If you have a real BURNING DESIRE TO LEARN this is the place for you
FAQ's
This is the page where we put previously asked and answered questions. Remember, if you really want to learn;"NEVER STOP ASKING QUESTIONS"
How long should I stay?
We warmly welcome volunteers for any length of time, as there is always work to be done. You can stay three weeks, six months or a year, or even extend your stay after you arrive. Currently we are still seeking long-term volunteers, up to 10 months, as it is most beneficial for the children’s education if you can stay for a whole school year.
Does the school support me if I stay for the whole year?
Yes. We will house you and provide an allowance for food and general household items.
Where housing is provided?
See the volunteer houses
page on this
site, but basically there are two volunteer houses, which the school
rents for the volunteers, so the long-term volunteers can stay for
free. If you are a short term volunteer you can also organise with
Ben or Mirna to rent one of the rooms for a reasonable price during
your stay.
What about the food?
For those who commit to staying the entire school year we will provide an allowance for food. Food is very cheap in Honduras and Cofradia, so for short-term volunteers you will find that food won’t be a big part of your budget. For example a meal out with soft drinks costs up to 30 lempira ($1.50), fruit and vegetables bought at the market for a week’s supply cost around 120 lempira ($6.00), and a daily supply of tortillas will cost you 5 lempira (25 US cents). A loaf of bread at the supermarket costs between 15 and 20 Lempira. Beers cost up to 20 lemps each, while an ice cream will set you back about 15 lemps.
If I can’t commit to a year, what length of time would be best?
The two main breaks during
the year are at Christmas and at Easter and these make a feasible point
to either arrive or leave. We have found that it often takes about 3
months before one can start to appreciate the more suptle social
dynamics in the community so we advise people to spend at least 3
months if they want to really learn a lot from the experience.
When does the school year commence and end?
School begins at the end of
August and
continues until the beginning of June. If you are staying for the whole
year,
previous volunteers have found it very worthwhile to arrive a few
weeks early to settle into the Cofradia way of life, and help set up
the school for the children.
Do you need volunteers during the summer vacation?
Yes, there is a summer
English classes
for committed and/or struggling students and if enough teachers are
here we also habve other activities organized. Also, in the few weeks
leading up to school
there is painting, sorting of books and cleaning that can be done.
What diseases, if any, do I need to worry about?
There is an ongoing debate
about if
malaria is an issue or not, many locals here do not take malaria
tablets. However that is up for you to decide on what you want to do,
and seek advice from your doctor. All the usual shots that are needed
for Honduras are needed for Cofradia. The biggest worry you will have
all year though is probably a bit of an upset tummy from time to time
as you adjust to new food, and just make sure you stick to the
purified water that the school provides for the volunteers. Also
there is an excellent hospital, 20 minutes drive away that Ben and
Mirna can take you to in an emergency.
Yes, the school cafateria
(see
the page on Joey’s café) has something
available for the teachers at both morning recess and lunch. A range of
snacks and additional servings can also be purchased at very reasonable
prices. Examples of food include baleadas (a folded wheat tortilla
with a bean based filling), tortillas, chicken and potatoes, and
enchiladas, and
tacos. The school has a low sugar, no soft
drink policy.
What hours do I work at the school?
School commences at 7:15am
until
2:15pm. Volunteer teachers in the past have liked to arrive a little
earlier to greet the students and prepare for the day.
How much out of school preparation do I need to put in?
Experienced teachers will
know that the
more you put into preparation the easier it will be to teach the
class, however previous volunteers have had plenty of time to go away
for weekend trips, and enjoy a swim in the pool in the afternoons.
What do I need to bring for working with the children?
CBS is fast building up resources for teaching the children, and will be using the ETAP curriculum this year. See the link of this website to the ETAP curriculum.
Having said that any
donations of
children’s books, or resources are always welcome. It would
also be
handy to bring a flag of your country, and any national costumes for
the Independence Day parade where the CBS celebrates its
international diversity by flying the flags of all of the countries
represented at the school that particular year. A special note to
volunteers from Holland, Ben and Mirna would love the children to
learn to dance in clogs, so if you are coming from Holland and
somehow could bring wooden clogs this would be a fantastic addition
to the school!
What do I need to bring to live in the house?
Yourself, your clothes, and
any thing you
think would make your year more comfortable. We invite people to also
bring additional sheets, light blankets and towels because although we
have a reasonable supply, there never seems to quite as much as people
would like. Both houses are equipped with
cooking equipment, crockery and cutlery beds, desks, table and chairs,
and there are many
books for that lazy Sunday afternoon
swing in the hammock. A Swim suit might come in handy given the
rapid construction of the pool near Ben and Mirna’s house.
Is there a phone where my family can contact me? And, Is there easy Internet access?
Yes, you practically trip
over Internet
cafes as you walk down the main street. There are several Internet
cafes where
you can call your family quite cheaply, and the large volunteer house
has a landline (Honduras - 672-1799). Internet access is very
cheap and often
you can make phone calls from the cafes back home at a very cheap
rate. For example currently phoning the US is only 1 lemp per
minute. Several inexpensive prepaid cell phones are are
available to share between the teachers as well and in emergencies your
family can also call you at Ben's house.
How do I get a visa for the entire year?
This is an issue for all
volunteers in Honduras so see the Visa page on this site for more
information. However TICK TOURIST on your visa notes when you enter
the country to ensure you have three months to start with. Do not
tick OTHER as this only gives you one month in the country. Ben has
more information on this aspect. For long-term volunteers who are
flying
into Honduras with a one-way ticket, you will need an ongoing ticket
to another country to be able to board the plane. Previous volunteers
have bought fully refundable tickets to Costa Rica or Mexico and
cancelled them after arriving in Cofradia. The airline companies have
also told us that if you have proof of an ongoing bus ticket to a
neighbouring country than this will also suffice, however this method
hasn’t been tried out.
If people in my home country
want to
donate money to the school how can I organise that before I arrive?
It’s best if you
convert the money to
US dollars in your home country and when you arrive the school will
provide you with a tax receipt, which you can send back to the donors
when you arrive. Or you can bank the money in your bank
account at home and withdraw it here to give it to the school that
will then issue you a receipt for the donors. Cheques in US dollars can
be made out to "Cofradia's Bilingual School" and can be deposited in
the school's dollar account at the local bank.
Which airport should I fly to?
It’s best to fly to San Pedro Sula (airport code SAP) as it is only 20-minute drive from Cofradia. If you coming from the US it is always worthwhile to check the deals offered by Spirit Airlines since they now fly direct to San Pedro Sula. However if you fly to Tegucigalpa then you can get a bus to San Pedro Sula and we will pick you up from there. You could also think of buying a plane ticket to Mexico or Guatemala in case the prices for these countries are cheaper. It’s easy to travel by bus from these countries to San Pedro Sula and it also a great experience.
How do I get from the airport to Cofradia?
Ben or Mirna will pick you
up;
otherwise you need to get a taxi into San Pedro Sula, and then a bus
to Cofradia. In Cofradia the bus will make a stop at the Central Park
where you should get off. From there you can easily walk to the
houses for the volunteers, just ask a local where the
“gringos”
live.
If I have no teaching qualifications can you still use my skills?
It’s important
that you speak either
fluent English, or Spanish but you don’t need both. We can
also use people with many other skills especially if you think you
might be able to teach your particular skills to children. There are
enough resources to assist
you with teaching for the year including a full curriculum. Also
previous volunteers have left a lot of information behind about their
lesson plans and what worked and what didn’t. Experience with
children would be an advantage however.
I have no Spanish, does this matter?
Cofradia Bilingual School
is a
bilingual school, which means we want to teach the children in
English as much as possible. It’s actually better if you
don’t
use Spanish at all in the classrooms. Next to that you can easily
pick up some Spanish while living here to manage to get around and to
help yourself in the supermarkets etc.
How many people can I expect to live with in the houses?
The small volunteer house consists of three bedrooms; the large volunteer house has 5 bedrooms. WE would not usually ask you to share a room with more than one other person and often people can have a room on their own.
What is there to do on the weekends?
A typical weekend in
Cofradia could
consist of a meal out at one of the fantastic cafes, a relaxing
stroll around the town, a swim in the pool and a laze in the hammock.
Beyond that there is not much in Cofradia, however there is heaps to
do surrounding the town. It is possible to take a day walk to a
waterfall; as well you will be living at the base of Cusuco National
Park.
San Pedro Sula is a short bus ride
away, where you can access English cinemas, malls and large water
parks. Gracias is a beautiful place to visit around ?? away that you
can do ??
Copan Ruinas is an easy 3 hour bus trip, with hot springs, Mayan ruins, backpacker bars, and other nightlife. The list is endless and past volunteers have wondered how they will find a free weekend!