Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, most Olancho Aid volunteers returned home. Here is a post from Jim Walker, one of the volunteers who was forced to end his term of service early. Olancho Aid Volunteers – Safe and well taken care of in uncertain times! I made my fourth volunteer trip to Juticalpa in very early March, the United States had few cases of the virus and my state of Maine had zero. As a specialist volunteer in the accounting office there was projects to be done and I had my … [Read more...]
COVID-19 in Honduras
COVID-19 in Honduras On Saturday, March 14th, Honduras issued an "Alerta Roja" (Red Alert) after additional cases of COVID-19 were confirmed. Airports and borders between Honduras and its neighboring countries have been closed to all but essential travel. The country is focused on keeping the virus out of the country as an outbreak would seriously tax their healthcare system. As of this morning, there are 9 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Honduras in the departments of Atlantida, Choluteca, … [Read more...]
A Prayer for Persons Suffering from Coronavirus (COVID-19)
You shall not fear the terror of the night nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that roams in darkness, nor the plague that ravages at noon. Ps 91:5-6 Merciful God, hear our fervent prayer for all who suffer from Coronavirus. May those who are infected receive the proper treatment and the comfort of your healing presence. May their caregivers, families and neighbors be shielded from the onslaught of the virus. Give solace to those who grieve the loss of loved … [Read more...]
Gifts Honduras Gave Me
Gifts Honduras Gave Me This is my third trip volunteering in the bilingual schools with Olancho Aid. I come to the schools after a lifetime in US schools as a teacher, administrator, college professor, and literacy coach. While I arrive in Honduras with the intention of teaching school teachers and administrators, I actually learn as much from being here as I give. Volunteering in another country has helped me to think about everything that is comfortable and familiar to me in the US. And … [Read more...]
Welcome, Kerry Lindstrom!
Welcome, Kerry Lindstrom! Please join us in welcoming Kerry to the Olancho Aid Foundation Board of Directors. With her background in education and experience living in Honduras, she will be an asset to the Education Committee. Kerry is a 5th grade English Language Arts and Social Studies teacher at Fairview Elementary in Dayton, OH. Previously she taught Kindergarten and English Language Learners K-4th grades at Warner Arts Magnet School in Nashville, TN. At Warner, she led the school … [Read more...]
Thoughts and Reflections of a First Time Volunteer
Thoughts and reflections of a first time volunteer. My journey, like many others before me, started with a calling; in my case it was an urge to go out and experience the world. I wanted to help others, learn about different cultures, and in turn learn more about myself. My hope was to make a difference in the world, however small or insignificant, I just wanted to make an impact. I came across Olancho Aid through an internet search. It was actually kind of amazing how everything clicked … [Read more...]
High Heels in Honduras
High Heels in Honduras By Monica P Flood Prairieville, Louisiana Through the hole in the roof… The bugs scurried in. The wet trickled in. The dust swirled around carelessly. A unpleasant carpet of dirt and grime replaced the students that once gathered here eager to learn. Poverty can be shaming. People are afraid to look it in the eye because it’s too real - too immensely painful. Poverty calls us to pay attention and act. I said yes because I wanted my friend to … [Read more...]
Sporadic Reflections
Sporadic Reflections “Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 My mother served as a Public Health Nurse and when appropriate I would volunteer at her side. In addition to watching my mother in awe as she serviced her community, I was allowed to witness and experience a world beyond and different from my own. When I commenced my tertiary education, my voluntary service dwindled to nil and did not resurrect until graduation. Upon … [Read more...]
Celebrating Differences and Encouraging Inclusion
Celebrating Differences and Encouraging Inclusion The end of March and beginning of April were an especially busy time at Nazareth Special Needs School. On top of day-to-day school work, students found time to visit with mission teams, practice and perform a dance on Father's Day, and even to lead the community of Juticalpa in celebrating two very important days: World Down Syndrome Day and World Autism Awareness Day. All over the world, individuals with special needs face troublesome … [Read more...]
Hope and Transformation
Hope and Transformation Volunteering?…Letting go of old ideas, ways of life, and allowing god to guide my life changing me into the person he wants me to be for the good of myself and others? Change is not easy. It can be difficult, scary, uncomfortable, and just plain different from how we are used to living our lives. However, ultimately change is inevitable. If we are aligning ourselves with god, and open to change, we discover a new beautiful world. It has taken me many years to … [Read more...]
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