Summer 2022: Resuming our Relationship with Honduras
Honduras was the first country where AMIGOS programming took place in 1965 in the regions of Cortés, Santa Bárbara, Lempira, Copán, and Ocotepeque. In the decades that followed, AMIGOS returned to Honduras for 38 years and implemented 54 projects in the country. Thousands of AMIGOS volunteers had life-changing experiences in Honduras. AMIGOS last operated programming in the country in 2011.
Since the 1990s, AMIGOS has sponsored students from countries throughout Latin America to join our summer programs. In the past two years, we have expanded sponsorships for Latin American students. This funding is made possible through the support of our donor community.
This year, a passionate AMIGOS donor funded a new initiative restarting our relationship with Honduras. Through this special donation, we established a partnership with Asociación Colaboración y Esfuerzo (ACOES)and sponsored a cohort of seven Honduran students to join the Nicaragua: Nueva Segovia Project.
Three Country Exchange: Nicaragua Project Spotlight
The Nicaragua: Nueva Segovia project theme was renewable energy in rural communities. The project group was comprised of Honduran, Nicaraguan, and U.S. students. It was a unique and powerful experience for this cohort to share their culture, perspectives, and commitment to learning and serving our communities.
“I really enjoyed getting to know Latin American culture through the students from Nicaragua and Honduras because I’ve never traveled to Latin America and so it was a new experience for me to genuinely see and have an authentic cultural exchange.” –AMIGOS Volunteer from the U.S.
The three-week initiative started with a briefing where the students visited the University called Universidad Tecnológica La Salle. They learned about renewable energies in Nicaragua and conducted hands-on experiments in the lab. They also took a tour of the geothermal plant called Polaris Geothermal.
The students then visited their first community in Somoto, where they worked with a local partner and community members to repair solar panels and build eco-stoves. They next travelled to Isla Zapatera, an island in Lago Nicaragua, where they stayed with new host families and worked on a reforestation project.
“Es una oportunidad y una experiencia de convivencia y de aprender nuevas cosas. Solo una vez en la vida se dan estas oportunidades.” -Kelin, Honduran Student
“AMIGOS provides the opportunity and the experience to connect with new people and learn new things. Only once in a lifetime are we given opportunities like this.”
We look forward to continuing to empower more Honduran students through this partnership in 2023. We are grateful for the contributions of our donor community to make these experiences possible.
Learn more about the impact of AMIGOS Annual Fund and the Access Program. Please consider supporting this work with a donation to AMIGOS today.
