I went with a group of Ohio State students to Montaña de Luz in El Paraíso, Honduras. Our main service project consisted of fixing up the area around an emergency house and re-painting the fence and guardhouse. Outside of the service project, we learned more about HIV, learned how to make baleadas, and spent time with the kids in the evenings by playing soccer and volleyball with them.
My experience at Montaña de Luz significantly influenced my perception of HIV. I learned that in Honduras, there is huge stigma surrounding HIV, which makes it difficult for people with HIV to get the same opportunities as everyone else. I also learned about the ways that HIV is transmitted as well as the ways that it is not transmitted, which was very enlightening. There is no complete cure for HIV yet, but there is treatment that can cause it to stay dormant. After learning all of this, I have a newfound appreciation for Montaña de Luz and other places with the same mission of reducing the stigma and empowering people who have been affected by HIV.
In addition to deepening my understanding of HIV, this trip broadened my views of the world. I got to experience how different Honduras is from anywhere else I have lived or traveled to. One example is that they burn all of their trash, creating a lot of air pollution. Also, English lessons are very expensive there, but learning English opens the door to many opportunities and higher chances of getting jobs. This made me think about some of the things that I take for granted in my life, including garbage services and my education.
When we first arrived at Montaña de Luz, all the kids and staff were waiting to greet us with a welcome sign. From this first moment all the way to our last, everyone made us feel like family. During the service projects, they taught us new skills like mixing concrete and laying bricks. Even though they probably could have finished the jobs a lot faster than us, the staff were so patient with us and let us try to do things on our own. When I first tried to lay bricks, I kept failing to get them level. Despite my many failures, Carlos kept teaching me and giving me more chances, which I really appreciated. From him and everyone else at Montaña de Luz, I learned that in many cases, being patient and building relationships is much more important than just getting the task done. There were also so many other things that the staff did to make us feel welcome and comfortable. Sara brought us little refreshing snacks while we were working, Angela made us homecooked meals that were ready for us after a long day of working outside, and Fabiola sold us cold drinks from her shop.
Outside of our service project, we got to experience the culture of Honduras a little bit. On our first day there, we went to a local water park. I learned that the pool culture in Honduras is more conservative that it is here. We also went to Valle one day and went to a restaurant for lunch. It was cool to walk around and see places outside of Montaña de Luz. One evening, Angela taught us how to make baleadas, which is a traditional Honduran dish. Getting to make and eat my own baleada was such a cool experience.
I think that the most impactful part of my trip was being able to spend time with and learn from the kids and staff at Montaña de Luz. Some of the staff gave us a presentation about HIV that was both informative and entertaining, and I learned so much from it. The kids also taught us games like “Pikachu”, and we taught them some games that we grew up with. It was amazing to be able to teach them and learn from them at the same time. We also got to play soccer, volleyball, and dance with the kids. It was so fun to just be able to live in the moment and have fun playing outside. Despite the language barrier, we were able to connect with the kids through games and sports.
From all these experiences, I learned to value my relationships and live in the moment. In the future, instead of focusing on only finishing tasks, I will pay more attention to the relationships that I am building along the way. I will be more conscious of how I interact with people, and I will remember that there are things that I can learn from everyone. This trip also made me realize the importance of taking breaks and having fun. This was the first time in so long that I let myself just play outside and have fun without worrying about other things. From now on, I will make sure I take time to go outside and just enjoy life.
In the future, I also plan to help educate people around me about HIV and the ways that is it spread. I want to promote the mission of Montaña de Luz and reduce the stigma around HIV. We plan on starting a club at OSU to fundraise and further this mission. Overall, this trip had such a huge impact on me and I want to go on more service trips in the future.
