Happy Malala Day!

I think that it is fitting that the day before I leave for Honduras that the United Nations celebrates Malala Day at the UN. Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani girl who has been speaking out about the importance of education for girls.  Last year, she was shot by the Taliban because of her beliefs.  She was recognized today, appropriately her sixteenth birthday, for her efforts.  I posted a link below of her speech at the General Assembly. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/12/a-girl-with-a-book-malalas-day-at-the-united-nations/

Education for girls is not just a women’s issue.  Malala said “poverty, ignorance, injustice, racism and the deprivation of basic rights are the main problems faced by both men and women.”  Yet education for women is attacked at far high rates than education for boys despite the fact that has shown to reduce mortality of women and children during childbirth as well as give women more of an opportunity to make decisions about their bodies and their fertility.  

While I am not moving to Honduras to become a teacher, I hope to encourage girls to value education as much as Malala does. Her speech encourages me because she is just one person in a world of many that is making difference in her own way.  (I am kind of jealous that she has figured it out so young! If only I had valued the things at sixteen that she does now, I wonder where I would be…) I will leave you with one of her final thoughts in hopes that you too do something to leave the world a better place than when you found it: “one child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world”.

Go do something awesome or as Kid President (who I kind of want to be my best friend!) says- Give the world a reason to dance! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-gQLqv9f4o

Cuatro días!

My amazing Honduras adventure is right around the corner and I couldn't be more excited. I'm relieved to know that a lot of my fear has dissipated.  I'm not sure if it a cyclical thing and I am going to be nervous again when I hit traveling day or what.  I'm hoping I continue on this high.

I finished a phone call with my supervisor down in Honduras.  Her name is Kate and she seems really fantastic. I'm really looking forward to meeting her in just a few days.  She is also American and has been living there since January. She works in the clinic as a nurse supervisor of sorts, from what I understand.  She was telling me how the last couple of days have been really crazy and that a fifteen-year-old came in to give birth yesterday.  At first my heart broke a little bit but then I realized that I'm hoping to be a part of that solution.

My official job title for Shoulder to Shoulder is Curriculum Coordinator for the Girls' Clubs, which basically translates to me being the person that will come up with an after-school program that engages girls ages 12- 16 (ish).  My mission (as large as it is) is to attempt to give girls something to look for to and hopefully to empower them to stay in school, make better decisions regarding health, and ultimately delay adolescent pregnancy. Seems really easy, huh?

In a weird way, I kind of feel called to do this job. When I applied to StoS, my position wasn't even posted.  I don't really believe in fate but I kind of think that this job was meant for me.  I'm looking forward to learning A LOT.  I know that I will have a lot of days where I struggle but I'm hoping that the days that are really fantastic will overshadow those ones that aren't so easy.  I know life will be quite different than here in the States but I'm looking forward to the challenge.

Thanks for reading and have an awesome day!
Becca

Estoy lista?

Well tomorrow marks the two week countdown for my trip to Honduras and nearly everything is in order. I signed my contract just the other day and booked my flight several weeks ago.  I ordered a ridiculous amount of toiletries online and have bought some new clothes and shoes.  The one thing that I haven't really gotten ready is myself.  While I bounce between being ready and being total petrified, I can't seem to get a handle on my nerves.  I know that once I get there, I will be fine and settle in just splendidly but until then, the unknown is sort of eating away at me.  Will my Spanish be okay? Will the people like me? How will I make friends?  Am I going to totally hate black beans after this experience (I'm hoping that the answer is no because I totally consider black beans their own food group!)?

I hoping that this blog will be my way to cope while gone and I know that it is one of my few options for communication of not only my feelings but to you reading it.  I realize that I may complain or get irritated and that may come across in this writing but I also recognize that there are going to be moments of great triumph and excitement.  Life in Honduras is not going to be easy but I hope that by reading this, you don't see one small negative experience as evidence that the entirety of the trip is unfortunate.  I have pretty much forgotten all of the hardships that occurred on my IHP trip last spring and while I know that I had them, I now have nothing but fond memories and a sense of pride that I was able to accomplish what I did. Here's to a great trip and the best year. Salud!

(Translation- "To health" but is a way to say cheers in Spanish)