iamchange's Weblog

Stunning countryside…

iamchange — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 02:44:53 +0000

We are in the town of Gracias (seriously), Honduras, which is about an hour away from our hotel for the night. The town we are staying in has no access to internet, so we made the drive for dinner and found ´ciber-cafe´¨. After several hours of driving out of Tegucigalpa, we made it to the highlands of Honduras. I wish our connection was fast enough to post photos, because what I discovered here is an immense natural beauty. The people and the landscape. Stunning mountains, coffee plantations, lush green valleys and a warm people.

With recent rains, mud and ground water are plentiful. However, with ground water brings the need for filtration…thus bio-sand. Today we were able to see communities that have been transformed by the implementation of filters. Incredible. Simple solutions, incredible results. Then, we were able to install and implement the first Hydrate Hope bio-sand filter in Honduras. It has been a learning experience really being able to see the technology (primitive it may be) up close and personal.

My primary excitement is in knowing that this is such an incredibly easy, and affordable solution to water borne illnesses. One househole, one filter, around $100. Simple. Impactful. Thank you for your involvement in Hydrate Hope. We are looking forward to creating the next steps of involvement for Hydrate Hope and bio-sand.

Great things are happening through I Am Change. From our continued work in Sierra Leone, to Honduras and Set Hope Free launching in Thailand…incredible days are upon us. Thank you for joining together with others to make change a reality.

CHANGE BRINGS HOPE!

Landed…

iamchange — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 04:35:52 +0000

Well, I must say, landing in Tegucigalpa is quite the experience. I have landed in a few airports around the world, but this landing definitely was one of the most exciting. Careening through the mountainous landscape, eye level with hilltops, making multiple maneuvers to get in just the right position, then buzzing right over the top of traffic to dial it right in on the runway. And, this is a normal landing in Tegucigalpa. In fact, this is one of the most dangerous airport landings in the world. To see a brief clip on You Tube of another plane landing in Tegus…: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_z5HtME9n8 (this is not our plane, we flew our friends at Continental, but that would have been pretty impressive if I could have somehow managed to get out of the plane in order to video the landing).

So, the day progressed well. We saw a small sand and gravel plant that was started here through a micro-loan through one of our partners. This sand and gravel is being used all over Honduras in Bio-Sand filters that are really changing life in communities; especially rural areas. We are heading out in the morning to scope some upcoming Hydrate Hope project sites as well as looking at communities that have already been transformed by the implementation of Bio-Sand filters, in addition to adequate Health and Hygiene Training. It is so good to be here, knowing that you are thinking, praying, and dreaming of change there. It is such an incredible opportunity that we all have to be a part of something much bigger than ourselves. To know that our voices, our talents, our compassion and our resources, really are changing lives. And still, even greater things are yet to come.

Depending on internet access, we will do our best to keep this blog updated as we head out into the rural areas of Honduras. Just learning of the overwhelming child-mortality rates in the rural areas, make me want to do whatever I can to save the lives of children… in Honduras, in Africa, in Haiti, in India….all over the world. And, what we are doing through Hydrate Hope and I Am Change is a great step in the right direction. Thank you for partnering with us as we seek to see justice happen and compassion lived out.

CHANGE BRINGS HOPE!
-ms

Honduras…

iamchange — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:43:04 +0000

Thursday 8/28/2008, we are heading South (from Houston) to Honduras to launch a Bio-Sand filter initiative for our Hydrate Hope project. In addition to our current well-repair projects in Sierra Leone, and our upcoming well work in Malawi, these projects in Honduras will be making major impact in the lives of thousands of people, predominantly children. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that in Honduras alone, more than 50,000 children die every year from water-related illness.

We will do our best to keep this blog updated with news as we travel. Internet access is most always “hit or miss” in the developing world, so we hope we will be able to share the great stories with you as soon as they unfold.

I Am Change Blog

iamchange — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:35:06 +0000

You’ve reached the travel/field blog of I Am Change. We try to keep this blog simply devoted to our most current and relevant travel and project information. Thanks for checking in. For more information on I Am Change, check out www.iamchange.org.

CHANGE BRINGS HOPE!