Helping Honduras Kids, non profit group

The following is an advertising note written by Dave Ashby, the founder of Helping Honduras Kids (HHK). I've been meaning to write a series of articles about this organization because I honestly believe in what they are doing. I have met local organizers, have met folks from Canada who have come and volunteered for a month at the school and I've also met a number of the children from the "Hogar" , the orphanage, while they were out with Dave for a play day afternoon at the beach. 

HHK is unlike any other "helping children in third world countries" organization that I've read about! They truly practise their mantra of providing hope, education, opportunity and love with these children, and volunteers who have come here tend to experience not only the culture of Honduras but also achieve truly life changing experiences within themselves and their own lives. Many of the volunteers are actually "returnee's" who came and did it once, gave their time and experience in whatever area they were useful in and  because of being in the presence of both adults who practise their beliefs and children who will steal your heart in thanks of your sharing, they immediately start planning when they can return to do it all over again!

So, learn more about this group by checking out their website, joining their group on Facebook and consider either enlisting as a volunteer or giving up a couple of Starbucks coffees every week to deliberately sponsor a child for $25 (US) a month.... Come on, I dare ya, double dare ya! I'm doing my bit by promoting HHK anywhere and every where I can think of! Stephanie



THIS IS DAVID'S NOTE:

I would like to introduce you to Helping Honduras Kids, a 501c3 non-profit, and Ayudando Niños Hondureños, the sister Honduran non-profit operating in the La Ceiba area to provide hope, education, opportunity and love to more than 200 children in 4 programs.


In the city of La Ceiba, we have our Hogar de Amor orphanage with 22 children living in a rented 3 bedroom, 2 bath house. They have been with us since May 2007. In August of last year, gangs with an AK-47 shot at our old orphanage located in the Lisa Lopes building in the village of Agua Caliente, Jutiapa, and after a week of threats we had to emergency evacuate our children to La Ceiba. This had a high emotional and financial toll, but we are slowly recovering.

In the Cangrejal river basin, located on a hill high above the river, we have our private, free Jungle School, with 77 children in grades 1-6 and 15 in kinder, with 2 classrooms and 3 teachers. We are currently trying to finance and build a much needed 3rd classroom. This is one of only a very few schools in the country that is completely free to students from poor mountain families. Some children walk on muddy trails for 2 hours one way to attend classes. We provide them all school supplies, uniforms, shoes, gym clothes, backpacks, children and adult clothing, a hot noon meal, vitamins, outings, parasite treatment and medical care. There is no registration fee nor monthly fees. Our Hogar de Amor children attend this school and get up at 3:45 a.m. weekdays to get ready for classes.

We are also helping 30 children living with their Grandmas in El Naranjo, farther up the Cangrejal river road, 10 children in High School and about 100 children living in 2 campesino (peasant) villages, where we provide food, clothing, outings and vitamins.

Helping Honduras Kids is therefore helping >200 children, and feeding nearly 100 daily. All of our administrative staff in the USA and Honduras are volunteers, and we have the help of international volunteers and work groups from around the world. This is a 24/7 labor of love.

If you have it in your heart to help us help these children with no hope, please visit our website at www.helpinghonduraskids.org or call in Honduras to 9991-5866, or our US number (answers in Honduras) 1-714-610-9596 (early mornings or evenings only). You will be glad that you helped a needy child.

Sponsorships are $25/child/month and payments can be made on our website using the secure Donation-Net link on the homepage. If you wish to donate to the orphanage or Jungle School in Honduras just contact us for our HSBC business account number for deposits. Checks can also be sent to HHK, PO Box 111777, Campbell, Ca 95011-1777.

Thank you for caring and for sharing,

Dave Ashby
President and Founder
Helping Honduras Kids, Ayudando Niños Hondureños
La Ceiba, Honduras

A "Thrifty" Discovery in La Ceiba

I do have a knack for finding thrift stores, consignment shops and various other kinds of “new to you” places in Canada but now realize that I’ve expanded my talent for discovering such places here in La Ceiba, regardless of my lack of Spanish and geographical skills.

I was just having a long, lazy stroll around a different part of town when I spied furniture, tastefully arranged on the boulevard (rather than thrown out) and accidentally found what looked to be a good old fashioned thrift store. It's called "Nueva Para Mi" (New For Me, translated literally) and was crammed with furniture, kitchen appliances, televisions, tools, computers and pretty much a bit of everything else thrown in for good measure, including used medical aids like crutches and walkers (not that I need those anymore!)

Well, I can’t resist a good browse through other people’s supposed junk and stepped inside and was greeted by the owner, Allan Lorenzana, a charming gentleman who is also a bilingual Catracho. We proceeded to have a delightful conversation about the business and the various services that he offers to both Hondurans and the expat community, all the while he was tending to customers and I was browsing and being quite thankful for the air conditioning.

He also specializes in both a consignment service (you set the price, deliver it to the shop and he sells it for a percentage commission) and an "encargo" service. In English, I believe this to be an expediting service whereby he will find what you want (new or used) in the USA and then arrange shipping, customs and delivery to you. He'll determine all the costs, confirm with you that you're still willing to pay said costs and take care of all the ensuing hassles for you.

Given some of the nightmares I’ve heard about people moving here only to live without their furniture and belongings for weeks (even months!), while they struggle to get the correct paper work to the correct official in the hope of ransoming their shipping containers, the expedited service Don Lorenzana offers seems like a true blessing!

So here’s my little bit of promotion for Nuevo Para Mi and a taste of the simple adventures that I find for myself in La Ceiba. Happy browsing!

*Catracho is a more respectful term of address for a Honduran man.