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- Philosophy
- Funding
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Project Statement:
The Drew Honduras Project is a
secular humanitarian organization with a dual purpose: first, the
project provides aid to children's homes and orphanages in Honduras,
specifically in the form of funds, clothing, educational and medical
supplies, and labor. Second, the project provides Drew University
students with a unique educational opportunity different from any
available through the standard curriculum and academic activities.
Unlike some large-scale humanitarian projects, the Honduras Project
allows students to become involved on a very personal level with the
people they work alongside and with the culture of their workplace:
Honduras. The students spend their time not only performing tasks
involving physical labor for the benefit of the Honduran children's
homes and communities, but also interacting with the children
themselves, and they maintain contact with those children throughout
the year.
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Philosophy
This is not a standard humanitarian aid trip. We're not flying in to
"save the Hondurans." We recognize that we benefit from the trip as
much, if not more, than the people we work with in Honduras, but
because everyone involved (Drew students and Hondurans) are giving
something of themselves we believe that everyone benefits. In the
philosophical statement for volunteers from El Hogar it says: "your
brief or prolonged encounters with the boys will help them to
understand that people care about people, unlike what they may have
found in their previous lives -- on the streets -- where they were
constantly turned, even chased, away." This trip is about people caring
about people, both students and children and within the group itself.
This trip is secular, but it is still very spiritual and emotional, so
the group spends structured time reflecting on their experiences at the
end of each day, helping each other sort through and express our
emotions. And participants bring their experience back to Drew in large
and small ways, both in helping others closer to home and in the way
they see and react to others as a result of the trip. One student said:
"I love the children, I made many new friends, I opened my eyes to the
world around me . . . I grew up. I'm coming back!"
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Funding
All costs of the trip are raised by the members of the group through
fund-raisers ranging from bake sales and brick sales to the annual
"Pants Auction." Participants raise money through church and community
groups, their old high schools, neighbors, family and friends, and
local grants. More money is always appreciated, though, so if you'd
like to give some, please make a donation. We would especially like
gifts of frequent flier miles for Continental Airlines (it takes 35,000
miles to get a round-trip ticket) so if you have some you'd like to
donate, please contact Prof. Sandra Jamieson a.s.a.p. and I'll tell you
how to do it -- the students would love to use them! The orphanages
also need lots of other things, from tooth brushes to a new cistern: if
you'd like a copy of the wish list, let me know... [Prof. Sandra
Jamieson]
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History of the Project
The Drew Honduras Project started in 1995 through the help of the
Reverend Wesley ("Wes") Wubbenhorst, the former Assistant Rector at the
Grace Episcopal Church in Madison, NJ. Wes served in the Peace Corps in
Honduras and stayed in contact, in addition to taking groups of high
school students there once a year. Drew students Nathaniel Raymond (CLA
'99) and Julia Schleck (CLA '99) asked him to help them organize a
similar program at Drew, and so the project was born. In 1995 and 1996
there was one week long trip a year during Drew's Spring Break, and
each time about twenty-five students traveled to Tegucigalpa and San
Pedro Sula. In the summer of 1997, Wes was transferred to Annapolis and
Drew students began to run the project in name as well (with guidance
from Wes).
Nathaniel and Julia were joined by
Diana Gamarra (CLA '98), Xiomara Guevara (CLA '98) and Jason Fehr (CLA
'99) as treasurer, in planning the January
1998 Trip. Xiomara, Jason, Emily Litman (CLA '99), Kim Engan
(CLA '00), and Julissa Garcia (CLA '98), planned the March 1998 trip, and Jason, Emily,
Kim, and Julissa took primary responsibility on site.
In November 1998, Hurricane Mitch
hit Honduras. The group donated the money they had raised for a January
trip to the relief fund and began planning two simultaneous trips in May 1999. Emily, Kim, and Tom
Pendergast (CLA '00) led one of these groups, and Julia and Nathaniel
led the other. In 2000 the
group organized one trip in January and another in May, with Tom
Pendergast, James Davidson ('00), Neysa Miranda (CLA '01), Wilbert
Marte (CLA '01), and Akbar Nasir (CLA '01) as leaders.
In 2001 the group decided to sponsor
only one trip a year and donate the additional money to the projects
the students worked on when they were in country. So, in May 2001 there
was one trip, led by Neysa, Wilbert, and Akbar, joined by Vanessa Llana
(CLA '02), and Elizabeth Salazar (CLA '03). The board for 2002 was Vanessa, Elizabeth, David
Dyer (CLA '02), Rebecca Harris (CLA '02), and Mike Manfredi (CLA '04).
Elizabeth, David, Rebecca, and Mike lead the May 2002 trip. The 2003 board saw Elizabeth Salazar
joined by Bhavin Patel (CLA '03), Laura McGinnis (CLA '03), Charlie
Anderson (CLA '03), and Yanett Salazar
(CLA '04), with the first four leading the in-country portion of
the project.
In 2004
Yanett was joined by Arlene Orvalle (CLA '04), Jeena
Shah (CLA '04), Alex Apolito (CLA '06), and Jen Wozniakewicz (CLA '06), with the
first four members leading the in-country portion of the project.
In 2005, Alex and Jen were joined by
Sony Rodriguez (CLA '07), who continued into 2006
and was joined by Jenny Troya (CLA '06), Yuri Acosta (CLA '06),
and Josh Mirrer (CLA '07). The
leaders of the 2007 trip were
Justin Yu (CLA '08), Jose Melgarejo (CLA
'08), Danielle Lambert (CLA '08), and Josh Mirrer; and in 2008,
Danielle and Justin were joined by Sergio Paredes (CLA '08) and Lauren
Spiechowski (CLA '10). Another fantastic team!
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