Many believe that the brunt of the assistance to the rural poor in Honduras comes from religious organizations and their self-less acts of kindness, although there are some non-religious groups who are pretty spectacular in their own right. One religious affiliated medical mission group volunteer stated that;
"Often, people admit that they like us so much that they will walk to the other clinic planned for the next day and bring their father or nieces. Most people we saw are convinced Catholics, as is our group."
Still with all these other groups helping there are philanthropists that take it upon themselves to put together other organizations to help where additional help is needed, often filling in the gaps. The efforts in Honduras are addressing the challenges and making a difference. In fact more and more groups are working together to get better coverage and prevent duplication of efforts and this is helping tremendously.
There is a little bit of friendly rivalry between some organizations to see which group can help the most people. Perhaps a little bit of team spirit amongst the volunteers is good. The goal of course is helping the rural poor in Honduras and their children with what they need to survive and improve their quality of living and education and help them help them selves. This will break the cycle of poverty.
By having many groups with diverse focuses and niches using the expertise and talent in their groups the quality of help being provided in Honduras is astounding. It is amazing listening to all the genuine folks who really care and how much they are accomplishing. Even more incredible is the progress being made one patient at a time, one village at a time and one child at a time. If you find yourself with enough time on your hands to make the trip as a volunteer to Honduras you will be glad you did. If you have a few extra dollars to donate, I cannot think of a better cause.