Most summer plans include trips to the beach, a sunny vacation to a desirable location, and lots of fun with friends, but for a few select students here at Freehold Township High School, their time off from school was spent doing something much different. Some of the students from the Students Helping Honduras club traveled down to Honduras to help build schools in an impoverished area. Recently, the Patriot Press was able to sit down with Isabella Sacchetti, a junior, and talk about her journey to the country that was so in need of help.

Lindsey: Hi Bella! Before I ask any detailed questions, can you just give me an overview of how the Honduras trip was?

Isabella: First of all, the trip was an amazing experience that I’ll never forget. We spent a majority of our time building a school in a village called El Banano, which was a very poor community amongst a banana plantation. We played with the kids constantly, both where we stayed in Villa Soleada and at the worksite itself.

L: That’s great! If you don’t mind me asking, how’d you get your parents to agree to let you go so far away, especially when Honduras is known as “the Murder Capital of the World?”

I: When I first brought the idea up to my parents, they said that there was no way they would ever let me go. However, I was able to drag them to parent meetings, where they were convinced it would be safe for me to go on the trip. Agreeing to pay for half the trip helped me convince them, too.

L: How did you prepare to go on this trip? At any point did you almost back out, not judging if you did?

I: At the meeting I was told to get the Typhoid shot and purchase some probiotics, however this didn’t bother me, probably just because I was so excited to go on the trip. The trip was 7 days long, so I had a lot of packing to do beforehand. I brought two bags, one for donations and one for everything else I needed. At no point did I consider backing out, because this was something I had been looking forward to for a long time.

L: When you first arrived at this third-world country, what emotions were you going through? How did it compare to America?

I: After seeing poverty for the first time, I was so shocked. You hear about and see pictures of poverty all the time, but when you see it with your own eyes it is truly life changing. It made me realize how lucky I am to live in America, because in Honduras the little things we take for granted like food, shelter, and clothing are a daily struggle.

L: That must be tough. Can you describe what your personal role as a student was during this trip?

I: During this trip, I spent a lot of time shoveling dirt and passing bricks on the worksite. Although strenuous, it was a lot of fun to work alongside the little kids who wanted nothing more to do than help build their future school.

L: That seems like a lot of hard work, did you ever get time to relax, have fun, etc.?

I: Every day we got a chance to play with the kids before dinner, which was so much fun because they were absolutely adorable. Also, one day we split up into teams and played cage soccer in El Progreso, which helped everyone bond. On the last day of the trip, we went to the beautiful Tela Beach where we got to go in the refreshing ocean and just relax.

L:All over social media the hashtag “#paralosniños” is plastered on posts, can you explain how the children affected your trip? What was their impact?

I: Spending time with the children was what made the trip unforgettable. The children in El Banano were so grateful for everything Students Helping Honduras has done for them, and it brought tears to my eyes having to leave them. Playing with the kids back in Villa Soleada was so much fun, because they were constantly running around and inventing new games, which was an amazing thing to witness, since they were so happy despite their situation.

L: If you had to pick one favorite moment or memory from this trip, what would it be?

I: My favorite memory would have to be playing with this four-year-old girl named Ashley in Villa Soleada. She loved to be carried around on my shoulders and be flipped upside down, and her laughter was so infectious. Even though we couldn’t communicate very well, we had so much fun together and I can’t wait to see her again.

L: Two final questions: are you going back next year and what advice do you have for anyone who wants to go to Honduras as a newbie?

I: Yes, I am going back next year and I can’t wait. The most important advice I’d give for anyone who wants to go to Honduras is to study up on Spanish before traveling so that communicating with the kids would be easier. I only knew a little Spanish going into the experience, so I plan on learning some more Spanish before going again.