Trip to Villanova University

While five of our children were in the United States this year, we took them (Jerson, David, Jesuan, Christian and Miguel) to visit Villanova University.  Amigos de Jesus has had a long partnership with Villanova and has hosted many years of spring break excursions.  Villanova engineers built the white cross on our property and have been vital in many of the building projects.  While at the University last month, we toured the campus, had pizza for lunch, met students and participated in an experiment in their systems lab.  Thank you to Jeff Cook and Dr. Bridget Wadzuk for your hospitality!

Volunteer Reflection by Jen Clark

“We’re going to the zoo.” That’s all I had to go off of during my second week at Amigos de Jesùs when we learned that all of the kids at the school were going on a field trip and all of the volunteers were going with them. When you think of a zoo in the states, it tends to include a lot of animals, a lot of long descriptions and plaques no one reads much, perhaps a spot to feed the animals or a ride or two. Here in Honduras though, I had no idea what to expect. How big was it going to be? Where was it? We’re going to the beach afterwards? I’ve never combined those two before. But as with many things I’ve experience so far this year, you have to learn to just go with it. That’s how I found myself on a retrofitted yellow school bus complete with flashing lights and a flat screen TV, sitting next to a boy named Johnny, heading off to some unknown destination. Next thing I knew, we arrived at what I thought was a rest stop, until I noticed the giant old Spanish fort. Casual. We got to take a full guided tour of the place, as well as explore the adjacent small museum, and it was awesome to see the kids exposed to a piece of history like that. I know they have a history class in school, but what’s it like? I have no idea what they learn about, and in how much depth. After being spoiled in the US with field trips to New York City and Washington DC, as well as spending 4 years just outside of historic Philadelphia, it was easy to under appreciate the value of seeing history in person. And visiting one of the largest Spanish forts in Central America wasn’t a bad way of seeing it.

            Still, that was only part one. We hopped back on the bus and headed off to our next destination when after a few minutes, there it was. There on our right. The ocean. Or at least the Gulf of Mexico. Within seconds there were gasps coming from over a dozen small mouths. How many of these boys were seeing salt water for the first time? And that was only the beginning of the amazement. We soon arrived at the zoo, with me personally anticipating a small petting zoo, and I was very much proven wrong. With all of the boys we headed inside, first passing a huge pool with at least three water slides (water park within a zoo? Why not?), then discovering the homes of ostriches, monkeys, a lion, cougar, coyote, toucan, boa constrictor, and everything in between. Though they were lacking the detailed descriptions of the zoos I was accustomed to, the animals were there. The boys got to see buffalo and wild boars and a puma. And this was to be followed with another first for me: a giant cookout in a zoo parking lot. Grilling carne asada, passing out salad and rice, kicking a soccer ball around, and preparing for our next venture—the beach. But just when I was expecting us to pile back onto the bus and drive off to a nearby locale, it turns out that the zoo is attached to the beach. One more stroll past the buffalo and an island full of monkeys and there it was. Seventy degree water, sunny skies, and 40+ boys ready to dive in a find as many sand dollars as possible. We taught the little ones how to swim, splashed around with the already proficient, and took in the view. It was incredible to see their unending excitement and enthusiasm for every part of the day. It was only natural to keep it up and dive into the zoo’s giant pool next, with nearly everyone from Amigo’s de Jesùs sprinting to go down the water slides first. By the time the afternoon was over and everyone was back onboard the retro bus, there was a universal level of exhaustion. It was a clear sign that every unknown, unexpected, and mysterious aspect of the day was completely and utterly worth it. 

Dìa del Niño

            This past Monday Amigos de Jesùs celebrated the annual Honduran holiday Dìa del Niño, literally “day of the child.” It was a day filled with numerous events and activities for all of the kids, starting with a midnight fireworks show. During the day all of the teachers, staff, and volunteers pitched in to be waiters during the meals, take over all of the chores for the day, and run games to keep everyone busy. There was an obstacle course in the morning created by the teachers that encouraged teamwork and included events such as bobbing for apples, a fùtbol shooting competition, and a waterslide. The afternoon started off with water games and a massive water balloon fight, followed by a fair complete with races, food, prizes, and even a haunted house! Everyone, including a number of children from the local community, had a great time and there was a palpable sense of excitement throughout the day. The holiday was topped off with a special tamale dinner for all including goodie bags for the kids, and then a fiesta and dance party where all of the boys, and now Amigos’ three girls, got to show off their moves and bachata the night away. It was certainly a day to remember. 

Sunday Vigil Mass, 9/23

A vigil Mass with the children from Amigos will be held on September 23rd at 5 PM at the Holy Redeemer Provincialate on 521 Moredon Road in Huntington Valley, 19006. Father O'Donnell will be the celebrant, and refreshments will be available after, in addition to an opportunity to meet with the children.

Fall Family Picnic and Philadelphia Union Soccer Game

Come out and join children from Amigos de Jesus, staff, friends and Father O’Donnell for a fun-filled day of praise, prayer and celebration!

The picnic will be held on Sunday, September 16th at Malvern Preparatory School, located at 418 South Warren Avenue. Following the 11:00 AM Mass with celebrant Father O’Donnell, there will be lunch, music, games and more from 12:00 to 2:00. RSVP to Emily at emily@amigosdejesus.org.

The staff and children of Amigos will also be gathering to watch the children’s favorite sport, soccer, on Sunday, September 23rd. Philadelphia’s Union will be playing the Houston Dynamo at a 4:00 PM game. The game will be held at PPL Park on 1 Stadium Drive, Chester, PA, 19013. For tickets, visit the link here:
http://comcasttix.com/events/page/east/PPL+Park/Philadelphia+Union+-+MLS+Soccer

If you are interested in meeting with the children, call ComcastTix at 1-800-298-4200 and mention the group is seated in section 123, rows BB and CC. VIP packages are available, which includes an all-you-can-eat buffet open for an hour before the game starts. For addition information or questions, contact Emily.

Meet the Volunteers

Volunteers


Below is a description of the volunteers at Amigos that will start August 11th, 2012. For more information on volunteering, contact Emily.

Kristen Mullen-Muhr – graduated the University of Daytona with a degree in choral music education. She has volunteered in other foreign countries such as Africa, and domestically in Salyersville, Kentucky. Her hobbies include playing soccer and with children. She hopes to be fluent in Spanish and gain knowledge from her experiences by the end of her service.

Meg Ryan – graduated Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire. She strives to graduate with a major in Psychology and a minor in Web Design. She chose to do a year of service because she believes that Amigos will offer her a new vision of the world. She also strives to be fluent in Spanish.

Andrew Marchione – graduated at Fordham University with a major in Theology and a minor in Psychology. He has been interested in Central America since the age of 13, and has longed to experience the region personally. He believes that Amigos will challenge him as a person.

Joseph Sarappo – graduated Temple University with degrees in International Business and Marketing, as well as a minor degree in Spanish. His hobbies include learning about new languages, cultures, politics, and plays soccer on a daily basis. He first wanted to volunteer when the people he used to work with told of their hardships in Central America, which he experienced firsthand when climbing the Andes Mountains in Peru.

Rachel Severino – graduated The Catholic University of America with a degree in Psychology. She joined Amigos to help the children, and wants to pursue a career as a social worker in an inner city school district.

Christian Flessner – graduated Fordham University with degrees in Psychology and computer science. He joined Amigos because he wants to gain a new perspective on life, and also foreign perspectives on America. He hopes his spiritual health will increase as well.

Joeseph Starzl – graduated the University of Portland with a degree in philosophy. He enjoys creative writing and reading, especially fantasy and science-fiction. He joined Amigos because he wants to learn of a new culture, language, and believes that this will help him fulfill the urge to “give back”. He wants this to expand his world view and mature him into a more virtuous person.

Jennifer Clark – graduated Villanova with degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering and Peace and Justice. She recently traveled to Cambodia to assist an orphanage treating children with HIV/AIDS. She joined because she thinks Amigos is a wonderful cause, and she is eager to learn Spanish and Honduran culture. She knows it will be challenging, and wants to work someplace out of her comfort zone.

Statistic of Honduras

Some of the numbers you are going to see may shock you. None of these are faked, and they are all accurate. This is the home of our children at the orphanage, and all the support of the people at Amigos try to do whatever we can to make it a beautiful place for them to live.


Honduras is ranked 88th in terms of infant mortality rate. Out of 203,000 children born in Honduras every year, about 5,000 will die before the age of five. Since 1990, the infant mortality rate of children under one has dropped, from 45 for every 100 born to 20. The life expectance of those who do live past age five is 73 years. One out of every ten children born is underweight.

86% of the population use improved drinking water sources. 95 percent of people in urban areas use them, and 77 percent of people in rural areas do also. The estimated prevalence of HIV and AIDs is 0.8 percent of the population, or somewhere between 51,000 people on the high end and 26,000 on the low end. Three-tenths of a percent of males ages 15-24 are believed to be infected, and 0.2 percent of females are. No information is known on the percent of males who have a comprehensive knowledge of HIV, but it is 30 percent for females. The GNI per capita is 1,880 US dollars. Inflation has risen 13% between 1990 and 2010. 457 million dollars have flown into Honduras from foreign aid.

There are an estimated 150,000 orphans in Honduras due to all causes. The literacy rate of males aged 15-24 in Honduras is 93 percent, and for females it is 95 percent. 125% of the population has a cell phone. However, only 11 percent have access to the Internet. 96% of all males and 98% of females who are eligible to attend school are enrolled. 87% of those males attend school, and 90% of females attend. In secondary school (junior high/middle school, high school), the number of males attending drops to 35%, and the number of females drops to 40 percent.

Currently, there are over 3.3 million children living under the age of 18 in Honduras. The annual population growth is falling, with three percent between 1970-90, 2.2 percent between 1990-2010, and an estimated 1.7 percent between 2010 and 2030. The life expectancy has risen considerably, from 52 in 1970 to 73 in 2012. The total fertility rate is 3.1 children per mother.

16 percent of all children in Honduras are subjected to child labor. 11 percent of children are married by age 15, and 39% are married by age 18. There are over 1.7 million adolescents (ages 10-19) in Honduras, and they make up a total of 23 percent of the population. 26% of women ages 20-24 gave birth before age 18 in 2010. 10.8% of girls ages 15-19 gave birth in 2010. 98% of female adolescents aged 15-19 use at least one type of information media at least once a week, and 28% have a comprehensive knowledge of HIV/AIDS.

For further information, see here.

Tommy DeMarco