11 Weeks and Counting

We are down to 11 weeks and counting before I leave for Honduras and it's all starting to feel very real! It's becoming all I can think about while I'm pretty sure my mum is trying to avoid thinking about it too much!

One very important thing to report is that I have now reached the magic number, which for me is £5,000, and I am now in a position for the Realising Dreams Foundation to step in for the last £1,200. I have been sitting on about £4,600 ever since the Global Citizenship non-uniform day, just biding my time until my last scheduled bake sale. No sooner had I had my last official day at school than I was back, selling lots of delicious cakes, cookies and tray bakes at the S2 parent's evening. After selling leftovers at break the next day (honestly, that place can't get rid of me!) we made £301.05, taking me to the total of around £4,960. This took me by surprise a bit as I wasn't expecting to be so close to the end!

Celebrating after finishing my last bake sale of the year!

Some of you may remember that back towards the start of my fundraising, my Uncle Paul generously, selflessly and at great personal cost offered to give up one beer a week and put the money saved towards my year. As soon as I realised how close I was to my total, all it took was a quick phone call to cash in the last remaining bit that I needed from my uncle and there I was, all the way up at £5,000!

More exciting news to make next year real was getting my placement email. I was expecting it the last week of April. And then the first week in May. And then came the second week of May, still without an email though Project Trust promised it was coming! But they still made us wait until the end of the week!

Candelaria

It was absolutely worth the wait though! I have been placed in Candelaria, a remote town close to the Honduran border with El Salvador. Although a relatively poor town, there has been investment and the local council (municipal) has been active in improving infrastructure and providing opportunities. Candelaria is a new project that has only had volunteers since January this year and is a partnership scheme that involves the municipal, the local school and the parent's committee. They are very keen to have an English programme after seeing the benefits of Project Trust volunteers in the nearby town of Tomalá.

 

The volunteers this year have been teaching in the Kindergarten and primary school as well taking an adult evening class. There is scope to develop the timetable to include the secondary school, as demand for English lessons is high. The primary school has about 180 pupils and limited facilities. It caters for the town and children from the local aldeas. I will be able to set my own curriculum so will need to use my imagination and initiative to teach.

There are lots of practical things to be taken care of like vaccinations and disclosures now that I definitely know where I'm going and I'm now on the countdown to training back up on Coll and then to my departure! Not long now...!