Long Term Volunteer
Recently completed a year-long service project including the following.Sustainability projects:o A moringa leaf powder production system to improve the nutrition of the children at essentially no cost to the organization. The moringa tree is an extremely hardy, fast growing tree with extremely nutrient leaves. o Construction of a money-saving egg-laying hen production. o A highly productive, fully drip-line irrigated permaculture-style garden following organic and expense-free methods that include highly nutritious, resistant, and under-utilized tropical crops. o An overhaul of the waste management system to include thermal composting, vermicomposting, and organic waste conversion utilizing black soldier fly larvae. o Design and implementation of an ecologically friendly planting system on a hillside plot of land to control soil erosion and improve drought resistance. Projects undertaken with the children, staff, service teams, and community:o I led projects for week-long service teams of up to 15-20 people. I organized work in a manner to share my vision and goals for MdL, to share some of the cultural lessons I was learning in Honduras, and to give the participants a sense of accomplishment. o I involved young children from the organization’s home-school program in caring for animals, collecting eggs, and recording their work to receive an allowance. o I gave tours of the home to visiting groups in both English and Spanish. o I provided free guitar and English lessons to children in the community. o I assisted in the development and implementation of projects by a group of Ohio State University Engineering students enrolled in a service-learning course involving assessing and upgrading the organizations well-supplied water system, back-up and alternative energy systems, and an irrigation system for the garden.
