News/Updates:

March, 2006 - While many of their friends were going on vacation to sunny beaches or snow capped ski resorts a small but highly motivated group of students from Hampden-Sydney College returned to work in Honduras. This trip would prove to be unlike any other trip previously experienced by a group from Hampden-Sydney College. This was the 7th trip with ROW in 5 years and the 3rd in Honduras in just 1 year!

In less than a year we have watched as the medical clinic situated outside of Tualabe has taken shape. First the site was leveled and prepared, then the slab was poured, walls were put up, and now the first level is virtually complete! This group of 8 volunteers had little idea of how much work they would take part in during the week of March 12-19. 

While McKennon Shea and Wes Lawson entertained themselves with the small tractor trying to dig out one end of the soon to be sidewalk the rest of the group (Watson Mulkey, Blaine Miller, Justin Norbo, Mark Dickerson, Meade Whitaker) followed James Miller's lead and grabbed pick axes, shovels, and tamping bars. Nearly two days were spent leveling the sidewalk and preparing it to have concrete poured forming a columned sidewalk perimeter for the clinic. 

As the temperature rose Israel Gonzalez had us unload truck after truck of sand, gravel, blocks, and bags of cement. With no cement mixer in sight the group, under the watchful eyes of their Honduran counterparts, setup more than one dozen mixing piles. Each pile consisted of 120 shovels of sand, 1 bag of cement, 1 bag of calcium carbonate, and buckets of water. The fast paced, back breaking, process of mixing the Mezcla had begun. For 3 days the group would mix and pour while stumbling through a language barrier that was easily broken down by laughter, sharing food and water, and an unshakeable desire to learn the basics of Spanish and Honduran construction.

Construction, especially mixing cement and laying foundations has become the bread and butter of Hampden-Sydney College's work with ROW. But the real fun has been interacting with local children. On a daily basis children would stop by the worksite on their way home from school. Over the course of the week their initial shy grins transpired into competitive games of soccer and lessons in how to properly mix Mezcla. Visits to a local school, a church, and the mountain top village of El Cerron allowed the group to hand out educational packets and toys to over 200 children!

The Prince Edward County Volunteer Rescue Squad, Moore Student Health Center at Hampden-Sydney College, and donations raised by Patrick Taylor helped stock Dr. Floripe Gonzalez's Medical Clinic for the Christian Community in Honduras. 

With 7 trips with Rivers Of The World Hampden-Sydney College is showing no signs of stopping when it comes to volunteering the time, skill, and determination of her students and staff. This was another powerful experience of everyone involved. 

Wes Lawson

Rivers of the World is a non-profit, tax exempt 501(c)3 organization.
ROW's EIN # is 64-0866959 and all gifts/donations to ROW are tax deductible.

ROW.org is maintained by Tarver Program Consultants, Inc.
Send comments and suggestions to our webmaster.

(c) 2005, Rivers of the World