A little danger will do you good

What does it take to travel to one of the most dangerous countries in the world and do voluntarily work? - Only a smile, some drive, and a good friend, if you ask Kristina Eskildsen, volunteer at Frøstruphave Efterskole.

Kristina, with some of the kids on the orphanage in Honduras. Photo: Kristina Eskildsen

Honduras is known as one of the most dangerous countries in the world, and if you travel from our small, happy welfare society here in Denmark to Honduras you need to think twice before you take the bus in Honduras, tells Kristina Eskildsen, who has been in Honduras for 5 months working as a volunteer. But how do you get the idea to go out in the world working voluntarily? And how is the everyday life in Honduras?

”I have been to several camps as a child where people have told us about working in some African country, and about the work they had done. I thought it was really inspiring to experience the things they could do, and what good the voluntary work has done for them.”

Could you feel the insecurity, that typically follows when you stay in a dangerous country, when you were in Honduras?

”When we were at the children’s home we didn’t feel the insecurity because it was placed in the mountains, and due to that it was very isolated. But when we were in the capital we needed to be very observant about where we walked. One day we had taken a public bus back to the children’s home, and for that we got scolded because in Honduras you just can’t do that. It is a country where people can and will kill you if they like your shoes, and you are at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Do you think, that it took courage, to travel to another foreign country and work with people, whom you have never met?

“Yes, and in the beginning, it was very challenging, especially because they spoke Spanish, and we knew very few Spanish words. In the beginning we couldn’t really talk to the kids, but then we decided just to be indifferent, and ask them how to say the words. Suddenly, we could talk to them, and make our own games to play with the kids. We could also understand, what the priest said during the service. This way we could also become very close with kids who were a bit older, because we could ask them, how they felt about living in this country.”

Do you have any advice for someone, who wants to travel and do voluntarily work, but might be a little bit scared and insecure?

“Go, just go with a smile and a good drive. There will be days, where it is challenging, but that’s when we have to remember that God is in control. I think we learn a lot, when we help other people.”

It takes courage to go to a dangerous country and help other people in need, but you help yourself just as much. The experience and growth are priceless. Sometimes a little danger will do you good.

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