Notes from Honduras – August 2023

August 31, 2023

Culture and Values

By Heyser Valenzuela
5th Grade Teacher and Folk Dance Instructor

Without doubt, the different cultural expressions like art, literature, gastronomy, festivals, customs and traditions are important because they reveal the soul of society, allowing us to understand its idiosyncrasy and delve into its history in order to understand the current situation, that is, to reach self-knowledge as a society.

As a teacher, I understand that Honduran culture must be kept alive in every aspect of student development, in order to develop thoughts that foster intellectual, affective, spiritual and economic growth.

In addition to all of the above, cultural development allows each individual to acquire invaluable life tools that allow forming citizens who help build a society that achieves better living standards for all. Discipline, effort, dedication, struggle, spirit of improvement, appreciation of the quality of what is done and fraternity, are some tools that students acquire while knowing their collective history.

I remember in one of the folk dance rehearsals, a girl who was filled with frustration when she was having a hard time learning a few steps, broke down in tears. I approached her and told her that we were in the process of learning and that the most difficult things always require effort, sacrifice and perseverance to keep trying. The girl, still with tears in her eyes, continued and improved with every step. A few days later, in a new rehearsal, something similar happened again with another girl. The girl who in previous rehearsals had difficulties, approached her and mentioned that she should not feel bad, that she could achieve it if she kept trying, that if she let sadness dominate her, she would be losing energy that she could use to practice and improve. Together they began to rehearse, supporting each other.

I am sure that what the girls learned in their rehearsals, in addition to Honduran dance and culture, includes values that they will surely carry with them throughout their lives and will help them in the future when they encounter, and will find, difficult situations to face. Cultural activities help students to put values into practice, to improve their self-esteem, to develop talents and skills that allow them to know themselves, to be more confident of themselves, that is, to build their own identity and therefore to build an identity as a developed society.

Thank you for your continued support of El Hogar!


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