A little help for Honduras: Un poco de ayuda para Honduras

—BY BEATRIZ GOMEZ“Make a Difference” could mean a variety of things depending on the person you’re talking to. While for some people tasks like cleaning out your car, being nice to somebody you don’t really like, turning off unused lights, buying local, or finally getting out of bed to write an essay that is due tomorrow, are looked at as ways in which you somehow make a difference. But Green Mountain College has taken it to the next level.Three years ago, GMC launched a new scholarship, awarding a full scholarship to ten students who had made a significant difference in the past. Even though not all ten of the original ‘Make a Difference’ scholars are among us today, the remaining ones, joined by new scholars, continue to make a difference not only at local level, but at international level.One of this year’s Make a Difference scholars traveled a long distance from La Ceiba, Atlántida (Honduras) to arrive on our campus in remote Vermont. José Tulio Gálvez Contreras has started a book drive to help with the development of a public bilingual program in Honduras.Contreras believes that his actions will be beneficial to Honduras because “as a third world country, it is hard to help purchase books or materials necessary. The books will go to schools that have a lack of resources, but have the will to have an English education as well.”Since Contreras grew up in the area he has been amazed by the difference in class status within his country, as well as by the way law works in his country. “Beating the odds in Honduran society is something that seems impossible. Our culture is full of corruption from A to Z. Envious people, who are happy with the ways things are, do everything they can to keep others from progress. People of my generation have no future they can trust. The law has not been respected since our constitution was written.”Nonetheless he looks back to where he came from and tries to take actions that will help those who he has left behind to come to the United States with the hope of making a little difference here, which in the end will make a huge difference in Honduras.Being from Honduras, Contreras has a different perspective on why the country remains as poor as it is today. He feels that the problem is primarily due to the fact that the school system in Honduras does not provide what is necessary for a well set education program, and his goal through this book drive is to help the development of education in Honduras.“The main goal is to share a little of what we have with those who do not have any. 85% of the population in Honduras is poor. It will be neat contributing to the educational system there. I have always believed that we, Hondurans, are not moving forward because of the lack of education. We don’t have anybody to teach us better, and are always expecting to get something for free. If we get educated we will learn how to work for our things and help our country stop being stuck in the position we are today.”Contreras was inspired to have a book drive to help his country from past book drives on campus. “It is an inspiration of the effort and works my friend Francis Demby, along with Irene Holak, and Laura Restrepo did last year with the project books for Africa… but now there is a switch to ‘Books for Honduras.’”This year’s book drive will also collect anything that could be reused by people of little resources, like clothes, toys, and of course, books.The drive has already had its kick off. “We already got some books from Otter Valley High-School, Rutland, and we are trying to collect more from our campus, the entire Poultney community, Middletown Springs Elementary School, and all those willing to help,” Contreras adds.Contreras, with the help of Demby, is leading the drive. “We both have decided that next semester we are going to start with the campaign where we will announce where we can have people drop everything. But, if people feel like helping now, we have stored some books in Jesse Pyle’s office in the house that is close to the Two Editors Inn,” notes Contreras.

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Posted by editor_news on Dec 11, 2007 Filed under World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry