Noel in leadership training in Cuyalí, 2005
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Noel is currently studying in Wisconsin.
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For those of you who read Paradise in Front of Me, you know the true heroes of the book are the young people of the communities of Cuyalí and San Juan. They were an amazing group of kids, so I’m so excited to share with you today how one of the young men from our leadership groups is trying to make a difference today in Cuyalí. Please read the story of Noel Vindel, and I will provide you with some ways you can help make his plan a reality.
First, some background. I met Noel in 2004 while serving in the Peace Corps. He was a 5th grader at the school in Cuyalí, an extremely impoverished community with a variety of health problems and a place where most adults dropped out of school before 6th grade. A soft-spoken youngster with a million dollar smile, he exemplified the attitude of young people in his community. As a 6th grader, he was a key member of our youth group in Cuyalí. He received training in different aspects of leadership and went on to teach other young people in El Paraíso about HIV/AIDS prevention. He was, to say the least, an amazing kid.
| Before leaving the Peace Corps in 2006, Cristina and I worked on a plan. Shockingly, many young people in communities like Cuyalí were unable to attend school because their families could not afford the cost of the mandatory school uniform. Thanks to the generosity of our friends and family, we were able to raise enough money to pay for school uniforms for about 40 young people in Cuyalí and San Juan, including Noel. | One of the biggest problems in Cuyalí, EL Paraíso, Honduras, is children with no professional future. This is not because they do not want to study, but because they do not have enough resources to do so. |
We left knowing that there were hundreds more who needed uniforms, and the reality that we were only helping the students for one year. Enter Noel and his new project, “Giving a Hope.” Noel is currently studying at Northcentral Technical College in Wausau, Wisconsin. He arrived in 2013 through a scholarship called SEED (Scholarships for Education and Economic Development). He will live in the U.S. for two years, and one of the requirements is that he develop a CAP (Community Action Plan) for Cuyalí. The goal of his CAP is to provide school uniforms and supplies to families who cannot otherwise afford to send their children to school. “I came up with this idea because many kids quit school because they do not have enough resources to continue studying,” Noel told me. “By quitting school their future will be nothing.”
Cuyalí, El Paraíso, Honduras He is currently applying to the Clinton Global Intiative (CGI-U), a program that helps people plan and fund CAPs. If accepted, he will travel to Miami to present his project to the CGI-U who will then assist him in developing the project. His first goal is to build a network of people and organizations who may be interested in helping him spread the word about the project. Noel is also currently working with community leaders in Cuyalí who will assist him in identifying students in need and making sure they receive the funds necessary to remain in school.
If this project excites you, here is how you can help. First, if you are on Facebook, please go like his page, “Giving A Hope” and learn more about the project there. This is where Noel will keep people posted on his project and how you can help. I will be providing updates here on the blog and on my Facebook pages. Please share his story with others who might be interested and encourage them to learn more about his project.
In Paradise in Front of Me, I did my best to share the story of life in El Paraíso and the challenges faced by the remarkable people living in a very difficult environment. Noel is an example of everything that is great about the people of Honduras. I am in awe of what he has already accomplished, and I cannot wait to see what else this amazing young man is going to do in his life. I urge you to help Noel help the people of Cuyalí. This is a cause worth supporting because Noel is an example of the amazing potential of so many young people in Honduras who, if given a chance, are going to do great things.
In Paradise in Front of Me, I did my best to share the story of life in El Paraíso and the challenges faced by the remarkable people living in a very difficult environment. Noel is an example of everything that is great about the people of Honduras. I am in awe of what he has already accomplished, and I cannot wait to see what else this amazing young man is going to do in his life. I urge you to help Noel help the people of Cuyalí. This is a cause worth supporting because Noel is an example of the amazing potential of so many young people in Honduras who, if given a chance, are going to do great things.
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