Live with the Lenca Indians, Learn Ecotourism Skills, and Teach English
A Community Volunteer Program
Honduras Western Mountain Cloud Forests Durations of Program: 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months, 7-12 months, 1-2 years and over 2 years Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks Dates: all year |
A Grassroots Tourism Cluster In The Mystical Cloud Forest Of The First People Of Honduras |
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Description: Live with Lenca Indians and teach English or initiate an sustainable tourism education program and exchange knowledge of the cloud forest habitat. This special assignment is very rewarding for the caring individual, ready to support the worthwhile cause of preserving and nurturing the Lenca Indian culture and its traditions. Volunteers with a genuine interest in anthropology, cultural influences and differences will enjoy this placement. This project is a part of Turismo En El Camino Lenca "Healing Through Tourism" Program.
Feel this magical world next to these cloud forests
which
have never been studed or researched. Enjoy the fantastic views and
discover unique plants and take pictures. This is a great opportunity for
volunteers to work and live alongside indigenous people and experience life
in this remote and beautiful part of Central America.
The community of Cofadía
lives in the heart of the department
of Intibuca, a state most Hondurans are not even aware exists. It is as far
from the flat hot lowlands of the North Coast as you can get. It is
the land of the Lenca Indians, with their colorful clothes and customs.
One of the projects being developed is the Turismo En El Camino Lenca tourism cluster. This community is in an ideal spot to develop a community tourism project as the paved highway being constructed in Intibuca will come within a few yards. This highway can bring good things as well as bad. That is why it is vital that a sustainable development project come in before this unspoiled land is destroyed, There is no electricity, no television, no cable and no VCRs. It is truly a pristine environment that can be developed into a successful community tourism project with your help.
There are unexplored caves that the people say contain ancient writing or symbols and is so dark inside that they cannot enter the last part of the cave because there is no oxygen. What lies within this cave? The people say deer and mountain lions live here. The altitude is higher than the one mile height of La Esperanza..
The village counts 150 inhabitants and has a primary school, a health care station, a basic shop and a church. Its surroundings enjoy a healthy climate and environment.
The program coordinator speaks fluent English. You will live amongst the friendly Lenca Indians and enjoy daily live in this typical indigenous community. You will stay in host family style accommodation with officials in traditionally built houses. You will enjoy comfortable hammock sleeping and share delicious meals, traditionally cooked and served.
Activities
in Cofadía
concentrate on subjects as:
playground development, tourism site projects,, indigenous gardening and reforestation, recreational and
creative activities with small kids and schoolchildren, teaching English to
Lenca Indian tourist guides and
schoolchildren, building and maintenance work on communal infrastructure,
initiation of an environmental education program and exchanging knowledge of the
cloud forest habitat. As worthwhile and fulfilling
as the work you do will be, the true rewards come from the cross-cultural
learning which takes place.
You need to be flexible and willing to get involved in a range of activities. A pro-active attitude is essential and it helps to have patience. Lenca Indians are wary of losing their cultural identity. Any skills that you have in areas, from sports and music, English teaching, to art or "handy man skills", will be more than welcome and help ensure that you get the most out of your placement and contribute fully to it. (You do not need special skills nor do you have to speak fluent Spanish).
You
can combine this special assignment with volunteer work in
the Turismo En El Camino Lenca project. There is a
waterfall the community wants to develop into a tourism attraction but a
path with handholds must be developed. There are many easy to climb sites
and areas. Training for local tourism guides is needed. Unexplored caves
abound. There is even a legend of an ancient starship that landed in
the area and is buried in a cave.
Volunteers working and living in Cofadía village will have the opportunity to go on special tours with the AIC staff developing the Turismo En El Camino Lenca project.
Requirements: From no previous experience to experts required
Availability: Ongoing through the whole year
Highlights: The Mountain Cloud Forest
This state, Intibuca is the traditional homeland of
the Lenca Indians, considered to be the first people to settle in Honduras
in ancient times. The Lenca are humble, farming people who live lives
surrounded by giant pines and growing this corn, beans and potatoes.
Their land is often steep and you can see hillsides that seem impossible to climb, let alone work, covered with corn or beans or plantain. You wonder how they even manage to stand up.
This land is so rugged, there are many thousands of acres where no foot has ever stepped. There are probably two helicopters in the Honduras outside the military and no one has ever explored these mountains. Lempira is buried somewhere but his bones have never been found. Caves are often found with ancient jade beads and necklaces. This is a land ripe for sustainable tourism development.
Some projects you might help with
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Creating decorated ox carts for tourists rides |
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Helping build trails for horseback riding |
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Developing trails for mountain biking |
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Designing benches for picnicking |
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Designing pavillions for tourists |
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Helping create workshops for demonstrations |
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Designing gardens and meditation areas |
Flora and Fauna:
As
its name implies, the prominent ecosystem of Intibuca is
pine forests.
We call
Intibuca the Oregon of Honduras because it
resembles that state so much. The difference is the Mountain cloud
forest with pine trees full ot orchids and bromiliads.
What about bird watching? Bird watching could be an excellent tourism project but no one know what birds are found here. There has never been a bird count of the area. What a wonderful project this could be for a volunteer. Creating a bird list and photographic record.
Building birdhouses could also be an excellent project. The local people say there are still jaguars to be found and deer are abundant along with agouti and many small rodents.
Snakes do not abound in Intibuca as it often gets
quite cold there. In the woods, you can
find frogs, birds, toucans, humming birds, and insects, from ants and
butterflies of many colors.
Is there an ancient Spaceship buried in the Caves of Intibuca?
This is an ancient legend that in the far past a spaceship fell into the mountains of Intibuca and the travelers buried the ship inside a cave and waited there for rescue. But rescue never came. Is the ship still buried in one of these caves? Are the ancient aliens still within the ship? What treasures are awaiting the searchers who finds it? Will it be you?
Qualifications: Want to come and share yourself with these hardworking, yet humble Lenca? It doesn't matter your age, your education, your experience or your background. Do you care about the environment? Do you want to work and play with children. Are you interested in designing an ecologically sound sustainable tourism project? Know something about nutrition organic gardening or farming, would you like to meet new people? Does the idea of working with indigenous people appeal to you? Do you want to learn about the biology of an area that has never been studied? Would you like to be the first to discover a new plant species or a bird species?
You will be welcome to come and become one of the group. Participate and experience these welcoming people who will bring into their community life. Want to come as a family? Want to help plant corn and beans, Would you like learn how to make tortillas. how to roast and grind coffee? How about making sugar can candy? It's all here for you at the same time you make a fantastic contribution to the survival of these simple yet wonderful people.
We welcome family and group participation. You will immerse yourself in the unique local indigenous culture and take part in challenging community projects. By participating as a volunteer, you'll help sow the seeds of sustainable development. We hope that you will join us in this effort!
Some things you can experience:
| Birdwatching |
| Climbing |
| Camping |
| Archeology |
| Cooking |
| Ecology |
| Geology |
| Eco Tours |
| Hiking |
| Homestay |
| Mountain Biking |
| Horseback Riding |
| Mountaineering |
| Nature Tours |
| Native Culture Studies |
| Student Tours |
| Photography |
| Tours |
| Volunteering |
| Language : |
Cost in US$: 1 week $ 585 ; 2 weeks $ 1199; 1 month only $ 1469
Cost Includes: Host Family Accommodation:
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Program Fees Per Week
More than Twenty Weeks? Email to honducopa@yahoo.com
| Program Length | Program Fee in US Dollars (US $) | Pay Through PayPal |
|
|
||
| 1 Week | 585 | |
| 2 Weeks | 1199 | |
| 3 Weeks | 1334 | |
| 4 Weeks | 1469 | |
| 5 Weeks | 1604 | |
| 6 Weeks | 1739 | |
| 7 Weeks | 1874 | |
| Eight Weeks | 2009 | |
| Nine Weeks | 2144 | |
| Ten Weeks | 2279 | |
| Eleven Weeks | 2414 | |
| Twelve Weeks | 2549 | |
| Thirteen Weeks | 2689 | |
| Fourteen Weeks | 2829 | |
| Fifteen Weeks | 2979 | |
| Sixteen Weeks | 3119 | |
| Seventeen Weeks | 3259 | |
| Eighteen Weeks | 3409 | |
| Nineteen Weeks | 3549 | |
| Twenty Weeks | 3689 |
(21 weeks to 12 months, ask for information)
| Service | Fee In Us Dollars | Pay Through PayPal |
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Airport Pickup and Return in San Pedro Sula or Tegucigalpa |
US$90 | |
| Registration/Membership fee | US$150 |
( The trip to the airport and back from La Esperanza takes an entire day).
What´s included:
Double room at family home 2 meals per day (breakfast and evening meal). Welcome fiesta with local folkloric band. Grupo Icelaca. Evening meal at the Hotel Molino Real the first evening. Transfer from La Esperanza to host family home. Free volunteer workshop.
Volunteer Placement and financial donation
Full support and 24 hour back-up from our local staff That means ongoing programs for learning personal interaction skills and ecological principles.
What's not included.
a. Visa (on arrival at either Tegucigalpa Airport or San Pedro Sula Airport you will be given a tourist visa valid for one month which can later be renewed every month).
b. Airfare to Honduras, national transport and related services.
c. Transport from Tegucigalpa or San Pedro Sula Airport to La Esperanza, Intibuca
d. Personal Expenses
e. Non project travel
f. Medical insurance.
g. Any expenses incurred in preparing for the trip or insurance or additional expenses encountered as a result of flight delays, cancellations or missed connections.
Credit Available: In process
Experience Required: no
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Typical Activities To Choose From:
| agriculture | archaeology | anthropology | arts | biological research | building maintenance |
| childcare | children | community development | community health | cooking | cutting wood |
| conservation | digging | culture | drama | eco-tourism | education |
| English teaching | environment | festivals | fixing fences | gardening | geology |
| health care | income-generation | indigenous issues | infrastructure planning | micro-enterprise | natural resources |
| organic farming | painting | planting | playgrounds | recreation | research |
| sports | tourism | trail building | tree planting | tutor | volunteering |
Typical Volunteer: A Person Who Seeks To Heal Our World
Are You Willing To Be A Healer? Our world needs healing. From the scared places that have been desecrated to the destruction of the ozone layer. From the cement ceiling that has been placed between Earth and sky. From the sacred trees that have been cut down to the rivers that have been channeled. our world cries out for healing. It cries out for your gift. And yours and yours.
What is your gift? Your talent is your presentation of the inner energy of the Source. It has been given you so you can share with those who cannot see the inner design the opportunity to participate in Spirit's great design. Our Healing Through Tourism Volunteers are Healers.
Your typical Healing Through Tourism volunteer is a Culture Experiential Tourist - an adventurous person who seeks new experiences, new groups to belong to, new places to see, and new cultures to experience. He or she finds Joy in their cultural freedom - the Freedom of Choice Of The Culture Experiential Tourist. You Are Free to Make New Friends, Learn About Other Cultures And Create Relationships Across Ethnic And Cultural Barriers! The Whole World Is Your Community. You Belong Everywhere and With Everyone! You Are A Citizen of the World!
Share Yourself Today On Our Volunteer Application Page
Everyone Can Share In Our Healing Mission
It doesn't matter to us if your a teenager, a mature adult or a senior citizen. You can have the experience of your life here in Intibuca. As a Healing Through Tourism volunteer you participate in our Healing Through Tourism philosophy. That means accepting the importance of what you are sharing with the world. Understand the vital need of the Earth for the healing you bring with your leadings from Spirit. Spirit needs to be expressed on an Earth feeling great pain. Your participation in this project can heal, can share Spirit’s outreach and become a vital part of our planets direction toward sustainability.
And your most important job is to share yourself openly with the people in the village. To build their self esteem, to show them you value them. You are that person who is read to take action to begin the process of planning and developing a healing tourism project. Your great joy in your life has been making people comfortable and happy. You love to heal and see the light come into the eyes of people and of the places in the Earth where you plant trees, etc. The gift each of you have been given is Spirit’s promise of healing to our world. The gift is already yours. The gift is already yours. Each person brings to their world a unique set of experiences, education and life design. Each of us has within a great gift for our world. That gift is not something we ourselves created. This gift was given to us by Spirit in the place where we were designed to be a healing force for our world.
We Will Give You The Healing Through Tourism Skills You Need
If you come to Intibuca with an open Spirit and a desire to heal, the rest will be made available to you. Any necessary skills will be learnt on the job. You don't have to speak fluent Spanish, but may want to combine volunteer work with Spanish language at our Spanish Language Center. It is quite possible to volunteer and learn Spanish in parallel. Our programs suit all age groups and cater for all needs and are truly the microcosm of a world where people join together giving priority to improving life for humanity and promoting a Culture of Healing as a practical way to regenerate our planet.. You will immerse yourself in the unique local indigenous culture and take part in challenging community projects.
You will receive a four hour orientation workshop on working with Lenca Indians before being placed with your family.
There will be
a welcome reception for you in La Esperanza the night before going to your
family.
Age Range: 16 - 75
This Program is open to North Americans, Australians, Canadians, Europeans,
Japanese, Koreans, Chinese, Kiwis,
South African and World Wide Participants. This Program is also open to
Families, Couples and Individuals.
Participants Travel to Honduras Independently Or in Groups
Typically Participants Work Independently Or in Groups of 3 to 8
Applications take one week to process
Post Volunteer Services Include:
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Alumni Network |
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Job and Internship Network |
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Opportunity To Work In An AIC Project |
| Opportunity to become a charter student in the Healing Through Tourism Way School being developed in Intibuca |
Share Yourself Today On Our Volunteer Application Page
The Healing Through Tourism Mission Of AIC:
Welcome to our learning center. New concepts, ideas and methods make life more meaningful for all of us. Those who serve as Spirit's conduit for healing our world have a special responsibility. The Asociación Intibucana de Comunicación is an Honduran organization being developed because of the leading of Spirit. The sharing of knowledge, the interaction between people of more than one culture, the learning of other languages is our hope for survival on our planet. Everywhere we see conflict. Ethnic cleansing. Race wars. Intertribal warfare. We see one ethnic group try to prevent other groups from being educated. As our planet increases it number of people, this will become infinitely more dangerous if we do not find a way to co exist with those who are different from us.
Our responsibility is to be true to Spirit's leading, to ensure that we transmit truly the thoughts, symbols, designs and concepts that Spirit sends us. It is our responsibility to share what has been given to us. Our other responsibility is to ensure that we are able to continue serving as Spirit's Conduit by develop these academies as successful organizations.
Our only hope is communication. Finding out about how others live. Seeing them in their homes and understanding that they too are part of a family. Understanding their languages, learning to talk with them and share who you are. Having WinWin Tourism experiences. Connecting into a world community.
We know that we are by nature organisms that bond together in groups. It has been our survival since the beginning of our development as intelligent beings. But these old ways, ways I call negative Mind Clonishness. Negative Mind Clonishness includes a spectrum of negative energy directed from one group to another simply because they are different from us. These ideas are cloned from one mind to another, transferred across generations through teaching in the home and school.
If we do not gain control of these ideas, passed down to each of us from the Pleistocene, they will lead to our ultimate destruction as a species. In effect, our planet is in need of healing. Our planet itself is reeling from our internecine warfare, our selfish desires to control and rule. Yet we are intelligent beings. We can stop moving on a flow of consciousness and take volitional control of our lives and our actions. If we are to heal our planet, if we are to survive, if we are to create a better life, we must gain control of ourselves.
It is time for a new way of life a way of life based on eliminating the negative Mind Clonishness of the past and moving toward Positive Mind Clonishness which is acceptance of "those others" who may look different, act different, dress different, talk different, even think different. In order to do this, we need to understand them. To understand others we must learn to communicate with them. All of the programs of the Asociación Intibucana de Comunicación are designed to enable us to learn the Tourism skills needed to meet the challenges that face us all in the 21 Century. I believe we will make the intelligent choice to take control of our minds, change our inner beliefs about "those others", and begin to heal our world.
The Asociación Intibucana de Comunicación are being developed to be a key part of this new healing experience, the change in consciousness we need to survive. Welcome to the new world of Healing through Culture Experiential Tourism.
Dr. Carol Cross, Director Asociación Intibucana de Comunicación Barrio Lempira de Intibuca, Contiguo a la cooperativa mixta de COMIXCIL Intibuca, Intibuca, Honduras 011-504-783-0199 exportfacs@aol.com honducopa@yahoo.com Share Yourself Today On Our Volunteer Application Page