Stories

“ I will tell you something about stories

[he said]

They aren’t just entertainment.

Don’t be fooled

They are all we have, you see.

All we have to fight off

Illness and death.

You don’t have anything

If you don’t have stories.”

Leslie Marmon Silko Ceremony

I have just finished my general orientation at NPH Honduras (Rancho Santa Fe) and it has been filled with a whirlwind of information. I have been spending every weekday night with a different house of kids (called hogares) getting to know the dynamics, the kids, and what group I might be interested in working with (boys or girls and what age range). My days have been translated into stories about my time in hogar, about where some children are coming from, about the dynamics of the organization, stories of excitement and frustration, and stories about new relationships. I realize now that within this next year, stories are all that I have to connect with those who are miles away from me wondering what this experience means. They have the power to educate, to inform and I hope to occasionally entertain. So here’s a story to give insight into my most recent beginning:

This past week (actually 2 weeks ago now) I had the opportunity to visit the Honduran equivalent of Human Services where children are brought when they need to be removed from their family situation, when their parents cannot take care of them, when they don’t have a home, or any number of situations that are unsafe and unhealthy for the child. When we had time to just play and get to know the kids, two other volunteers and I were talking with a boy who is 12 years old and had amazing English. We asked him his story. He lived with his parents on Roatan until he was 6 where he attended a bilingual school where he learned English. His parents died when he was 6 and he left Roatan to live with his grandparents who passed away when he was 8. After that he was sent to live in an orphanage that only took children until they were 9, so once he turned nine he said that he “lived with the police for a year.” I’m not exactly sure what that means, the reality may be lost in translation. He then was placed with a family who already had 9 children, so eventually they were unable to take care of him and brought him to the place we were at now. He spoke beautiful English, said that he loved to read, and that he wants to be a doctor or a translator. In his current location the kids aren’t allowed to leave for school and there are no books. After reading with him for a little while with a book that had been brought with us, we helped make him a list of new English words to study after we left. We got his name and made sure to talk to one of the directors when we returned so we could share his story and see if anything could be done so that he can come live at NPH and get an education so that he will become a doctor or a translator. It was hard to see so much potential and willingness to learn in someone without the resources to move forward. I’ll be keeping my eyes out for him this next year.

Among other things that have been happening in my time here, I have:

• Been put on the spot after a tia (tias/tios are the people that take care of the children all day in hogar) gave a scolding to the children for misbehaving while I was visiting and was asked if I had anything to say to the children…(haha umm, no thank you. I’m not quite to the point where I can give words of wisdom in Spanish to small children)
• Realized that independent of how much Spanish we hear daily, as a volunteer your English speaking abilities seem to decrease.
• Enjoyed the peace at mass when I get hugs from at least 10 kids.
• Developed a great dislike for ants.
• Found some great getaway/thinking time spots on the ranch property.
• Seen two year olds that can dance and move their hips better than me.
• Started eating spoonfuls of peanut butter.
• Realized that if you have a round face and short hair you instantly look like every other person with short hair or a round head, even if they’re Honduran. Just call me Amanda, Laura, or Yuri.

Honduras so far is…well, it’s ridiculous and interesting. Interesting but also pretty awesome. I’ve just finished my first two weeks in the clinic working as nurse now, have been assigned to an hogar, and much more. I’ll save all of that for next time and hopefully by then I'll have some photos.

Much Love,

Alissa