For spring break this year, I stepped out of my comfort zone and traveled to Honduras for a service trip with the Marquette Legal Empowerment brigade. The group consisted of me, a faculty advisor from Marquette Law School, and five other students. After our two flights and two-hour drive on the unpaved roads of Honduras, we arrived in a community called Marcala. Marcala is most notably known for its rich coffee, supplying beans to companies including Starbucks and my best friend Molly’s top pick - Bongo Java.
The first day was rough, I was tired from the midterm grind and ready for a break. But the long night of travel and the new environment did not provide the kind of break I needed. I also experienced quite a culture shock, which came as a surprise, as I have traveled to many places and felt comfortable immersing myself in new cultures. The armed police officers and language barrier were enough to put sleep-deprived me over the edge. But after a restorative night's sleep, I awoke ready to go.
We centered our focus on a community called Montana Verde “Green Mountain” which was a small town about 45 minutes from the center of Marcala. On our first day, we met with the leaders of the community and discussed our mission: empower and educate the citizens of Montana Verde to advocate and achieve a violence-free life.
Many of the citizens of Honduras were weary of seeking legal advice due to the fragile state of the government and the high risk of being scammed by a lawyer. The distrust caused many citizens to live without awareness that their rights were being violated. Many people were cheated out of land, others were experiencing domestic abuse, and some just wanted to ensure they had custody of their children, but all were hesitant to reach out for help. Following the first day, a majority of the week consisted of conducting research to see where legal advice would be most helpful when implemented, hosting pro-bono legal clinics for citizens to drop in, and presenting Charlas (“talks” in Spanish) about how each person has the right to a violence-free life.
My personal favorite was presenting the Charlas. We presented to the children at the school and the adults at their community center. With the children, we talked about the harms of bullying. We centered our talk on how to take action if you or someone you know is being bullied. The children learned what being bullied can look like, as well as who to talk to if you are the victim of a bully. The adult Charla was a bit more solemn and centered on domestic abuse. We shared the different ways that domestic abuse shows up in the home, as well as how to seek a life free from abuse. The court process and the clinical support for victims of domestic abuse were shared and phone numbers of who to call were provided.
Our global brigade team consisted of a lawyer named Esli (she is super cool), a doctor named Ana, two program coordinators named Miguel and Melissa, and a police officer named Louis. We traveled as a team, and the brigade was most effective thanks to the efforts made by the workers. Esli gave clear instructions on how to best support the community of Montana Verde, and even took on many clients pro bono following our week of service. I was very inspired by Esli and especially enjoyed our conversations about how to improve future brigades. We talked about the stigma surrounding mental health in communities like Montana Verde and how many of the citizens do not have access to medication or therapy to help them with their mental struggles. Esli also noted that many of these communities need psychologists and counselors to volunteer to serve in the communities, as the suicide rate continues to rise. I was empowered by Esli to suggest the idea of having a Mental Health Brigade in communities like Montana Verde.
Through the highs and lows of the trip, I learned a lot. Most memorable of my discoveries was the realization that we all go through such different experiences in life, but we all end up feeling very similar emotions. The problems with mental health are just as prevalent in communities with little access to technology, clean water, and proper sanitation as they are in first-world countries with access to the world at their fingertips. We all walk different walks, but we are all much more similar than we know.
On my last day of the trip, an unforgettable conversation with the lawyer, Esli occurred. She reminded me that she fell in love with her job and that I should too, stating “Whatever you do… feel that love. Even if it's difficult or doesn’t give you the biggest amount of money, do it with passion and love.” The empowering words encourage me to continue working towards a life of passion and love. I’m not sure what that life will look like, but I know it will be meaningful.
Xox,
AG
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