Here are some comments from customers who have already been to Honduras with i-to-i:
Honduras - Conservation"I have already recommended you to a stranger I was sitting next to on the plane ride home. I told him about my trip and gave him Elisa Taylor's card so he could find out more information."
Jaclyn Sargent, Animal and ecology conservation in Honduras
"My time in La Esperanza was absolutely wonderful. Looking back, I realized that it was one of the best times in my life. I worked in the hospital in La Esperanza. I do have an EMT licencse (I volunteer on an ambulance in the states) but I don't have much experience in primary care/hospital settings. The doctors I befriended there were unbelievable accommodating and willing to teach me… even with the obstacle of my minimal Spanish. I took blood samples, worked in the lab, watched surgeries, helped with surgeries, did stitches and even delivered a few babies! (Although I'm trained to deliver babies, that was my first time actually getting to do it)
The Casco-Santos familiy was another amazing high point in my trip. The whole family was really helpful in making sure I was included in daily life and understood what was going on at the hospital and at home. I also was able to learn a lot of spanish because they took the time to (very patiently) talk with me almost every night after dinner. They were truly a wonderful family (and the food was very good too.
What was the most challenging part of your experience? The most challenging part of my experience was actually getting to La Esp. We were taken to the bus stop by the country coordinator in the morning with instructions to "get off at the end". Once we arrived in town, we had to wait for someone to come and grab us from the bus stop. Not speaking Spanish, this was very very very scary. I really think it needs to be handled better than that. After we were picked up by a save the children representative, he dropped off the other girl I was traveling with and I was left alone in a car with a strange man driving off into the Honduran countryside. Yea. On my second day in Honduras, this was not what I needed. To cap it all off, my family didn't even know that I was coming that day! Needless to say, I was very happy to get my bags into my new room and be done with traveling.
For future volunteers, don't hesitate to ask questions and talk to people, even if your spanish is very basic. As long as you're friendly and try your best, people will really see that and do their best, in turn, to help you. Keep a big smile on your face at all times."
Micki Travers, Health work experience in La Esperanza, Honduras
"I had the most fantastic time, Elisa was everything I could have wished for in a co-ordinator and more, and if I ever get the opportunity again, I would do it in a second."
Bryony Elbert, Community work with orphans in Honduras
"Things are really going great here I have settled into my life here in Honduras, Choluteca. Life here is much more relaxed than back home mostly due to the heat and I enjoy my daily siesta.
Volunteering at Goretti has turned out to be quite a challenge first of all the cultural difference in scheduling and iniciative. We basically had to figure out ourselves how we could make our time here most beneficial. it has worked out really well and I am making a lot of progress with the students eventhough it is hard to communicate. This was truely not the experience I expected but that is a part of the whole adventure. I am really enjoying my time here and I am sad that my project is ending in two weeks because I just now am beginning to see the students progressing and gaining interest in English. I absolutely ove the extraordinary teaching experience this is giving me it has really given me another perspective teaching which I can benifit from in my future studies of teaching in Denmark and which will reflex on my future role as a teacher.
Honduras is beautiful and I have seen a lot of amazing places already. La Tigra Cloud Forest, Amapala Isle del Tigre, Copan Ruinas, Leon Nigaragua. The naturescene here is gorgeous.
Our family is awesome and they are taking good care of us worrying about us warning us about dangerous places and taking us to see special places in the area. The family is very loving and active and I feel so much at home that I forget I'm not.
Elisa has been a great and comforting support in-country. She really does an amazing job and it feel like she really cares about all the volunteers in Honduras and are ready to do anything to make the best of our stay she deserves a lot of gratitude. Thank you for your interest and support during my stay here it makes me feel safe to now I have the i-to-i team as a securitynet in case it is needed. "
Maj Britt Knudsen, Teach English in Coastal Honduras
"I just wanted to write and tell you that the rest of my adventure in Choluteca was amazing and I had a great time at Isamago and with the Diaz family. I will be filling out a feedback survey from i-to-i, but I wanted to write you personally and tell you thank you for all you did for me in Honduras, always knowing you were there to take care of things I couldn't really meant a lot. I had an amazing, educational and meaningful experience, and I can't wait to return! "
Kathryn Saul, Teach English in Coastal Honduras
