Coming along!

I feel like I'm off to a strong start on my project so far since I have been making plans for different interviews and for the workshops.  Since my target audience is the older boys at La Montaña and they are in school and I'm not allowed to hang out up there, I have had to find a way around all that to figure out how I'd be able to reach them.  Kevin took me up to talk to the people in charge, and on Friday night when they are all around I will go give a little presentation about what I want to do.  Talk about pressure.  Normally I'm totally fine with talking to the boys and talking about what I want to do, but now they want me to do it in front of 22 teenage boys, in a language I don't speak THAT well.   Its four days away and already I'm nervous!  

Today I was a little bit frustrated with the way things were going and the lack of time where the boys could pay attention and participate in interviews.  There wasn't a lot of actual work to be done since everything works on Honduran time, so a lot of the boys who agreed to do an interview were distracted and busy just playing with the other volunteers.  I don't mind though, I think its great that the group is making an effort to play with the kids despite not speaking spanish.  Instead of focusing on boys today, I decided to work on the volunteer video.  The volunteer video is just another sect of my project that I hope will help to prepare future volunteers with what to expect when they come down.  Things like learning about "Honduran Time", the weather, and the general ups and downs of being involved in a program that is such an emotional roller coaster.  The intensity of this program often leaves people feeling the need to contribute and to continue efforts, but the feeling often dwindles and people forget to follow up or lose the drive to return.  I'm hoping that the volunteer video, and the videos I come up with in general will be something that people can share with friends and help to maintain the drive to fundraise and keep coming back.   

Tomorrow I have plans to talk to several of the boys about their stories, and then I will also be interviewing a few more of the volunteers.  I want to interview the group from Collegiate, who are all back for a second time, and then in two weeks I will be able to interview the other group from Collegiate who will all be coming for the first time.  I've interviewed the UVA girls who are here for six weeks, and will be interviewing several long term volunteers who come back regularly.  Hopefully its going to all come together the way I hope!