Kelly Wilkinson
Program Administrator
Favorite experiences
Honduras is a fascinating country and getting out of Cofradia to visit the beach, the mountains, archaeological sites, the Lake or just to the city is always exciting but my most memorable experiences have been here or close by. Partying with karaoke in Spanish, heading up to nearby Cusuco National Park (a cloud forest), entertaining short-term visitors who come to volunteer, eating 'baleadas' at the Fajardo's house, hanging out at Chicken-Internet, getting a 'licuado' after school to unwind…
Food & Futbol
I love to eat 'tajadas'. These are fried plantains that in their different forms come out like a healthier version of french fries or potato chips, although in many places they can be pretty fat-laden as well. I'm a fan of the soccer team known as Maratón, mainly because they are one of the local teams but also because my wife, Jennifer, met them in the Atlanta airport.
A Challenge I've Faced
The community here couldn't be more happy to have us volunteering at their school. However, one of the most difficult aspects for me has been communication. This includes the language barrier, but as I've progressed to a high level of fluency, it's the submerged or hidden cultural differences that I realize start to hinder communication. You have to learn by living through it. For example, Hondurans wait to the last minute for everything… I ask myself why, and get frustrated but after time you get to see how people live and some of the customs start to make sense. Like, they wait to tell you things because so many unexpected things come up for them as well. Since part of the experience is sharing our lives with Hondurans, I relish the chance to learn from this intercultural interaction.
Future plans
My future plans are to work managing International Education exchange programs likely at a college or university in the US. After I leave Cofradia I'm heading to Mexico to lead a group of high school students on a 5 week community service and homestay program. My wife and I hope to settle down and start a family in the next few years as well!