Honduras: A Successful Second Distribution!

Day 2 of our distribution in Honduras was full of laughter and gratitude among all those involved. The parents and children giggled at our Northern accents as we attempted to speak Spanish to say simple phrases like “you are welcome.” Somehow when we say, “de nada”, it just doesn’t sound the same as when they say it. And our… well mainly Sieg’s… lack of tongue dexterity when trying to say the letter “n” with a tilda in “niña” and “niño” was all too comical to the children which made us all giggle. Then there was Debbie’s subconscious desire for sangria when asking the children to smile for the pictures – for those interested, the Spanish word for “smile” is “sonría”. With their infectious laughter came heartwarming smiles of gratitude.

During one of Monica’s interviews with a head of school, he shared that many children approached him before our arrival to tell him how grateful they are to have a new backpack for school and a soft place to sleep to replace the cardboard on the ground that they previously called their “bed”. The teachers and heads of schools expressed tremendous gratitude to us “for coming out of [our] comfort zone to help the children in their schools to come to school more rested with less soreness from sleeping on the ground”.  They expressed a sincere interest in learning more about sleep health and asked us if we could send them information that they can take back to their parents to help increase their awareness about the importance of sleep health.

Our team of 8 volunteers smiled and laughed throughout the distribution as the children asked to touch Justin’s hair, kiss Genevieve’s puppets, take a selfie with Sandra and receive their new backpacks and bed from Julia and Kelly. We all left with our hearts warmed by the Army who was there to help and support us, the Rotarians for their exceptional organization, and of course to the teachers, parents, and students for trusting us to be a part of our shared interest in helping all children sleep well and be well.

Team Honduras 2018
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