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Gl obal W ate r Br igades @ Ber keley

Honduras: Honduras in Spanish, República de Honduras is a democratic republic
in Central America. It was formerly known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it
from British Honduras (now Belize).[2] The country is bordered to the west by
Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the
south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, and to the north by the Gulf of
Honduras, a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea.

Economy: The economy has continued to grow slowly but the distribution of wealth
remains very polarized with average wages remaining low. Economic growth in the
last few years has averaged 7% a year which has been one of the most successful
growths in Latin America, but 50%, approximately 3.7 million, of the population still
remain below the poverty line.[9] It is estimated that there are more than 1.2 million
people who are unemployed, the rate of unemployment standing at 27.9%.

Honduras was declared one of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries by the World
Bank and the International Monetary Fund which made it eligible for debt relief in
2005.

Both the electricity services (ENEE) and land-line telephone services

(HONDUTEL) have been operated by government agencies, with ENEE
receiving heavy subsidies because of chronic financial problems. HONDUTEL,
however, is no longer a monopoly, the telecommunication sector having
been opened to private-sector companies after December 25, 2005; this was
one of the requirements before approving the beginning of CAFTA. There are
price controls on petrol, and other temporary price controls for basic
commodities are often passed for short periods by the Congress.
After years of declining against the U.S. dollar the Lempira has stabilized at
around 19 Lempiras per dollar. In June 2008 the exchange rate between
United States Dollars and Honduran Lempiras was approximately 1 to 18.85.
Water Supply and Sanitation: Water supply and sanitation in Honduras
varies greatly from urban centers to rural villages. Larger population centers
generally have modernized water treatment and distribution systems,
however water quality is often poor due to lack of proper maintenance and
treatment. Rural areas generally have basic drinking water systems with
limited capacity for water treatment. Many urban areas have sewer systems
in place for the collection of wastewater, however proper treatment of
wastewater is scarce. In rural areas, sanitary facilities are generally limited to
latrines and basic septic pits.
Water and sanitation services were historically provided by Servicio
Autonomo de Alcantarillas y Aqueductos (SANAA). In 2003, a new "water
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law" was passed which called for the decentralization of water services. With
the 2003 law, local communities have the right and responsibility to own,
operate, and control their own drinking water and wastewater systems. Since
passage of the new law, many communities have joined together to address
water and sanitation issues on a regional basis.
Many national and international non-government organizations have a
history of working on water and sanitation projects in Honduras. International
groups include, but are not limited to, the Red Cross, Rotary Club, Catholic
Relief Services, Water for People, CARE, CESO-SACO and SHH.
In addition, many government organizations working on projects include: the
European Union, USAID, the Army Corps of Engineers, Cooperacion
Andalucia, the government of Japan, and many others.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honduras

To read more about drinking water in developing countries, here is a link to

an article by Dr. Ashok Gadgil, a UC Berkeley senior scientist at LBNL:
http://arjournals.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.energy.23.1.25
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You should be able to access if you are connected via UC Berkeley.

Vaccinations:
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Typhoid
Tetanus
malaria
hepatitis A and B

You will need to check with your physician about the timing of your vaccines
and check your medical record to see which vaccines you require. (some of
you may already have tetanus or hep A). Remember to get vaccinated
sooner rather than later as some shots, such as hep A require two
vaccinationsa couple of months apart. If you go to the Tang Center, and
schedule an appointment stating that you will be traveling abroad to
Honduras, they will make it easy for you by preparing a list of vaccinations
you will need for the country.

AIR DEPOSIT: A NON-REFUNDABLE $150.00 per person depositis required

to secure your place in your Brigade and to begin the air reservations process. If
a traveler cancels his/her trip, the deposit will not be refunded. DUE:
FEBRUARY 16TH
If your air reservations are purchased outside of APF Travel, Inc., please add
$100.00 to the price of your in-country costs.

The rest of our airline payment will be due: MARCH 16TH

Traveler’s Insurance: medical attention and medical evacuation while on

their brigade. APF Travel will handle the arrangements for this policy based on
your brigade name list. Travel insurance is over and above the price of the air
ticket.

PRICE: $35.00 per person

Coverage:

$25,000.00 Emergency Medical/Dental Coverage

$100,000.00 Emergency Medical Transportation

24-hour Hotline Assistance

If coverage is declined, traveler must sign and return the Travel Insurance
Waiver form before APF Travel releases air tickets.

PASSPORTS AND VISAS: IMPORTANT!!

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U.S. citizens DO NOT require a visa to enter Honduras or Panama. However, you
MUST be sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months after arrival date in
these countries. If your passport is set to expire within 6 months on your date of
arrival, please renew it now. The renewal process takes up to 2 months by mail.
Please visit http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/renew/renew_833.html for
instructions on renewal.

NON-U.S. CITIZENS MUST CHECK WITH THE HONDURAN OR PANAMANIAN

CONSULATES WHETHER YOU NEED A VISA TO ENTER THE COUNTRY. THIS IS
YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AND APF TRAVEL AND GLOBAL BRIGADES WILL NOT BE
RESPONSIBLE FOR DENIAL OF ENTRY DUE TO LACK OF PROPER
DOCUMENTATION. PLEASE ALLOW AT LEAST 2 MONTHS TO PROCESS A VISA IN
ORDER TO AVOID DELAYS. PLEASE SEE
http://www.hondurasemb.org/Lista%20de%20Consulados.pdf FOR A LIST OF
HONDURAN EMBASSIES NEAR YOU.

What to Expect: A positive & flexible attitude and sense of adventure are
the first requirements for a meaningful mission experience. If you are on
your first trip to a developing nation you must keep in mind that things do
not always work as we are accustomed to, nor as we expect them to. The
infrastructure in Honduras remains several years behind that of the USA and
plans often change. Should inconveniences occur, understanding is always
greatly appreciated. Consider yourself ambassadors and Please be prepared
to go with the flow.

Sociedad Amigos de los Ninos (SAN)

(Friends of the Children) Founded in 1966, the non-profit humanitarian
organization, Sociedad Amigos de los Ninos (www.saninos.org.hn), embraces
the world of the orphaned, abandoned, and abused children, teenagers and
young women at risk of Honduras. The organization has many projects in
which it works tirelessly providing food, clothing, shelter, medical services,
education, training, and psychological support to the underserved of this
critically impoverished country. In an effort to instill a sense of self-reliance
and self respect, SAN places emphasis on family values, education, rural
development, agriculture and micro enterprises.
Sociedad Amigos de los Niños is a unique humanitarian organization that is
based in the Miraflores area of Tegucigalpa. SAN was founded by Sister
Maria Rosa Leggol of the Order School Sisters of Saint Francis. Some of the
programs where SAN is making a difference include:
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Neuvo Paraiso, a village for single mothers and their children, was began
with the mission of transforming the lives of families through education,
practical training, healthcare, and shelter, allowing them to journey towards
independence. SAN has developed a “Kinder” for children of preschool age,
primary and secondary schools, Medical clinic with ambulatory services for
the surrounding area, and several micro enterprises within the Nuevo Paraiso
village to provide employment for the residents. Currently, several of the
single family homes are being converted into Orphanages as Nuevo Paraiso
adapts to address a growing need.
Granja Flor Azul, a program that provides boys from ages 12-18 a safe
place to live with dignity, while providing an education, general life-skills,
and training to work the land. Currently there are 100 boys living at Flor
Azul!
“In working together through our unique gifts, we have moved a
step closer in bringing the Americas together through spiritual and
physical healing. Your involvement is what is important. The
greatest gift is your presence with us, giving and sharing
community.”

- Sister Maria Rosa

Founder of Sociedad Amigos de los Niños (SAN)
Source: http://www.fhcindiana.org/about%20SAN.htm
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May25th – May 31st August 7th – August 14th

1. Helen Yu 1. Diana Chang

2. Jazzmin Adibi 2. Jennifer
3. Ann Oh Corona
4. Tra Pham 3. Amy
5. Jing Liu Westermann
6. Mihir B. 4. Jessica
7. Pria Mudan Watson
8. Clare McInerney 5. Diana Rios
9. Radhika C. 6. Alvaro Leiva
10.Joshua R. 7. Anjali Menon
11.Elisa Lee 8. Luisa
12.Tamara Marks Martinez
13.Katherine Conchada 9. Debbie Trinh
14.Justin Schaefer 10.Mansi S.
15.Darshita Maniar 11.Nicole
16.Akshay Rao Gargano
17. Samantha Wang 12.Lillian Chen
18.Susan Liu
19.Suman Tatapudy
20. Lucia Kuang

GWB Director:
Orion Haas
orion@globalbrigades.org
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