Volunteer Honduras

Building Project: Tasks on the building project include renovation, laboring, painting, decorating, making bricks, building walls, digging, and building wooden playgrounds. Volunteers will assist with cement mixing, sand sifting, cutting wood, and transporting building materials; there is little equipment and it is mostly manual work. The building projects are to help families build or improve their homes and schools, and the community decides which projects are in need of assistance. Be prepared to be very patient and flexible, and to get your hands and clothes very dirty.

Teaching Project: On the teaching project, volunteers can help with teaching English, sports or computers. There is no set curriculum for teaching English in rural areas, but past volunteers have left behind their notes, recommendations and teaching materials, both at the schools and with our partner organisation, so that volunteers will have a good idea where to start and to give some continuity to the teaching process. Bringing teaching aids is suggested, as well as leaving those behind for further use in schools. To participate in the teaching program, volunteers need to stay for at least one month.

Childcare Project:  Volunteer activities include feeding, playing, educating and cleaning the children. The children are aged from around 5-15 and are in need of love and attention and volunteers act as older siblings. In addition, we have an on going revitalisation project at the centre. With the continuous help from volunteers we are slowly but surely changing the building by painting and decorating the faciltities which are run down due to lack of funds.

Medical Project:  This project allows volunteers with experience and/or qualifications in medicine to help at an under-funded rural hospital. The la Esperanza hospital continually struggles to meet demand within its meagre budget and is therefore in constant need of assistance.  Volunteers will participate in many of the roles associated with shadowing nurses and doctors, laboratory work, pre-natal, intensive care, physiotherapy and more. The level and scope of your involvement will be determined by your experience and knowledge.

Iguana Conservation Project:  Situated off the coast of Honduras on the Caribbean island of Utila, volunteers on this project will work at an Iguana Centre which is dedicated to the protection and breeding of the Utila Iguana. The centre was founded in 1994 and is vital for the on-going protection of the endangered species, which is threatened by unsustainable development of the mangroves and beaches, over-hunting, as well as by increasing pollution.  The centre's efforts are focused on understanding the natural history of Utila and the Iguana through different scientific research. Daily activities include feeding the iguanas and educating the local community and school groups about them and their environment. Volunteers will help with conducting guided tours, working on general maintenance of cages, feeding and cleaning the iguana enclosures, gardening, etc. There may also be the opportunity to get involved in research and data gathering as well as any special projects at the centre.