Want a deeper insight into what an ICS placement looks like? Read the amazing blogs written by our past and present volunteers. Enjoy the journey!
So, here we are in the “muy bonita” Ahuachapan… Never have we experienced so much hospitality and love from strangers, made even more amazing by the fact we communicate in smiles, head nods and a little bit of Spanish.
“There’s free range, and then there’s free range” were some of the first words uttered to me by Yvonne, our group leader, upon arrival in Regina Coeli. This is definitely the latter. A couple of days ago we were washing our bed sheets, outside obviously, and a baby goat wanders out of our house. I kid you not. (No pun intended). It must have come in the front door, had a wander around the living area, before trotting out of the side door, where its unsuspecting audience was gathered. Upon regaining the ability of cognitive thought, Joy went to close the front door.
“Estamos aquí”
So… we have arrived safe and sound in Honduras and after 5 days I have already realized how difficult it is going to be to capture the experience in words… Nevertheless, in these blogs I will endeavor to share our experiences, pose questions about the issues faced in Honduras and try to give a voice to the people of Honduras that hopefully will be heard by as many people as possible!
It’s not enough! We don’t want it to end!
Since my last blog update, we have been so busy with many more exciting projects working with Environment Africa. Time has flown by so quickly, that it’s hard to engulf the fact that we’re leaving Salima in a few days! I feel so proud of the small differences we have made and of all the unique experiences we have gained; I just don’t want it to end! The many different projects in which we have been involved in are as followed…
We have been very busy in Mzuzu! Nothing we can’t handle though!
We organised a talk with volunteers from the child-based care centres (CBCCs) at which we used questionnaires and activities to enquire about the needs of these centres. With a better turnout than expected, we managed to extract a lot of information, which we have analysed and used to make a plan of action.
Rarely do you have the opportunity to appreciate where your food comes from, until you grow it yourself. In previous weeks, we have harvested, picked, beaten, and then eaten beans.
The challenge of water scarcity is one that has already greatly affected our two weeks in the Honde valley – through our own personal struggles and the wider challenges experienced by the community.
I can’t believe that we’re half-way through our time here in Zimbabwe. Time is definitely flying by for Team Regina! We have had a varied week, running our programmes in schools, conducting support group visits and facilitating workshops on Paediatric ART. However the main thing that has stood out for me personally is our work in the hospital. Having studied Immunology of Infectious Diseases, the pandemic of HIV and AIDS in Zimbabwe is something that intrigues me deeply.
(Photo: Irrigation channel project, Luvielle village: (UK volunteers) Usman, Emily, Sabah and Lisa with Chief Mr Banda, the chief’s mother, and villagers.)
Moni! Bobo! (Hello, hiya) from us in Salima, Malawi!
Life here in Salima is absolutely amazing! Apart from the terrifying and strange bugs which we encounter in our rooms here at our accommodation on a regular basis and having cold showers…
Our experiences so far have been incredibly educational, exhausting, and life-changing.
