Copprome

A group of six alumnae from the University of Mary Washington traveled to El Progreso for a week to continue their support of SHH and survey the projects that are underway. Five of the six were on the first trip to Nuestras Pequeñas Rosas in 2004 and all seven were participants in SHH while students at UMW. During the week they visited the nutrition center and Copprome orphanage, worked at La Villa Soleada, visited the Siete de Abril community and accompanied Cosmo Fujiyama as she presented the land deed for the Por Venir School. "I am so thankful to have had this week here and I feel reinvigorated to keep supporting SHH and to find even more ways to contribute. It’s remarkable how much has happened in the months since Shin and Cosmo moved here." --Kelly Ryan '06

After several months of careful thought and hard work, SHH elected to dedicate this year’s Walkathon to the girls at Copprome Orphanage. This year’s Walkathon will fulfill a promise we first made two years ago when we fought to keep Copprome’s doors open in April 2006. That Walkathon gave Copprome the Sunshine Education Center, which fills many of the critical gaps in the Honduran public education system. However, the pervasive lack of collegiate opportunity in Honduras represents a shortcoming in SHH’s effort to provide these children with tools for meaningful, life-long success. Educational opportunity is one of the few priceless assets that should never be taken away from a person, and in Honduras especially can be the single most powerful way to break the cycle of poverty.  read more »

Over 125 students participated in service learning trips to El Progreso, Honduras between December 15, 2007 and January 13, 2008. In addition to several graduate students, alumni, and working professionals, volunteers represented 13 different colleges: the University of Mary Washington, the College of William and Mary, the University of Virginia, Georgetown University, Virginia Tech, the College of Westminster, the University of Richmond, Boston College, Barnard College, Hollins University, the University of Massachusetts, Western Illinois University, and Rutgers University. Volunteers spent between one and four weeks in the country.  read more »

Approximately 15 volunteers celebrated the Christmas season with the children of Copprome Orphanage and the community of Siete de Abril. Winter service trip volunteers brought over 125 suitcases of donations, providing presents that made Christmas possible for nearly 300 children. “Without these donations, these kids wouldn’t have food or gifts,” says Shin Fujiyama, “We saw a lot of smiles this year.”

On Christmas, volunteers brought the children of Copprome to a local mall to watch a movie, and were then treated to dance performances by all the children at cooprome's holiday party that evening.

SHH and the kids at Copprome organized a 6-v-6 soccer tournament at the GOL Sport Soccer Center in El Progreso. We invited the girls from Our Little Roses girls home in San Pedro Sula as well as Maldonado Football Club to host four games: U-9, U-13, high school girls, and U-13 boys.

The tournament was a huge success and many new friendships were formed. Stay tuned for a short video about the day’s event!

Below is a blog post from SHH Volunteer Greg Teich (W&M, 2007). With his permission, we have posted it on our website. He is currently working as a Special Ed. teacher in Hawai'i with Teach for America. Greg's knowledge and insight as a teacher was extremely helpful for the staff at the Copprome Education Center. We all hope he comes back soon!

Honduras was a wild ride. I am currently flying back to Hawai'i. I can't describe how wonderful my trip was. I have been to some very amazing places, but nothing compares to the orphanage at Copprome. The children I worked with have left me with the distinct impression that I will never be able to forget them, or leave them. I know this is a bit mushy for my generally upbeat and comical emails, but this is what my trip was, so this is what you get to read. Since I got out my mushy piece, I'll finish up with this weekend at the beach, and the highlights of the trip.  read more »

At Copprome Orphanage, SHH will soon inaugurate the recently-constructed Sunshine Education Center. Yet, no education center is complete without the projects and people that make learning happen. This Fall, Chuck Abbott will join SHH in Honduras as the Education Center Project Director. Chuck is a 2007 graduate of the College of William & Mary who holds Bachelor’s degrees in Hispanic Studies and International Studies. His first initiative will focus on designing a sustainable English as a Second Language (ESL) program.  read more »

In June of 2007, construction was completed for the Sunshine Education Center at the Copprome orphanage. The education center includes a small library, computer lab, study room, art room, music room, and meditation room. The building will be a place for the kids to study, a center for after-school activities, and can be used to house child-led craft projects to raise money.  read more »

From May 19th to June 3rd students from UMW, WM, VT, and GTown traveled to Honduras for the 2007 Students Helping Honduras May service trip. Although two large groups came down at different times of the week; overall, it was a well organized trip. There was a good balance between work and rest.  read more »

A group of about 10 students from the University of Mary Washington are set to travel to Honduras to spend time with the children, a quote from Shin Fujiyama who is currently in Honduras with Cosmo and his family stated:

"About half of the kids at copprome are away for a week or two to spend time with someone in their family (uncles, aunts, older siblings, etc) for the holiday season. some of them have mothers or fathers, but cannot support their kids for the whole year. other kids are away with their parents who have AIDS to say goodbye, but the kids have been told their parents are sick from cancer. they do not know that their parents have AIDS as it would be too much for the little ones to handle . The little ones that are left here are depressed and sad because they understand they have absolutely no family. but we have been trying to do our best to lighten up their days by having lots of fun activities."  read more »