Hello everybody!
Here is Amanda Furtado Sampaio, member of the ASB Honduras 2013 team!
We are leaving the US in less than 24 hours to go to Honduras volunteer together with CARE on healthcare. Honduras is located in Central America, To the west it borders with Guatemala and El Salvador and to the East Southeast with Nicaragua. The Caribbean Sea lies to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. It is one of the most mountainous countries of Central America, although it does not have any volcanoes. It has also a lot of preserved vegetation and an extended natural beauty, which would attract many tourists if it was not for the very poor and violent situation that Honduras is going through right now.
Honduras has the highest rate of intentional homicide in the world, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, probably a relfection of the weak government and law enforcement, especially after the constitutional crisis that happened in 2009. Hondurans have also been suffering with the lack of infrastructures, particularly after the severe floods in 2008.
On our trip we expect to be able to help as much as we can, serving the others, in cooperation with CARE. This will definitely be great experience of enriching the exchange of learning and cultures. Particularly for me, I’m expecting to learn more about the culture of a country that is similar to mine (Brazil) in so many ways, but completely opposite in certain aspects. This will definitely be a very fruitful and enriching experience!