International Volunteer Day is a special celebration for us at Project Trust as it’s at the very heart of everything we do. This year, we’re proud to highlight Iona, one of our inspiring Volunteers in Honduras. Iona has immersed herself in a new culture and been thoroughly impacted by her new community. We asked her to share what volunteering with Project Trust means to her.

“Volunteering with Project Trust is an incredible opportunity that allows young people from across the UK to make a meaningful impact in communities around the world. To volunteer with Project Trust means immersing yourself fully in a new cultural experience that fosters global awareness, personal resilience, and independence.

One of the most amazing aspects of my placement so far has been experiencing the diverse cultures. I am based in Yamaranguila, Honduras, working with a bilingual school organisation called Abundant Life Christian Schools. This experience has encouraged me to participate in local cultural celebrations, such as Fiesta Típica, Semana Morazánica, and National Teachers’ Day.

In these new environments, we have the chance to learn about a different way of life, helping us expand beyond our own cultural perspectives and develop a more inclusive worldview. As Volunteers, we form deep, lasting bonds with our communities. My experience is not only benefitting my local community through my work but is also a significant benefit to me as a Volunteer. I am gaining valuable life lessons in humility, empathy, and adaptability.

This experience with Project Trust is providing an invaluable opportunity for self-discovery. In just four months, I have faced challenges that have pushed me out of my comfort zone, such as overcoming language barriers and adjusting to a completely new culture. This experience is about forming new friendships with people from all over the world, whether they are fellow Honduras Volunteers, colleagues at the school, or Honduran locals. It’s about building connections with your community that will last for years to come.

Volunteering with Project Trust is one of the most important things I have ever done and probably ever will do. I know that this year away from home will change me profoundly, whether by shifting my worldviews, altering my opinions, or shaping who I am as a person. Through my teaching, I hope to make a positive impact on the community around me and leave a lasting mark. “

Written by Iona Catherine Imrie, Honduras Volunteer.

Iona’s experience captures the heart of volunteering, embracing challenges, building connections, and making a lasting impact. We look forward to seeing how she continues to grow and inspire others.

If you’d like to learn more about volunteering in Honduras take a look here.

Fiesta Típica is a performance produced by Abundant Life Christian School which essentially acts as a fundraiser for the school. Families of the attending children come and enjoy traditional Honduran food and entertainment. Rory and I took this as an opportunity to throw ourselves into the local culture. We participated in the teacher’s dance, with each grade in the school practicing and performing their own dance. This ranged from the youngest, who brought the cute factor, to the oldest, whose coordination was genuinely impressive. We the teachers, however, were somewhere in the middle: not impressive but entertaining (though I’m still proud because we only had a total of four led practices). 

The outfits are very elegant. Women wear colourful dresses in beautiful shades of pink, yellow, orange, green and blue with eye shadow to match. For the men it’s a bit simpler, donning a smart shirt, traditional straw hat, and bandana.

The dance itself really emanates the culture. There’s a clear Spanish influence in the movements and look of it all, yet with an added elegance. It’s full of footwork and small movements (which I cannot claim to have mastered) that are representative of Hondurans’ desire to show a more graceful side of the country. It’s the kind of dance that you can perform in a place absent of lavish backdrops or designs as your eyes are drawn only to the mesmerising style and pride of each movement. This made it very fun to learn and I enjoyed being shown how to be more precise and confident in the smaller movements, compared to the wilder Scottish dances I’ve grown up with. 

Fiesta Típica isn’t just about sharing stories of a collective Honduras through dance, art, and song but also a way in which each region of Honduras gets to tell their individual story.

Parents of scholarship students were responsible for setting up different ‘stalls’ during the day. All the stalls had a theme and sold different things, such as Baleadas and Papusas, to reflect the local style of each region in Honduras. Each team went to great lengths to prepare their stalls and the area quickly became animated with stories from Intibucá, Santa Barbra, and Santa Rosa. To illustrate just how much effort went into these stalls, imagine me, sleeves rolled up getting hands-on with a pickaxe in order to help dig a moat to fill with water and fish, representing team Santa Rosa. There was also a costume beauty pageant with the most dazzling outfits of all secondary grades, decked out in jewellery and animal skins representative of different localities. 

Being able to tell stories of Honduran culture through traditional dance and iconic dress will be something I will remember for the rest of my life. With great pride, I have been able to add it to the list of traditional dances I have learned alongside American Swing, Salsa, and of course my native Highland ceilidh. As a plus, the money earned on that day is currently being invested into new projectors for the school, with the goal to have one in every class. In a school of over 500 students, this will have a huge impact and Fiesta típica 2024 can be named a major success.  

I was born in Stockholm, Sweden, where World Storytelling Day originated. In school, as well as at home, storytelling and reading was a huge part of my upbringing. My parents would take turns every night to read to me and my brother. With mum we’d read Swedish books like ‘Pippi Longstocking’ by Astrid Lindgren. With my dad, I remember reading ‘Where the Wild Things Are’, ‘Cat in the Hat’, and all the Roald Dahl books, many of which we’ve been using in the primary grades here. Seeing our students read some of the same books I used to read as a child is really wholesome. It’s particularly great to see them enjoy reading so much, despite the fact it’s in a language they don’t fully understand yet. I have also noticed that during reading the kids are more engaged and focused on the lesson than most other classes, which goes to show that having a playful element in the lessons really does help them learn, and teaching through storytelling is a powerful strategy. 

As I grew up in a bilingual home, I had the advantage of learning and speaking English from a very young age whilst in Sweden. Being able to speak English in a non-English speaking country is something I’ve always been grateful for, but being able to provide our students here in La Union with the same opportunity has been so rewarding. Just like my school in Stockholm, English is introduced first thing in kindergarten for the children at ALCS, with every lesson except Spanish and Social Studies being taught in English. Learning English through storytelling here has been so gratifying, especially as the kids are so keen to learn! I think working with children is something that will always have the same rewarding qualities, no matter what continent you find yourself on. 

Having lived in two different countries growing up, moving to Honduras as a Project Trust Volunteer marks my third time being introduced and integrated to a new culture. It’s been very interesting to notice the differences of my two homes, Sweden and England, compared to Honduras but what has been most telling is seeing how some things don’t change at all, being on the other side of the world. 

(Pictured Left: Jaele’s painting of her commute to work)

Something that both my partner Clemmie and I have realised is that kids will always be kids, no matter where in the world you are. The only difference I’ve seen between children in the UK, Sweden, and Honduras, is that they speak different languages and communicate their stories in different ways. Our students are always full of energy, curious, impatient, constantly giving out hugs left, right, and centre. They like to ask, “how old are you?”, “what’s your favourite colour?” and of course, “do you have a boyfriend?”. Storytelling has made us feel so much more connected with the community in La Union and finding similarities makes the fact we are so far away from home a lot easier.

Find out more about what it’s like to Volunteer in Honduras here.

Maisie and Sarah are two volunteers currently living in La Union, Honduras.

Here is a little blog they wrote about some of their Christmas travels.

I’ll be talking about two holidays, filled with many similarities and differences, both very special to us. They have truly showed us just how varied and rich Central America is, and how lucky we are to be able to explore it. Now let me take you back to October, where we discovered the underrated and raw beauty of El Salvador for ourselves…

(5/10/22) Backpacks bursting at the seams, we headed to Gracias, the nearest town to our little mountain Project in La Unión and here we picked up our friend and fellow volunteer, Sam. Retired US school buses are the main method of public transportation here. Despite being old enough to be someone’s grandpa, they’ve proven sturdier than UK buses, crossing rivers and mountains (albeit with a sharp intake of breath from all those aboard when the river looks a little wild…) Personal space and comfort are limited, but for only £15 to travel 283km it’s an easy trade off. 12 hours of travel later we’d arrived at Santa Ana, the second biggest city in El Salvador, situated in the North-West of the country.

We almost regretted our chosen destination the first day of travel, as our 12th hour onboard old US school busses dawned, and we knew most of our fellow Honduras volunteers had rented a comfy bus and were probably nearing the beach and a glass of something bright pink, cold, and sparkly. When we arrived in Santa Ana, which looked a little run down at night, our hopes were not heightened. However! It all took a turn for the better when we found our hostel. Our hostel owner (Luis) was absolutely delightful. He gave us a run down of the best things Santa Ana had to offer, from restaurants to nearby attractions. He even pinned locations on Google Maps for us so we’d know when to get off the bus – a big help, as bus stops can be rare in Central America. We truly felt part of his family, what with the home cooked breakfast, coffee or hot chocolate, and crate of rambutans, all for under £40 per person for the three nights.

The next day (6/10/22) we sought out the pride and joy of Santa Ana – their cathedral! We’d caught a glimpse of it the night before in the dark, but in daylight the spooky Addams family feel had lifted, and it was truly a sight to behold; not only for its grandeur but its uniqueness – apparently it is Latin America’s only gothic building!

That day we also visited two Mayan ruin sites with wonderful museums attached (we’ve missed museums lots) and tried yucca con chicharrón, an El Salvadorian specialty. The yucca (a potato-like vegetable) is boiled, mashed, and topped with cabbage, pork (chicharrón) and a spicy tomato sauce. I ordered mine ‘sin carne’ and got the usual blank stare – vegetarianism is not common here, although the people have been interested to know more when they find out I have survived without meat for about 5 years. I’ve found vegetarian options (even if they aren’t intentionally vegetarian) have been reasonably accessible everywhere we’ve travelled.

After a great nights sleep we set out the next day (7/10/22) to climb Volcan Santa Ana! I was dreading the climb a little and had packed my inhaler for the first time in a while. Luckily the hike was pleasant and only took a few hours. We were buffeted by the winds at the top, a relief for our sweaty faces but not so much for Sarah’s anxiety – she was worried I’d be blown into the sulfur lake at the bottom of the crater…

We met some lovely people from all corners of the world and were so immersed in conversation that we missed the early bus back to Santa Ana. One of them was also Dutch and volunteering in Honduras, just one example of how many unexpected, yet welcome, surprises you encounter during your travels.

(8/10/22)
Time to return home! Following advice from Luis, we travelled back through Guatemala and shaved about 2 hours off the trip at a marginally higher cost. We were happy to arrive back in Gracias, and even more relieved when we finally made it to La Unión the next day and collapsed straight into our hammock.

For our third holiday (Christmas and New Year) we decided to visit my grandparents, who live in Belize. Belize is above Honduras, so this is the first time we would be traveling up North. Our journey was full of ups and downs – the first leg went as smoothly as Honduran roads permit, and we arrived safely in the beach town of Omoa. After a day and two nights in the beach town Omoa, one of which I spent on the bathroom floor with a horrible stomach bug, we were on our way to Puerto Cortez again, where the ferry terminal is. This is where the fun began! (After the 100th wave of my queasiness passed…)

The sight of my grandparents waving at us from the Hokey Pokey dock in Placencia was a big relief, and we felt like our Christmas holidays had truly begun. In contrast to our lifestyle in Honduras, the next few weeks were spent in the luxury of air-conditioning and a fridge filled with smoked salmon (for Sarah), tofu, and Ben and Jerry’s. While we don’t miss much when we’re actually in our project, it’s still nice to experience a little UK ‘normalcy’ once in a while.

During week one we flew to Caye Caulker and spent a whirlwind few days snorkelling with sharks, turtles and sting rays, and sunbathing. Before we knew it, Christmas was upon us. Not quite the UK festive weather we are used to given the humidity and heat, but we made it our own and even baked some mince pies from scratch.

Week two was spent reading, recharging and just enjoying time around my grandparents and their friends. Week three brought another adventure, in the form of Lake Bacalar in Mexico. We enjoyed a picnic that included vegan cheese (something I had mentally given up for my year in Honduras) and Sarah and I spent about two hours in the lake, chatting and trying to walk from one side of a rope strung just over the water to the other.

Our time in Belize was jam-packed with various adventures, and while it was hard to wave goodbye on the ferry home, we do consider La Unión our home in the fullest sense of the word. Once more, the hammock eased our aching shoulders and we looked ahead to the start of the school year and the adventures that 2023 will bring.

I feel so incredibly privileged to have been able to travel to both El Salvador and Belize, and have learned and seen so much through both experiences. Most of all, however, I’m so grateful to be able to walk into school everyday to help my children learn new things, and to learn new things from them. I’m so grateful to be spending this year with my amazing project partner (Sarah) by my side, and even through power cuts, various minor illnesses, and culture/ language barriers we always find a way to laugh about something at the end of it all. Every day is such an adventure, and sometimes I wish I could just stay tucked away in rural Honduras forever.

-Maisie and Sarah, La Unión volunteers (22/23)