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What Our Volunteers Say
Volunteering with Olancho Aid is definitely a rewarding experience. You won't just change the lives of children here in Olancho, but your own life as well. Here's what some of our volunteers have to say about their time with us.
I Truly Found A Second HomeKathleen Wood
Volunteering with the Olancho Aid Foundation has impacted my life greatly. The opportunity to teach and share the learning process with young minds remains one of the most meaningful experiences I have had as a volunteer. The staff of the Foundation were welcoming and encouraging, and helped facilitate an experience where I contributed my talents and skills meaningfully in Honduras. I grew personally and professionally while in Olancho, and I could not be more appreciative of the time I spent volunteering with the Foundation.
Juticalpa, Olancho is a community of extremely welcoming and genuine people. I enjoyed Honduran life, from the open markets to the traditional food to family gatherings; I truly found a second home. The friends I made while in Olancho will remain lifelong. There's no doubt that Juticalpa remains one of my favorite places in the world.
It's Something You Have To Experience For YourselfColleen Aber
After my first trip to Honduras in March 2006 I knew I wanted to go back during the summer. A friend of mine suggested Olancho Aid and it interested me immediately because they help run several schools. Since I am a teacher I really wanted to get involved with education in Central America. I received a lot of help from the Foundation as I was planning my trip. I talked to another volunteer via e-mail and she answered all my questions about what to bring and what to expect.
I think the best part about working with Olancho Aid Foundation is that they provide a broad range of volunteer opportunities. You can do anything from working at the special needs school to helping with publications to teaching college level classes to spending time at the local orphanage. I spent my time in the elementary school during the day, went to the orphanage in the afternoon and then helped with other various projects in the evenings. I also had the opportunity to play soccer with some local girls and go to the street fair on the weekends. Everyone I met and worked with was very nice and really appreciated my help.
I would encourage anyone who is considering volunteering in Central America to contact Olancho Aid because I am sure they will do everything they can to make you feel welcome and appreciated during your stay, whether you come for three weeks or three months or more. Honduras is an amazing country full of amazing people. I went there thinking I would help them but in fact they also helped me by teaching me about their culture and giving me a new perspective on life in the United States. The way in which the experience changed me is not really something I can put into words; I think it's something you have to experience for yourself.
I Can See A Better Future For HondurasAnne McCarthy
Between the ages of 19 and 26 I had spent a good amount of time playing with the idea of doing faith-based service work. But I kept the calling in my back pocket; thinking of it as some sort of backup plan, ready to pull out in case of "getting fed up with my real life's plan". Tired of feeling like I was all talk, but unable to make the one year commitment that many foreign volunteer organizations require, I decided to come to Honduras and work with Olancho Aid. It was a perfect match for my passion for teaching, love of children, and desire to journey with people whose lives take a very different path from my own.
In Juticalpa, I am warmed by the daily greeting of "Good Morning, Teacher!" that I receive from Santa Clara students, I am overwhelmed by the showering of affection from Nazareth students, and I am filled with hope for the future of Olancho by the compassion, thoughtfulness, knowledge, and vision of Cardinal students. I can see a better future for Honduras in the eyes of these youth.
Coming by myself (instead of with a group) to a town off the beaten tourist track has given me an invaluable immersion experience. I will always carry with me the stories of those people with whom I have shared my life for these six weeks. And I will bring home with me the peace and contentment that is part of what makes life in Honduras "bien bonito."
Olancho Is Changing For The BetterMatthew Hogg
As a web developer, there are things I've done here in Olancho that I was never expecting. Back home mine is a boring "desk job", but working with Olancho Aid I never know what's next! At any moment I might find myself bouncing along in the back of a pick-up truck, on my way to the river to have lunch with the kids from Escuelita Nazareth, for example.
Clearly, the staff of the Foundation—and the students—know how to have a good time. There is a real zest for life here. But they also take their work very seriously. There is a fierce determination to educate the youth of Olancho, as if (and because) their lives depend on it. Among the students, there is a genuine desire to learn and participate in their communities. It's a passion I don't remember seeing when I was in school.
When I see the work that's being done here in Juticalpa, I have no doubt that Olancho is changing for the better. All the more reason that the Olancho Aid Foundation's work must continue.