My Heart's New Home (Part 1)
Honduras, the original "Banana Republic," is the second-largest country in Central America (next to Nicaragua). It is slightly larger than Tenessee. Honduras is located in the heart of Central America, bounded on the north by the Caribbean Sea, on the east and south by Nicaragua, on the west by Guatemala, and on the southwest by El Salvador and the Pacific Ocean. A tropical and mountainous country, Honduras is known for its natural beauty, low-profile tourism, and cheap living expenses.
"All roads lead to Tegus:" Tegucigalpa (or "Tegus," as the locals call it), the capital of Honduras, is a gateway into the Pacific Coast and numerous attractions in the central and southern regions of the country.
Unfortunately, Honduras is one of the least developed and industrialized nations in Central America, and remains largely dependent on the United States. The unequal distribution of wealth and income in the country cannot be overemphasized. Monopolies abound, and political and business elites control the economy. Corruption is widespread within the government and police and military forces, and the judicial system is weak. Bribery is a way of life (does this sound familiar to anyone?)
The unemployment rate of Honduras is about 30%; this figure is greater among women. More than half of the population (53%) live below the poverty line. About 68% of Honduran families, especially those in rural and semi-urban areas, live in poverty.
One's socio-economic status affects different areas of one's life, such as one's education, employment opportunities (or lack thereof), values, health status, and access to services. As such, the extent of poverty in Honduras has multiple negative consequences for its citizens. Poverty also creates fertile ground for the spread of infectious diseases, such as HIV and AIDS. Social policies that reinforce economic inequality also reinforce conditions where the scourge of HIV/AIDS can flourish.
Although Honduras has only 17% of the population of Central America, it has the highest rate of AIDS (around 60% of all AIDS cases) in the region. Research shows that AIDS in Honduras is transmitted heterosexually, for which equal numbers of men and women are infected. The HIV infection rate among women is rising faster than that among men. AIDS has become the leading cause of death among women of childbearing age in Honduras. Poverty, violence, lack of education, unequal power relations between women and men, and biological factors increase the vulnerability of women.
The children of HIV positive women suffer a double burden--they are likely to be orphaned, and they become fatally ill from HIV. Indeed, these children, like their counterparts around the world, are the innocent victims of all the inequities of their society. I saw concrete examples of this reality during my stay in Honduras, when I volunteered at Montana de Luz and interacted with children with HIV/AIDS.
***
True to its name, Montana de Luz (Spanish for "Mountain of Light) is located on top of a small mountain east of Tegucigalpa, near the town of Nuevo Paraiso. Life here proceeds at a much slower and more relaxed pace--a respite from the noise and stress of urban life. Here, one can contemplate the splendor of the lavender mountains and blue skies during the day, or admire the canopy of stars at night. Here, one is free to enjoy many other simple pleasures, such as the gentle breeze, the chirping of the birds, the laughter of the children...and yes, silence.
The view from Montana de Luz...No wonder I fell in love with this place!
All the children at Montana de Luz are HIV-positive. They will live out their childhoods at the orphanage. Some of them may even die there. But God willing, these children will know that they are not alone in the struggle to live with dignity and hope in the face of a global scourge that has taken its toll on their young lives. Montana de Luz provides the children with a loving, family-like environment, nutritious food, clean water, and proper medical care. Various programs meet the children's educational, social, emotional, and spiritual needs. The orphanage aims to help the children live, grow, and thrive, despite their illness; if they die, at least they die with dignity and the knowledge that they are loved.
The angels of Montana de Luz
The morgue-turned-computer room--a sign of life
found herself @ 1:15 PM
24 Comments:
the story of Honduras sounds so painfully familiar nakakalungkot. and the Montana de Luz children, hay, just breaks my heart. good to know that they are surviving and getting more resilient. there's hope after all!
thanks for sharing this diane, they'll be in my prayers =)
Mei: Ay, sinabi mo pa. Honduras reminds me of the Philippines in so many ways...pero mas mahirap pa sila kaysa sa atin. The children at Montana de Luz have been through so much. Nakaka-depress talaga 'yung mga kwento nila. But they're really resilient, as you pointed out.
Thank you for your prayers! Take care!
Honduras indeed is a beautiful place,so nice to spend your days with genuine smile on your lips :)
too sad,bata pa lang sila,HIV positive na..too bad...they need some prayers...
Di,may kulang sa post mo,wala yung iniintay ko,yung medyo love story LOL!
its ok,i am patient naman eh,hintay hintay lang... :)
Tegus is like a Mountain Province in our country. Slower and relaxed pace.
I was touch on your stories about the children of Montana de Luz. You were so blessed to get involved with them and interact with these children.
Thank you for sharing this info to us and im still waiting for another part.
Ate Ghee: Now you know why I fell in love with Honduras...and why I left my heart there. I felt so at home there, and the people I met were really friendly and hospitable. They made me feel welcome, even if my Spanish is really terrible.
The children were born with HIV, for the most part. Some of them were sexually abused, too. Oo nga, nakakalungkot talaga ang sitwasyon nila. Their parents' actions have permanent negative consequences for them...and yet they're innocent. If you spend time with them and get to know them, hindi mo mahahalata na they've been through so much. They're just like regular kids. I'm praying for them always.
Hahaha...masyadong personal ang love story, baka maloka ang iba sa kwento ko. Pinag-iisipan ko pa kung ikukuwento ko 'yon. But thanks for your patience. One of these days, malalaman mo rin ang kwento. Hahaha :)
Ingat ka lagi! Luv yah!
Mommy Lei: Talaga? Di pa ako nakakarating sa Mountain Province. That's interesting. One time, we visited this town an hour away from the orphanage, and it reminded me of Vigan naman. Wala lang. Probinsyang-probinsya talaga doon. Mahilig ako sa probinsya kasi mas gusto ko 'yung mas relaxed na lifestyle, so I really felt at home in Honduras.
Yes, I'm blessed to have been able to go there and get to know the children. I will treasure all my memories of Montana de Luz in my heart forever.
Thanks for reading my post! Sige, abangan ang susunod na kabanata, este kwento. Ingat po!
Your pics say so much about the place...although the story is about the children is heart - breaking :(
Once again, pinahanga mo ako, Di. Wrong choice of words. nakakainggit ka. nagkaroon ka ng pagkakataong makasama at maglingkod sa mga kawawang batang 'yon. Count yourself blessed for having the opportunity to serve. Yes, these children are angels, but in my eyes, you are an angel, too. Love you, my lucky friend.
pinas na pinas nga! kaya naman pala kung maaari lang ayaw mo ng umuwi :D
sana nga makabalik ang anghel nila ...
ang ganda naman niyan parang pinas :)
Jairam: I agree. The children's stories break my heart, too. :( I'm still processing everything I learned and witnessed during my trip. And I have to admit, I'm struggling to comprehend why they're in the situation they're in.
I admire the children for their resilience, though. That gives me hope, somehow. I don't know what the world will be like when they grow up, but I just pray they will have a future filled with hope.
Ella: Thank you! Gusto mong sumama pagbalik ko doon? Hehe :)
Touched naman ako sa sinabi mo. Haha...di ako anghel, noh. *wink* Sobra-sobra ang blessings na binigay ng Diyos sa akin. I just want to pass on the love I've received--I'm paying it forward, I guess.
I can't thank God enough for the opportunity to go to Honduras and spend time with the children I met. The universe really conspired for that to happen.
It's really humbling to volunteer at a place where you don't speak the language of the people. There were so many times when I felt so useless. Once, nag-tantrum 'yung dalawang bata at nagalit sila sa akin--di ko naman alam kung bakit. Grabe, di ko malaman kung anong gagawin ko. I became close to the little kids, though, because I didn't have to talk that much in order to play with them. Basta bantayan ko lang sila at aliwin sila, okay na. Waah...lalo ko silang nami-miss.
Ingat ka lagi! Love you too, my friend!
Mommy Neng: Yup! Pinas na Pinas talaga. Kaya sobrang at home ako doon. Buti di ko kinausap ng Tagalog 'yung mga taga-doon pero muntikan nang mangyari 'yon.
Sana nga, makabalik ako doon. Mag-iipon muna ako ng pamasahe at mag-aaral ng Spanish. Pero sinabi ko sa kanila na babalik talaga ako.
Sis Melai: Yup! Maganda talaga doon. Parang mga probinsya ng Pilipinas na pinagsama-sama. Hospitable rin sila, tulad natin. Wala lang.
Ingat!
Ganda ng pics Di, parang pinas din :)
kaya na miz mo tuloy hehe
Happy weekend!
Nang Ethel: Hehe :) Nakaka-miss rin 'yung mga tao, lalo na 'yung anak ko at saka 'yung nagpapatibok ng puso ko. Hahaha :)
Happy weekend rin sa iyo! *mwah*
Beautiful place. But it's sad that many children are HIV positive.
Niceheart: My sentiments exactly :(
Honduras is a land of so much beauty but also so much poverty...which is a major factor in the spread of HIV/AIDS. My heart goes out to the children who are affected by the situation, despite their innocence.
Are the children at La Montana available for adoption?
Lisa: That's what I need to confirm. To my knowledge, one of the kids was adopted last year. However, he wasn't HIV positive. He just ended up there because even after he tested HIV negative, no one in his family could afford to take care of him.
On a personal note, I wish I could adopt Jamie, the little girl I became close to. I know that sounds impossible but I guess I can dream.
Why would it be impossible? In the United States many single women -- even a group of Sisters with whom I used to work -- foster and adopt children.
Lisa: I'm not an American citizen, so I couldn't take advantage of that privilege. In the Philippines, adoption laws are stricter. I know you have to be married (and presumably heterosexual) in order to adopt kids. But that applies to Filipino adoptive parents and children only. They bend the rules for single parents from the US or Europe. I wonder what the rules are for Filipino citizens who wanna do international adoptions. Hmmm... I should look into that.
I really want to adopt a kid from Honduras. I really do...even if I don't have a partner and I'm not married. :(
Honduras is a broken nation in so many ways. Hurricane Mitch devistated a country already broken by a ruling elite. I didn't know the hiv rate was as high as you say.
I lead two teams to Honduras in April and July of 1999 to build homes. Learning and service tours. Very eye opening indeed.
Jayarejr: I agree with you. I come from a broken nation myself, but it wasn't till my trip to Honduras that I realized that there are many other nations that are even more broken than my country of origin. Honduras is the perfect example of the extremes of capitalism.
Do you still go to Honduras? Are you connected with a particular group?
Thanks for dropping by my blog. Come back anytime.
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