NPH Volunteer Program in Honduras

I'm so thankful for the 13 months I spent volunteering at NPH Honduras as a physical therapist. The community of international volunteers was wonderful support and also a lot of fun. My role as the physical therapist was fun and challenging, but the best part of the year was being a part of one of houses of girls. Every evening and every other weekend each volunteer spends time with their "family" of kids. I love those girls. We did homework together, got their school uniforms ready, played games, read books...
The NPH Honduras orphanage, the Ranch, felt very safe to me. Everyone other weekend the volunteers had free and we saw some other parts of the country. You won't regret spending a year with NPH.

My decision to volunter at NPH was the best life decision I have ever made. The organization is the best I have seen for anyone looking to volunteer abroad.

Some important highlights:
*There is no fee to volunteer. Room and board is included along with a month stipend.
*You are not dropped in an isolated rural area alone like other programs. You live on a large ranch which can literally feel like a large family community that you become a part of. Workplaces are on site so you never have to leave.
*You live in a home with 20 volunteers from all over Europe and/or the U.S. which provides for a very supportive environment. This is ideal for having friends with whom you can travel with on the weekends or while on vacation.
*The actual site where you live and work is very safe despite the country conditions. Only when a volunteer chooses to leave the site is their concern for typical travel safety.

I first became involved with NPH in 2004. I then chose to volunteer for 1 1/2 years in 2006. I worked as a caregiver for the youngest 75 children in the home(There are over 600 kids at the orphanage). My job was truely rewarding as I grew quite close with many of the children. After hearing many of the tragic stories of which they came from, it was truely rewarding to join this organization's mission of transforming the lives of these children by helping to provide them with unconditional love, stability, and to help teach them the tools to break the cycle of poverty within their own lifes.

The best part about this organization is they do not allow adoption so volunteering with them literally felt as though you were a part of their family that was continously growing. Each child that arrives at the home stays their throughout their whole life until they graduate from college. With this mission, NPH has literally become my home away from home. I visit each year to see all the same children who are happy and smiling growing up in a safe environment with all their siblings. It's the only place where I have seen ex volunteers of an organization meet up year after year and feel like you are forever connected this this organization. I would absolutely recommend this organization to anyone.

I volunteered at the Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos home in 2007. I lived and worked at a home for over 600 orphaned and abandoned children in a sprawling ranch style setting. The "rancho" quickly became home to me for the next 13 months of my volunteer experience. I was among 20 other international volunteers from across the U.S. and Europe. I worked during the days as the home's correspondence coordinator and spent my evenings with the 14-16 year old girls sharing meals, helping with homework, and getting them ready for bed. The entire experience helped to open my eyes to many of the social injustices real in our world today, while also showing me the compassion and uncodintional love the children of NPH share. I grew in ways i never thought possible, and wouldn't trade that year for anything. I made lifelong friends among the other volunteers, staff, and children. Since my return, I have continued to visit each year. I would highly recommend this program.

After I first volunteered abroad for a short time, I had a nagging feeling that I wanted to do more. I wanted to stay longer, get further involved in the communities I visited and learn more from the individuals in those communities. I worried a little at first about how to find a legitimate program, if I could afford it, and how safe it would be. I didn't have many friends who had volunteered abroad long term, so I had to research on my own mostly. I chose NPH because of their mission and the tailored professional positions they offered. Jobs for 1 year weren't advertised vaguely as "volunteer" but "physical therapist," "visitor coordinator," "teacher," "caregiver educator," "social worker," etc. If you are looking for a strong program in Latin America to become involved with, I strongly encourage you to look into working at NPH. It's a challenge for sure, but it's one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had. The children changed me in unexpected ways, and I think about them daily. Listen to your "feeling!"

The Friends International Volunteer Program sends qualified individuals, couples and families to support the staff and children living in the homes of Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos in the Dominican Republic.

This experience changed me in ways I can't even describe. It was hard to get used to not having all the comforts of home, but now that I'm back, I just feel spoiled. The best thing I got out of my year at NPH Honduras were the relationships I formed and continue to maintain. There are frustrations working for any organization, but the kids make it worth it.

I have just returned from a year (July 2010-August 2011) at NPH Honduras. The experience was very challenging in many ways, and I grew from the experience in more ways that I'm aware of! I was an English Teacher in the middle school (the Centro Vocacional): as someone who is interested in becoming a teacher, it gave me the opportunity to teach in my own classroom, plan my own lessons, etc. I also had the fun challenge of classroom management, which wasn't always easy but was by far the most valuable part of my experience.

One of the best parts of this program is that you have a real job -which offers the practical feeling of accomplishing positive work- but you also spend a lot of time with the kids, which immerses you in their lives. In this way, the NPH Volunteer experiences gave me the "international volunteer experience" I had been expecting, but also challenged me to grow in my ideas and openness as a person. The kids at NPH are full of life and energy and love (even if it's hidden sometimes), and if you go into the experience willing to offer love and openness, then it can be an amazing experience! Getting to share in their lives is both humbling and inspiring.

Two additional notes: 1) the stipend offered at NPH Honduras makes this program one of the most feasible economically. I needed a program that would allow me to at least break even at the end. Thanks to the stipend, I was able to cover all my expenses in Honduras (as long as you keep to the goal of 'living simply'), and even save some Lempiras for travelling during and at the end of my trip.

2) I was a little apprehensive about what the religious situation would be like at NPH, since it is a Catholic organization and I'm a Jewish kid from New York- but in the end there was definitely zero problem. In fact, I learned a lot about religion, spirituality, and reflection from my time in Honduras (not to mention the interesting connections between Central American Catholicism and grassroots organizing, which I didn't know anything about before).

I loved my volunteer year that I spent at NPH Honduras. I was a volunteer nurse in the clinic from July 2009 to August 2010. I also worked in the evenings with the youngest children. Volunteering at NPH Honduras was challenging, but over all an incredible experience. I liked my job in the clinic, but I loved working with the youngest children in Casa Suyapa! It is an amazing way to travel, learn a new language, and give back! The relationships built with the kids and other volunteers are priceless! I've been back to visit twice since I left a year ago. NPH is truly a fantastic organization that makes a huge difference in the lives of so many children!

It's a lot of work, some days are really frustrating - but being able to spend time with the kids, get to know them, and be part of their lives is incredibly rewarding. I think the biggest challenge is the discipline of the kids. It took a while until I felt like I had a firm footing of the rules/expectations and to gain their respect enough for them to listen to me. So that was trying at times, but it also made me grow tremendously. It's also challenging being in a new culture/language because things are done differently than I was used to at home. So sometimes you just have to remember that you're the guest and must be patient. It was easy to want to blame the bad days on culture/Honduras/etc ... but the reality is that there are hard days no matter where you are (and at the Ranch the good days were always so wonderful!).