ICS Honduras

Close your eyes for a minute and picture a stereotypical Central American country. If you’re anything like me, you may have conjured up images of extreme poverty, endemic corruption, scorching weather, and violent drug lords. Typing ‘Honduras’ into Google does little to assuage these images (if my parents are reading this, please don’t under any circumstances google ‘Honduras murder rate’). Yet despite this, and despite being labelled clinically insane by my close friends, I have agreed to come to Honduras to volunteer for three months.

Having survived what we later learned was the second most dangerous landing in the world (hairpin U-turn onto a very short runway) we were excited, and slightly relieved, to finally be in Tegucigalpa and to meet the infamous Carmen, our guardian angel in-country. 

Our first stop was the beautiful Santa Lucia, a small town in the hills of Tegucigalpa where, in a beautiful rural hotel, we would be introduced to our national volunteers and our project in El Carrizal in more detail.

Six months ago, I began my International Citizen Service (ICS) placement with Progressio in Honduras. Honduras is a developing country with many serious issues and the educational system is underfunded. Our main goal was to visit the local schools and teach the school children about the dangers of drug abuse. Our aim was not only to steer the children away from drugs, but also to point them in a better direction, towards success and a better quality of life. We were there only for three months, and we spent just a day at each school.

On Wednesday 25 November, eight Progressio volunteers had the exciting opportunity to head to the capital, Tegucigalpa, for a meeting with the UK Ambassador to Honduras, Caroyln Davidson. During the drive to Tegucigalpa, we all felt a little apprehensive and unsure what to expect from the meeting but also really excited to share stories of our work and experiences in Honduras with such a prominent figure. 

Sitting wondering what to do

As usual, staring at a screen.

Seemingly there's nothing new

Among my usual Facebook crew,

But then an ad I hadn't seen.

“What will you do with your time?”

Aloud I answer “I don't know!”

I can't help thinking it's a sign,

This experience could be mine,

So I click and there you go.

The process starts and soon I'm there,

Though Wellingborough was in between,

To meet the ones with whom I'll share 

My time abroad, and though I'm scared,

I’ll admit that before I applied to ICS I didn’t know all that much about Central America, and more specifically, Honduras. Interestingly, however, I had heard of its reputation for gangs, violence, and drug trafficking. Indeed, upon first finding out that I’d be heading to Honduras, a few quick Google searches seemed to confirm my suspicions, with reports of violence and crime filling the results page.

For International Volunteer Day, on 5 December, our ICS volunteers in Honduras wrote a series of blogs reflecting on their experience and the importance of volunteering. 

For International Volunteer Day, on 5 December, our ICS volunteers in Honduras wrote a series of blogs reflecting on their experience and the importance of volunteering.

For International Volunteer Day, on 5 December, our ICS volunteers in Honduras wrote a series of blogs reflecting on their experience and the importance of volunteering.

The concept of volunteering has been around for years on both a national and international scale. It is a practical and powerful way of confronting social and economic problems, which is why you will often see volunteers in developing countries tackling issues such as poverty and inequality. But why are volunteers important in Honduras?

For International Volunteer Day, on 5 December, our ICS volunteers in Honduras wrote a series of blogs reflecting on their experience and the importance of volunteering.