Service Trip in Honduras – How you became involved!

You may have wondered where I was a few weeks ago, after just starting back into the Volunteer Manager position. I am also guessing you are wondering how you are involved with SERVICE IN HONDURAS. Well, let me tell you.

I was honored to spend a week in Honduras on a service trip through Healthy Ninos Honduras (“HNH”). Our team of 14, along with the HNH Honduran staff, visited four very remote communities serving the Honduran people.  Our work was performed through medical, dental, donations, and cement flooring brigades.

Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere, third after Haiti and Nicaragua.  To say life is hard in Honduras is an understatement. Imagine sleeping on a dirt floor and drinking dirty water that makes you sick every day.  Many residents subsist on one meal a day, which consists of rice, beans, and a homemade tortilla with salt. Many are afflicted with worms in their belly. Many children only go to school through 5th grade and don’t have money for school supplies or furthering their education. Lacking clothing and shoes yet walking on dirt and rocks all day. Imagine your husband, if you still have one, is off working and making no more than $12 a day to support your family.  Like I said, it is hard living! 

Since 1987, HNH (formerly the MAMA project) has been on a mission to identify malnourished children, nourishing and educating families back into healthy conditions, giving them a fighting chance to live a more productive and healthy life. They have been supplying families with cement floors to replace their dirt floored homes. They give food, de-worming pills and filtration bucks  for clean water, preventing hunger and intestinal problems. They educate and encourage communities to become unified communities, working together once again. 

When I was out in these communities, looking into big brown curious and expressive eyes, I thought of you often. Care & Share volunteers are making a huge impact for families in Honduras. When you are volunteering and you touch clothing, shoes, toys, beanie babies, school supplies, teacher supplies, calculators, suitcases….the list goes on…. You are touching the heart and soul of many individuals in Honduras. These and many more items that are gifted from Care & Share, travel very far and positively impact the Honduran people. The joy of a new shirt, or new shoes, a first time toy is immeasurable and visibly seen in the eyes of the receiver, especially when they get to choose their own things. The smile on the faces of the mama when their child is happy isn’t to be taken for granted.

I am proud of Healthy Ninos Honduras’ work they have been doing for their people. I am proud to have had the time to go and serve. I am proud of YOU!  I am proud to serve alongside you here at C&S. And, I am proud of the reach our organization makes in this local community and in countries like Honduras.  

Thank you! 

Suzanne Kratz

Volunteer Manager