Volunteer Honduras

1.-How was the local ABV Coordinator and the support provided in-country?

Absolutely amazing. Rafael and his entire family were warm, welcoming, and loving. THEY are such a huge part of what made this experience so amazing. The family is huge, and it will feel like you’re seeing a new person each day. Make sure to get to know each new person, because they will add so much to your life here. I cannot say enough about the family!

2- What was the most surprising thing you experienced?

At the program: The hospitals, specially the regional, can be tough to work in. I challenge you to walk into your day with a completely open mind. Understand that there are very different standards here, but different does not mean bad. Learn from them!

At the accommodation: How many people live in this house!! It’s wonderful, and I strongly encourage getting to know everyone here. They are so amazing and loving, and become your family if you let them. I know I will miss and think about them all after I leave.

About the country: The BEAUTY! This country is green as can be, with constant sunshine, breeze from the sea, and views of the amazing mountains that surround this city. With quick and occasional rain showers (depending on the season you come in) you have a perfect balance of heat and cooling off. I cannot say how beautiful nature is here. Take it all in.

3- What was most difficult to experience?

At the program: There are times when you will be working in the hospital and feel frustrated or embarrassed. Some doctors speak English, but for the most part the language barrier is something you will have to constantly climb. Don’t let this discourage you!!! Try and get some practice in before coming, and most of all ASK QUESTIONS! This is the only way you’ll get better, and you will get better

At the accommodation: This is tough question because in so many ways, any “rough” experiences at our home stay weren’t difficult at all. The showers here are cold, there’s no hot water in La Ceiba, but there’s also no reason for it. You will be so hot by the end of the day you’ll be excited to get into your freezing shower. The second “difficult” experience is that periodically, certain grids of the city will loose power. It’s an easy fix however, as when the power goes off you and the whole family migrate to the porch to get some fresh air. In many ways, it’s really nice! Quality time, no wifi, no worries.

The country: I will say that it can be tough to see the way some people live, but this is a constant around the world. It can be draining, but the moments of happiness in this trip out weigh any moments of sadness by a long shot.

4- Any tips for future volunteers…

Clothing:  Tank tops, tank tops, tank tops. I brought some tshirts, but minus my super light weight ones, I couldn’t bring myself to wear them. Too hot!

Also don’t be afraid to pack a few sundresses. You never know where your weekend will take you, be it Cayo’s Cochinos or Utila!

As for shoes, I suggest Chaco’s. They are so versatile and sturdy and are perfect to wear when you’re walking around the city or the mountains.

Donations:  BRING DONATIONS. I cannot stress this enough. There is only so much you can do while working in the hospital…but the donations will go far. And if you cannot bring donations physically, fundraise, fundraise, fundraise and come with a $1,000 US check and buy things for them here. Bring anything you can and as much as you possibly can!

(A great resource to help you with this is an organization called Americares. They helped us bring nearly $8,000 worth of supplies for nearly free. They are amazing, and it will help not only you but the hospital!)

Weather: It’s hot. However, depending on how long you’re staying you do seem to acclimate (or just expect the heat?). Either way, be prepared to sweat so much that at some point stop caring about how much you’re sweating. It’s an experience and it’s awesome

4.1-Other things volunteers should know:

a.- DONATIONS. Donations. Donations. Bring them or bring fundraiser money for the hospitals!!

b.- Come here for longer than a week. Staying here for a week allows you to gain from your time here, but doesn’t allow you to give much. I would suggest coming for two weeks at MINIMUM.

c.- Sign up and pay for the Spanish lessons!! They are so worth your time and money, and will make your transition here so much easier. The teachers are so great and the learning you do is so important

Volunteer in Honduras

5- Personal Paragraph (ABV Program Testimonial), don’t leave blank:

I would not trade this month for the world. It has given me incredible into lives that are so far from my own. As cliche as it sounds, my life will never be the same and for that I am forever grateful. Time changes you here in the most positive of ways. I cannot thank the people here enough for what they’ve given me, and I can only hope I’ve given them half of what I’ve gotten.

6- How would you describe your accommodation, meals and security:

The accommodations here are beyond amazing. You are never left hungry, and the Honduran food is beyond amazing. Get ready for Baleada Monday’s!!

As for security, I have quite literally never felt unsafe in this wonderful home. It’s beautiful and safe and comfortable. I cannot stress enough how awesome this home is!

7- What was your favorite memory of this trip?

Program: ABV has been beyond wonderful! We actually had the unique experience of meeting someone in the hospital working for another organization. This other organization was quite terrible, and left the volunteer with no contacts or help. Rafael ended up stepping in and taking her under his wing. Her 3 weeks here were immediately changed, and she left happy because of Rafael and what he knows from ABV. This is truly a wonderful and trustworthy organization, and I am thankful every day we found this company.

Country: The people. I almost don’t want to say too much, as it is totally a wonderful personal experience. I will say, that I have met some of the kindest people here and a sense of hospitality and community I have never quite seen back in the US. Definitely come here and check it out for yourself as it is a life changing experience!

8.- How was the ABV USA support prior traveling?

ABV USA support was great during our time here! They emailed us a handful of times, making sure we had all emergency contacts we needed, that we were settling in nicely, and enjoying our time here.

Website Information:  The website is great and so easy to navigate. If you are struggling with anything you can use the live chat as well, and there is always someone from ABV on the other end to answer your questions!

9 – Are you willing to speak to other potential ABV volunteers?

Absolutely!

Volunteer Honduras

1.-How was the local ABV Coordinator and the support provided in-country?

Our ABV Coordinator in Honduras helped us with everything we needed during our trip. We were able to volunteer at multiple hospitals with his help. During the week he always made sure we knew where to go and would check in during the day to make sure everything was okay. After a few weeks our group felt comfortable finding our way though the hospitals and helping wherever we were needed.

2- What was the most surprising thing you experienced?

At the program: The most surprising thing was how patient and helpful the nurses and doctors were. I would have totally understood if they had been frustrated with my broken spanish and potentially slowing their work down, but in my experience the nurses and doctors were patient and kind and helpful.

At the accommodation: the house felt like home almost immediately. I was surprised by how comfortable and modern the house was. I had my own room and bathroom, and had a fan to use at night. There were some small surprises like not being able to flush the toilet paper (many countries in latinamerica do this) and not using the sink water to brush my teeth, but overall I felt totally comfortable and safe at the house. The food was amazing and there are a ton of places for snacks and other food within walking distance.

About the country: The most surprising thing about the country was definitely the people. During our first week we helped with the vaccination campaign and were able to walk through different neighborhoods in the city giving vaccinations, vitamins, and parasite medications to the citizens of La Ceiba. It amazed me how amicable and generous the people were. People would frequently welcome us into their homes and offer cold drinks or fresh fruit from trees in their yard. Seeing the different places people lived and interacting with the community outside of the hospital was one of my favorite parts of the trip.

3- What was most difficult to experience?

At the program: The most difficult experience about the program was probably adjusting to the different working environment. All of us are Advanced EMT’s and work on an ambulance in Vermont so we’ve had training in wound care, IV establishment, CPR, medication administration, etc.. We are all so fortunate to have sterile supplies and all the resources we need to provide care to our patients, so it was difficult to adjust to minimal resources. It not only gave me a new appreciation for my own ambulance service, but also made me realize that there is still so much more our group can do to help here in the future.

At the accommodation: I didn’t have any major problems with the accommodation. The only minor setback for me was being sick for a few days after doing a weekend tour, so I would recommend bringing pepto bismol and an antibiotic incase you’re sick for more than a few days. It was definitely hot and sweaty most of the time, but we all acclimated pretty quickly.

The country: The most difficult thing about the country was seeing how little some people have. The hospitals have very few supplies, and patients are often responsible for bringing their own gauze or ointment to care for wounds. We were able to donate around $8,000 worth of medical supplies, but even still we felt there was so much more we should have brought. For the first time I encountered patients whom I knew how to care for, but didn’t have the means to provide care, and that was really tough for me.

4- Any tips for future volunteers…

Clothing: It’s hot so loose breathable clothing is ideal. Bring lots of scrubs because you need to change into clean scrubs if you want to watch a surgery. There are also opportunities to go on little trips to hike or swim or go to the islands, so be sure to bring good shoes and swim things too.

Donations:  Donations are definitely needed here. We were fortunate to find a non-profit organization that gave us medical supplies to donate to the hospitals here, so I would definitely recommend researching and/or fundraising to bring as much as you can. There is a huge need for basic medical supplies like gloves, gowns, facemasks, sterile gauze, antibacterial ointment, tournicates, alcohol pads, etc.. If there was anything I could have done differently it would have been to bring more donations. Even donations aside from medical supplies like clipboards, pens, staplers, whiteout, soap, hand sanitizer are needed. You can also buy locally all these items.

Weather: It’s hot and humid every day so be prepared to sweat. There are some areas of some of the hospitals that have air conditioning, and there are some local places with AC as well if you need to chill out for a bit. But overall be ready to sweat a lot, bring cooling towels.

4.1-Other things volunteers should know:

a. The doctors and nurses are very helpful and friendly so don’t be shy. Ask to help and don’t be afraid to make mistakes in Spanish as long as you’re trying. But also learn as much Spanish as you can before you come. I would recommend taking a Spanish class (or 3) if you can, and keeping a Spanish/English dictionary or medical dictionary on you.

b. Bring bugspray!! And lots of sunscreen

c. The city and country are beautiful and I would definitely recommend making the most of your down time, but still focusing on spending as much time in the hospital as possible.

5- Personal Paragraph (ABV Program Testimonial), don’t leave blank:

Volunteering Honduras in the hospitals and walking through the neighborhoods vaccinating the community was one of the most unique and life changing experiences I’ve had. Being in EMS has allowed me to see a decent amount of medical emergencies, but observing the effects of poverty and lack of medical resources first hand truly altered my perception. I always felt comfortable and at home in my host house, and I made so many connections that I hope will last longer than my month here. This trip was everything I’d hoped it would be and so much more, and I can’t wait to return.

6- How would you describe your accommodation, meals and security:

The house was great, I always felt comfortable and at home. We had our meals cooked for us at the house, but we could always go out to eat if we let the family know beforehand. One night we also cooked for everyone in the house which was super fun. I always felt safe at home, and walking around felt to me like most other big cities in the U.S. We were pretty much always home before dark and stayed together as a group whenever we went anywhere. There are taxis all throughout the city too if we ever wanted to go somewhere we could get one, or the coordinator would call a taxi for us if we wanted to go somewhere together.

7- What was your favorite memory of this trip?

Program: My favorite program memory was being able to spend time with the new born babies after c-sections. The first c-section I saw I cried when the baby came out strong and healthy, the doctors made fun of me for a little bit after that. But it really is an incredible thing to be one of the first people to hold a new born baby.

Country: One afternoon we went to the waterfalls in the mountains and it was the most beautiful place I have ever been in my life.

8.- How was the ABV USA support prior traveling?

ABV answered all of the questions I had before coming. At one point I had to email them probably 3 times about my fundraising page and they were always very helpful.

Website Information:

I watched basically all of the videos from people who had done this service trip before and I found them to be so helpful and accurate.

9 – Are you willing to speak to other potential ABV volunteers?

Yes definitely!!

10 – Can you tell us how did you find or know about A Broader View?

Marty, one of the people in our group, found ABV online.

1- How was the local ABV Coordinator/staff and the support provided in-country?

The coordinators and staff were wonderful, especially when aiding with excursions to the Amazon and the Galapagos.

2- What was the most surprising thing you experienced?

The two most surprising things were the automatic inclusion by the family and the differences between Mexican Spanish and Ecuadorian Spanish.

3- What was the most challenging thing you experienced?

The most challenging part was the learning the language. I did not know any Spanish before coming here. As I was learning it, the other languages I knew seemed to blend, especially with vocabulary. The most difficult part was separating them.

4- Any tips for future volunteers… (clothing, travel, personal items, donations)

1. Try to learn as much Spanish as possible before coming. It will help with faster immersion.
2. Bring any medication you think you will need. It’s always nice to already have it, especially if you wake up in the middle of the night needing something.
3. Make sure you have packed an umbrella, raincoat, sweater, and a bag to put them all in. The weather can change drastically throughout the day, especially in the Spring. It normalizes in the summer.
4. Always walk with your bag in front of you to avoid your belongings from being stolen. The less friendly you look, the less you will be approached on the street when walking alone during the day.

5.1-Other things volunteers should know before coming here:

1. Do not come with any expectations. Instead come with an open mind and you will enjoy life here.
2. After 7pm, do not walk or use any public transportation. Use a taxi instead, this prevents you from being robbed. It’s worth the extra few dollars in order to keep your belongings, I didn’t have any problems but just in case.
3. Anything you pack, assume it’s possible that it could be stolen or ruined. Do not bring your favorite belongings but bring things that make you happy.
4. Have good bartering skills. At the local markets, you can barter for the price. Never take the first price offered. Keep your money hidden so when you go to “check” how much you have, say you only have xx amount on you. They typically accept that price.

6- Personal Paragraph about the experience (ABV Program Testimonial):

Volunteering abroad in Quito was the experience of a lifetime. I worked in the emergency room of the Hospital. I was able to learn and aid in procedures, something that I would never be able to do in America without attending or completing medical school. I would be excited every day to go to the hospital and would try to stay as long as possible. Afterwards, I would head back to the family’s house where you immediately felt loved and cared for. The family is so sweet and considerate. We talked, we laughed, we worried, we ate all together. I wouldn’t trade anything for this.

7- How would you describe your accommodation, meals, security, friendliness, quality others:

My accommodations were wonderful. The family is so sweet. They cooked all of my meals for me and made sure that I was doing okay on a daily,sometimes hourly basis. I was immediately included to be part of their family from the second I entered the door. Security was fine, it is like living or visiting any big city. You need to be smart and careful with your belongings.

8- What was your favorite memory of this trip?:

I went to the Galapagos during one of the weekends I was here. You are allowed to take 2 days off to visit the islands. I was there for a total of 4 days and visited 6 of the islands. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I swam with penguins, seal lions, sharks, sea turtles. It was absolutely wonderful and I will always cherish those memories and the people I met.

9- How was the ABV USA support prior traveling?

Anytime I had a question, it was answered either in minutes online, or within a few hours if I sent an email. The response time from the organization was  quick.

9.1- What do you think about the reservation system online?

It’s a good system for the most part. It works better on Firefox than Google chrome. It unfortunately stopped showing my project summary on Google chrome.

9.2- Who did you find Abroaderview website

I honestly just googled volunteering abroad. I ended up finding this organization, which seemed to have everything I wanted. I continued to research the organization to ensure that it was a legitimate organization and not a scam.

10 – Are you willing to speak to other potential ABV volunteers?

Absolutely. I will be happy to answer any questions that they have.