To Empower Another
The alarm went off at 2:30 in the morning. It was early; too early. The streets were silent and still. The initial shock to my body gave way to excitement; it had been more than 10 years since I was last in Honduras and today, I was returning to a country full of fond memories, smiling faces and warm hearts (and temperatures).
An early flight to Houston, I got to the gate for Comayagua, Honduras’ new international airport. As I approached, I saw Sara standing there, all smiles. One big hug and then we boarded the plane to Honduras where we met the rest of the group.
Sara and I traveled together to Honduras nearly a decade ago with Highlands Church. At the time, we were working with a local water project in the rural mountains of La Florida building water stations in elementary schools. Sara knew Honduras well and every town we ventured into, being one of the few who spoke fluent Spanish, she introduced us to the mayor and helped develop rapport with the people. No one shines brighter than when they are in their element: Sara, speaking Spanish and building relationships with others, is in her element.
Shortly after that trip, Sara ended up moving down to Honduras, so in love with the country. In the States, Sara was a teacher; she had a passion for education. Down in Honduras, after getting her fill of salsa dancing and exploring the country on her dirt bike, she called me up and pitched an idea. Living in the country and getting to know people intimately, she had come to see a real need: books. Classrooms may have a couple copies of a textbook, but because books are extravagantly expensive in Honduras, most schools do not have libraries.
Sara is a dreamer and she had a vision: Chispa Project. Chispa means “spark” in Spanish and the goal of Chispa is to empower kids by bringing books into classrooms and getting them excited to read.
What started as a solo-operation, a girl with a dream, has transformed into a non-profit with a staff of seven local Hondurans who have opened more than 85 libraries. After living for years in Honduras herself, Sara just relocated stateside so that she can continue to fundraise and grow the organization.
Now, nearly 10 years later, I was returning to Honduras, this time, as a volunteer with Chispa. We were a group of 20 volunteers from all over the United States. We met at the airport where we then jumped onto a bus and headed to Lago Yojoa, the largest lake in Honduras. Over the course of the week, our goal was to help inaugurate a new library in one of the local elementary schools.
For a school to receive a library, Chispa has a rigorous application process; they want to make sure that the schools and communities want the books, that it isn’t just a forced foreign agenda. Schools are required to provide space for the library, fundraise a portion of the total costs, and provide community volunteers to help with the installation and inauguration. In addition, the principal, the teachers and the kids’ parents have to have collective buy-in to install the library. The communities hold several town meetings and the Chispa staff work with the teachers prior to the launch of every library, helping model how to incorporate books and reading into classrooms. After a library is installed, Chispa staff follow-up with the school for a year afterwards to help troubleshoot any problems and to monitor the effectiveness of reading programs.
Fresh on the ground, the first couple days were spent painting the library walls. A giraffe reading a book on one wall, a little girl and boy sitting on a swing reading books on another and then a grand mural on the main wall. Each library has a different mural which pulls from commonly known book covers that the kids would recognize. The hope is to inspire kids and get them excited about reading.
While some of us painted walls, others assembled bookshelves, painting them blue, yellow, and green. The colors coordinate with stickers on the books which help the kids understand the different reading levels.
Though busy working, there was always time to play. Each day, the recess bell would sound and the kids poured out of the classrooms screaming, running, playing, and laughing. Little heads popped up and down peering in through the doors and windows, curious about the gringos covered in paint. By far, Vicki, a volunteer from Florida, was the most popular with the kids. Though it has been years since she studied the language, her high school Spanish classes served her well and the kids were enthralled with her energy.
Once the painting was done, approximately 1,400 books were stickered and inventoried, ready to be delivered to the school. On inauguration day, the classes are broken up into various activities that all incorporate books. Every 30 minutes, the kids rotate to a new class with a new activity. Everything is designed to ignite a spark for the love of learning.
One of the inauguration activities includes a book called Chalk by Bill Thomson. The book has no text – just pictures. The teacher, embracing the role of actor, begins to tell the story with demonstrable hand gestures and a booming voice, inviting the kids to help narrate the story. “Who are these three kids? What are their names?” The story is a kid favorite. One character draws a sun and immediately the sun comes out from behind the clouds. Another kid draws butterflies and then magically, butterflies emerge from the lifeless concrete. Finally, another kid draws a tyrannosaurus rex. Pausing, the teacher theatrically asks, “What do you think happens next?!” The kids, full of energy and excitement, scream: “EL DINOSAURIO COBRA VIDA!!!” (THE DINOSAUR COMES TO LIFE).
The activities show the students different ways books can be used. Some are educational, teaching the kids about pingüinos (penguins), while others tell fantastical stories pulling from the imagination. And others, yet, walk the kids step by step through science experiments, which they then do themselves; it is magic made real to see their eyes in utter surprise when one of the kids pours baking soda into vinegar and the “volcano” errupts!
Books empower kids with ideas and words. Through books, children learn to think critically, to use their imaginations, to express themselves. These are powerful tools that enable children to continue learning, allowing them to break cycles of poverty and to transform. As the organization’s website says, “Books change the story.”
That week in Honduras was inspiring. It was incredible to experience the evolution of Chispa, from Sara’s grassroots idea to a full-fledged operation. As I begin to embrace my own identity as an author, harnessing the power of words, this trip felt especially symbolic, helping bring words to kids. I remember the biggest smile on one kid’s face as he opened a book all about Lionel Messi, the child wearing a Messi jersey himself; it was sheer joy and delight on his face. More than a thousand books were installed in that library, accompanied by many thousands of smiles.
Talking with Sara, she said, “Founding and running a non-profit has been such a vulnerable process. Asking for and accepting help can be hard. But often, when I open myself up to be vulnerable, I also open myself up to be loved. This time in Chispa has allowed me to share so much love with so many kids, but it has also allowed me to feel so loved. It is humbling to have people show up and love on me and the team because they believe in us and what we are doing. Being in the midst of all this love is incredibly powerful.”
At the start of the inauguration, the school principal called Sara up to the front. In Spanish, Sara thanked everyone at the school for all their efforts in making this happen. Even now, writing about that moment, tears come to my eyes; this was a beautiful moment witnessing someone who has listened to her call, who has crossed through the desert, and for the last ten years has followed her passion, trusting in the uncertain path she was taking. She didn’t know what would emerge from her idea, but there she stood, powerful beyond measure, emanating sheer light. And yet, it wasn’t about her; there she was, powerful beyond measure, empowering others. Truly, life is a journey in learning we are more powerful than we know. And, the greatest gift we can give is to empower another.
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To learn more about Chispa Project or to join a volunteer trip or to donate, visit www.chispaproject.org.