Notes from Honduras – July 2023

July 31, 2023

Over the years, hundreds of people have visited El Hogar in one of the various iterations of our visitors program. The program has evolved in its focus and activities to reflect the evolving best practices in international travel and volunteering, making sure that the safety and protection of the students in our care is at the forefront of everything we do.

Like everything else during the COVID pandemic we had to put a pause on trips and had not had visitors since 2019. We took advantage of this time to redefine the program and develop new content to help teams in their preparation.

Now, the visitors program has been rebranded as El Hogar Connects, where we invite you to visit us and partner with our staff and students for a transformational experience that promotes intercultural communication and experiential learning that creates an understanding between communities. The focus of El Hogar Connects is on education where learning is embraced as the primary objective of the trip.

El Hogar Connects visitors cultivate a service learning approach and are encouraged to think “I’m here to learn from the El Hogar community about how I might be of help now or in the future.” This means learning about El Hogar and our context in Honduras, but also learning about ourselves, our assumptions and motivations and being open to self-reflection.

This summer we were excited to welcome back two teams with exemplary leadership from churches with a long-standing history of support – Christ Church in Denver, Colorado and St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Glenwood, Maryland. Both have visited El Hogar a number of times, and both were happy to be the pioneers, the first groups back after so many years and under a new model.

The teams met both virtually and in person before their trip for team building and to review expectations for their visits. El Hogar provided each team with a preparation guide that took them through four different topics in order to prepare for their trip: El Hogar & Honduras, Poverty & Development, Child Protection & Responsible Travel and Ethical Storytelling & Partnership.

While in Honduras El Hogar Connects teams…

• Had the opportunity to visit local businesses to enjoy good Honduran food and coffee and see the beautiful scenery that Tegucigalpa has to offer.
• Spent time in conversations with our local leadership to learn about the contrast of beauty and challenges in Honduras
• Heard personal stories from our students and their family members to learn the impact that attending El Hogar has on their lives and their outlook for the future
• Rode the bus with our day students to experience their daily journey to and from school
• Visited some of our partner organizations to learn how El Hogar is able to expand our impact by partnering with others
• Visited the local grocery store to see what products are available and how much things cost
• Engaged in recreational activities with our students to connect with and learn from them

“My trip to Honduras gave me a tremendous appreciation for the resourcefulness and dedication of those who bring about change in environments where all the odds are stacked against them. I learned the true meaning of effective charity: working with communities, not inserting oneself into situations one does not understand. Above all, I regained my hope that a better future is possible. While there will always be obstacles to improvement, I saw firsthand the tremendous achievements good people with faith, commitment, and open hearts can accomplish.”

– Lilly, Team Member from St. Andrew’s, Glenwood MD

We ask that visitors be curious learners and become ambassadors for education, child protection, Honduras and Central America. We invite visitors to join the larger El Hogar community and experience the ways in which we can all thrive in our different environments and communities.

El Hogar Connects is an opportunity to grow yourself and support El Hogar in its growth and its efforts to uplift children, families and communities in Honduras to create a more just world.