Why I'm Going to Honduras to Develop Water Systems

You read that correctly.

On March 22, 2014, I’ll be boarding a plane with 14 dedicate UCI students to develop sustainable water systems in Honduras. We’re going to spend a week volunteering as Global Engineering Brigades (GEnB).

Although drinking water supply in Honduras has drastically improved over the last decades, there are still many gaps to be filled. Imagine being forced to rely on contaminated water for cooking, bathing, and drinking. Imagine having to walk six hours to get to the nearest source of drinkable water. That’s what many Honduran families must do. They don’t have to, though.

They shouldn’t have to.

You might be thinking, “That’s pretty random, David. It sounds really cool, but why would you want to do that all of a sudden?”

Like many of you, I want to make a difference in the world.

I graduated in Spring of 2013, and I’ve since been trying to figure out what to do with my life. I graduated with a degree in chemistry, but I want to pursue entrepreneurship, and I have been developing The UP Lab to encourage people to take initiative and be successful on their own terms.

3 reasons why this trip is important to me:

As a child of Cambodian immigrants, I have a decent understanding of the struggles people face in developing countries. I witnessed these struggles first-hand when I traveled to Cambodia back in 2007. Basic needs such as clean water and medicine are luxuries. Although it isn’t Cambodia that I’ll be traveling to this time around, I want to contribute to the development of a country. I want to help a community. I want to empower people.

My current plan is to work for Kiva.org, a non-profit that allows people, like you and I, to provide small loans to entrepreneurs in developing countries. I believe that I must first understand the situations those individuals face in order to help them.

I just want to help, but it has been difficult figuring out how I can help people. There are so many methods to helping people and I have no idea where I fit in. This trip will help me figure it out. In the end, I just hope to leave this world a little better than I found it.

How you can help

As a member of the GEnB volunteer team, I have to raise a total of $1500. The money will cover the cost of airfare and fund the program itself.

Funds will go toward paying for all food, water, lodging, transportation, translators, and staff involved in logistics. Contributions will be distributed to student programs, supporting education initiatives. A portion of the funds will contribute to continuing operations after we, the volunteers, leave the country.

I just made a non-refundable deposit of $250 from my own funds which will be sent immediately to Honduras to finalize logistics.

That means I have $1250 to go.

If you’d like to support me in this trip, you can sponsor me by making a donation. The donation can be anonymous, but I would like to thank you personally for your support and keep you updated about the trip.

What we’ll be doing in Honduras

As a part of the Global Engineering Brigade, we’re going to spend 7 days assessing water sources and developing water systems in communities with limited access to a sufficient quantity of clean, potable water.

The team will learn about local water issues first hand by working with local engineers and technicians and constructing a water system alongside community members.

Through our work, we hope to provide community members with a sufficient quantity of properly treated water, decreasing the amount of water-caused illnesses, and ultimately allowing community members to live healthier lives.

Your support is deeply appreciated

You can sponsor me by donating via PayPal. Please let me know if you decide to contribute. I would like to thank you personally and tell you about the trip.

If you are unable to help financially, I completely understand (I emptied my bank account to make the $250 deposit).

I would truly appreciate it if you share and/or like this post to support the cause!

Feel free to email me or send me a Facebook message if you have any questions about the trip!