0:00

My parents certainly instilled values of giving and caring.

0:04
Growing up I used to go on these week-long service trips to rebuild homes
for the
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elderly and poor communities.
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Honduras has the highest murder rate of any country in the world.
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It's the most dangerous place outside of an active war zone. A lot of aide
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organizations are afraid to go there because of the violence.
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Mostly what it means for the people there is a lack of opportunity. A lack of
an
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opportunity of an education.
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A lack of an opportunity for a job, or any opportunity for them to really
escape
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the cycle of poverty.
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University of Maryland Chapter of Students Helping Honduras has helped
build at least 5 schools
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in rural and impoverished areas outside of El Progreso. We go down
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every year in the winter. What we do is we work to build the school, laying

0:55
brick, digging trenches,
0:57
foundations and stuff mixing concrete. It definitely gives me a sense of
Maryland pride to know
1:01
that there is such a large community here of people
1:03
who are willing to give up their winter breaks put a whole lot of their own
money.
1:07
People giving up their vacations to work eight-hour days
1:10
in the hot hot Sun. What these schools mean is that the kids in these
villages no
1:15
longer have to walk
1:16
miles to get an education. It's a rewarding experience because
1:20
for these people in Honduras there's really not a lot of opportunity. As soon
as you
1:24
go down and you meet these kids and you meet these families and you
see how much of
1:27
a difference that this school makes.
1:28
You can't not help but be involved.