what it teaches us is important for the future of the planet and of its people."

Volunteers on the trip encourage students to volunteer when they can.

"[Students] will learn more about themselves, their world and other people in it than they could ever imagine. Volunteering also will help to make meaning in their lives and help point them toward ways to build a meaningful and satisfying life. They will meet other people, both other volunteers and the folks with whom they serve that can lead to long-lasting friendships," said Peters. "And most of the time it is really fun. We often find that we learn more than the people we believe we are serving and get so much out of the experience that it feels like we should pay 'them' for the privilege."

"It's one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself. In trying to help others, you will learn so much and feel such joy. Once again to quote Father Chris, those we help have so much more to teach and give to us," said Carroll.

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