Since being in Honduras, I've had the privilege of learning so much from a culture more beautiful than I could describe. Based in a small village within Yamaranguila, we are a mixture of UK and Honduran volunteers all with different but equally valuable skill sets, collectively working together for change. With such common goals to us UK volunteers, the youth of Yamaranguila are and continue to be inspiring colleagues to work with.
Our collective goal out here is to proliferate entrepreneurial spirit within our small village through the creation of the village's first eatery business. After conducting extensive market research, both into the demand for local meat and the sources of local employment, we now aim to construct and create a Deli-esk business in the heart of this community. Our long term goal, therefore, is to create 12 new jobs for the youth here. We aim to empower these young people through training and assistance, providing them with sustainable incomes through what will hopefully be a successful business of their own.
As with all of the volunteering trips I have been on, I set off for Honduras filled with romanticised notions of saving the world through development work. In spite of my idyllic yet possibly naive rhetoric, I often wonder who, if anyone, are we saving this world from? With so many problems in the world both domestically and abroad, can we all honestly say that we are doing enough to help? Could it not be argued that perhaps we as a collective are all also the bad guys because of our passivity?
Ultimately, volunteering in Honduras has served as a beneficial reminder for me that it will never be enough to simply acknowledge a problem; it is important that we always challenge ourselves to do more and to be active global citizens. Civic participation is the foundation to providing a greater future for the next generation to come. As UK citizens especially, we are all fortunate enough to have a political voice that is both powerful and heard. International Youth Day is therefore a celebration of youth empowerment; a day to recognise the importance of collective action.
Jay and her team making their 'youth power' poses for International Youth Day
This Friday we aim to celebrate International Youth Day on a colossal scale. Basing ourselves in the nearby town of La Esperanza, we will be teaming up with more volunteers to run a giant educational fun run for children, themed around the Action 2015 campaign. What is most beautiful about our plan is arguably the level of unity between the national and UK volunteers and our enthusiasm to see it through. It is an indescribable feeling to know that our efforts here in Honduras are contributing to changing the lives of ourselves and others, and I highly recommend that feeling to everyone.
Written by ICS Team Leader Jay Cedras
