The amount of good going into Honduras can be attributed to the caring folks of North America and the various religious and non-religious organizations and groups, which have taken an interest in assisting the wonderful folks who live there. Volunteers and private groups are making a big contribution. Most folks who go on a mission to help in Honduras do so with their own money, as one medical team volunteer told us;
"When I go on a medical mission, people naively ask me how much they pay me. The overall costs are my airplane ticket $1000 volunteer donation of $500 to the group and $500 in expenses for various materials."
There is much aid going into Honduras and many of the challenges are being met, still there is a lot more work to do. The progress is obvious for those who are observing and keeping track and it is very appreciated as one of the alumni volunteers of a University Team stated in an interview;
"The first year I went to Honduras, I could not believe the poverty having grown up in the Los Angeles suburbs, but each year going back to the same villages I noted the progress and watched how the Hondurans had more selfconfidence and they were building for themselves and most of all they had smiles, that makes me smile too, everyone should go to Honduras at least once in their life"
There have been huge successes documented in research projects and by volunteer organizations assisting the rural poor in Honduras. John Ellett, the Chairman and Founder of Austin Helps Honduras, formed a partnership with a local organization, Club Rotario of Juticalpa, which he feels led to the success of our efforts. He states;
"Building a long-term commitment and relationships in the Colonia, versus a “one and done” project approach, have made a real difference."They have sent numerous medical mission teams into Honduras, assisted in building and construction projects, education, you name it and they even built a sewer treatment plant! They also have a scholarship fund and a "can do" board of directors, a very impressive group that is leading by example in helping the poor in Honduras, which have been working with many different organizations, some religious and some not. It is an awesome effort to make a difference in Honduras. Well that is what the people there think;
[www.AustinHelpsHonduras.org ]
The extraordinary folks of any of these groups and organizations who give of themselves to travel to Honduras to help people there are some of the greatest people in the World. They pay to go and bring with them the talent, expertise and supplies to make a difference.
Dr. Nathalie Fiset explained to us the joy that was experienced by Hondurans by such simple things and how that made such a huge impact, psychological difference and brought smiles to the faces of those who most needed an emotional uplift;
"Often after seeing a person, they hug us and thank us sincerely. I like to hand-out little gifts to the mothers and children. I was surprised to realize that the little colorful plastic necklaces I had bought at the dollar store are craved by women and sometimes I need my mission chief to come and
“rescue” me from the riot it caused. I often run out of gifts before the end of the day."