Vintage

Honduras greeted me with open arms. I went down on a fact finding mission to see if our foundation could make a difference in a small rural community and what I found was people full of love and motivation to better their country! Doris Fuentes who would be my tour guide, host, friend and information center all rolled into one greeted me. Her team included Ayexa, Orlando, Neptali, Sara, and Francisco. On my first night I caught up with ASPEC, a group of Honduran lawyers who are addressing concerns facing Honduras. The group was focused on addressing issues like hospital shortfalls to local school community needs. I was immediately welcomed by this group, and I left feeling informed and motivated to help them reach some of their goals. Currently, they are working hard on delivering hospital beds to a mental health hospital in Tegucigalpa. The beds were donated by a hospital in New Orleans and are in storage awaiting shipping to Honduras.

The next day we headed out on the 5-hour drive to our destination San Marcos de Ocotepeque. As is the norm in Central America it was a race to the finish line with obstacles like ox carts, people, potholes, unannounced speed bumps, goats etc. Our driver / guide / photographer Francisco was professional in his navigation and timing! The first stop in Ocotepeque was to meet the mayor of San Marcos and receive a key to the city. Following a short ceremony and meeting at the town hall, we all proceeded to trek to the first primary school of the day. I was greeted by dancing and singing children at the school district of Carrizal. Following the ceremonies and some speeches I was given an overview of the school and identified some of their pressing concerns. The school in general was extremely over crowded, there was not enough space for the growing enrollment and a new building was in desperate need.

Around lunchtime we headed to the high school where I was again greeted by a display of local culture, highlighting the song and dance of Honduras. I met with the principal and a group of teachers over lunch and we discussed the future of the school as well as the most pressing issues and challenges facing the faculty and students. Again the overall issue seemed to be a lack of room for the growing number of students. Following lunch, the group and I headed to Mesa Grande primary school. The school was out of session for the day but we observed the buildings and noticed a need for screens, furniture and basic school supplies. This school was on the outskirts of town and was obviously in need of some attention. Most kids out here will attend school until they are 12 or 13 but will not attend the high school. There is no school bus system and the walk is too far.

Back in the town of San Marcos, we visited the primary school; again I observed obvious signs of overcrowding and a shortage of basic supplies. The day was winding down and I had been on the move for hours so it was time for a short relaxation period and check in to the only hotel in town. My new family picked me up for the final activity of the day; a concert and gathering back at the primary school in San Marcos. The students performed more local song and dance and were dressed in the colorful traditional costumes, smiles were everywhere! The night was wrapped up by a visit to some local thermals for a quick soak and cerveza!

Tuesday morning started with a trip to the local vocational school and the San Marcos kindergarten. Next we headed into the beautiful hills surrounding San Marcos; many coffee farms and various types of fincas lined the rolling dirt road. The air was cooler and the vegetation started to come to life from the hot dusty blanket of the valley. We visited a few more small rural schools where we were greeted by teachers and students and treated to more local customs. It was noticeable that these schools lacked basic supplies and were in need of a better water source and new toilet facility. We left the primary school of Cunce and had lunch at “La Guama”, a local coffee finca owned by Sara, Orlando, Neptali and Ayexa. The fresh chicken and vegetable soup was prepared so simply and served with love to our group. After lunch Orlando showed me around the farm and the process of picking and drying the coffee before it is sent to San Pedro Sula for roasting and export. This is some of the finest coffee I have ever tasted, a hint of sweetness to the beans made it unique and very full flavored.

On the way out of the mountains back towards town we were beckoned by the smell of freshly baking bread at a local tienda. We stopped for some “toto-postres” right out of the earthen oven. Wow, hot and fresh, perfect for dunking into the magnificent local coffee! My hosts told me they had planned dinner at the family’s house that night with dancing and music so I headed back to the hotel to organize my thoughts and notes on the days activities and rest up a bit. The Fuentes house was full of fresh food, cerveza and more local students playing the marimba. I got the chance to chat with a lot of locals and different community members that night, gathering as much information on this little part of the world as I could, for the next day I was returning to the city and heading back to the States!

Up and out early, we started our journey back to the city of San Pedro Sula, the industrial center of Honduras. In the 5 hours it took to get from the remote outpost of Ocetepeque to San Pedro Sula the climate and industry changed substantially. San Pedro Sula sits about 45 minutes from the clean Carribean but you would not notice it from here. The surrounding mountains are almost invisible due to the haze, smog and humidity lying over the city. This was a city of sweatshops and the hillsides were full of factories spewing smoke and pollutants into the rivers in order for the rest of the world to have fashionable cheap clothing. It was sad to see such a beautiful place so over run by the 21^st century industrial revolution, in a time when there is so much emphasis on the state of the world environment. My last order of business before I left Honduras was to go to a World Cup Qualifier soccer match; Honduras versus Mexico. I have never seen anything like it in my life. 40,000 people crammed into an old cement stadium with absolute chaos everywhere! Venders, fans, police and dogs were running around the stadium in some sort of controlled madness. The energy was tangible and the place was packed 100% with Honduran soccer fans. I was located at the end of the stadium where Honduras scored their first 2 goals on the way to a 3 to 1 victory over the favored Mexico. The place went crazy and the party spilled out into the streets where we celebrated with the Honduras staple “baleadas!”

So many lifelong experiences occurred over the short time I was in this beautiful country and the people have definitely made a mark. Overall, I was inspired by the proud and motivated Hondurans, there was pride and determination all over San Marcos and it left quite an impression. Here was a community that had little but was willing to donate and work hard for their children to have greater opportunities. The sense of community was great and the desire to progress their families stood out. I noticed on the plane ride home a few groups that were in the country to donate their time and skills to help communities. I also sat next to a girl who had dedicated the better part of her last year teaching English to local students. It is obvious that the countries of Central America need help getting back on their feet. They have been through numerous wars and global exploitation, corruption and natural disasters; yet there is such a feeling of excitement and the desire to get ahead that truly moves me. I know this is my obligation to do what ever I can, however I can, to help those in need find a better life for themselves and their children.

I look forward to my return to Honduras and the reunion of my new family, Fuentes / Chaves. Until we meet again….HONDURAS / HONDURAS / HONDURAS!!!!

Scotty Stoughton