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WILKES-BARRE — “An adventure.”
That’s how Jim Davenport, of Dunmore, founder of Operation Honduras, described an upcoming trip to Honduras. Davenport, 52, will be among approximately 30 volunteers heading to the Central American country from Feb. 11-18 to make a difference for children in need.
Projects include additions to a school house and orphanage, along with assisting children with vision, dental and hearing needs.
Davenport explained he was sent home early from the Peace Corps in 1985 due to a malaria scare. He called the experience “disappointing,” but added he felt inspired to get involved and continue to help others in need.
When he returned to the area, he met a Honduras native spending the summer in the area. Along with a group of five volunteers, Davenport traveled to Honduras in 1996 and renovated a kitchen and bathroom at a local orphanage.
“We found the experience to be extremely rewarding,” he said.
‘Gift of Sight’
Little did Davenport and his fellow volunteers know, however, a simple renovation project would evolve into something much larger.
Davenport explained he and the other volunteers finished up work a day early, and inquired if any orphans had any medical needs that needed to be addressed. It turned out two children had eye problems and a girl had hearing issues, but the orphanage couldn’t afford the necessary tests.
Davenport said in Honduras, conditions like that mean a bleak future for a child’s education.
“If you can’t see, if you can’t hear, the teacher sends you home,” he said.
Davenport said the number of students with medical needs grew years after that and, overall, he estimates the program has given hearing aids to 10,000 students. The program has also provided oral surgeries and other dental needs, as well as assisted with other medical needs for children in need.
This year, volunteers will not only work to complete a 3-room addition on a school and another addition to a school built 10 years ago, they will also help more children with vision issues.
Aptly named “Gift of Sight,” the program plans to fit over 240 financially needy children with prescription eyeglasses.
Optometrist Alexandra Wasmanski was instrumental in making the “Gift of Sight” initiative happen.
Wasmanski explained she went to Honduras as a volunteer with the organization a few years ago. She said while hearing needs were being met, vision needs were not. As a result, Wasmanski said sample frames had to be sent to Honduras to determine sizes. Once that was accomplished, she said, prescriptions were filled. She added doctors in Honduras volunteer their time for screens and exams.
“We may possibly in the future go down and do the screenings ourselves,” Wasmanski said.
A worthy cause
Wasmanski fondly recalled her trip to Honduras, and said she helped build furniture and paint the orphanage.
“It was great to see the culture and how accepting people were, and how appreciative they were for everything we did for them,” she said.
She added, however, Hondurans also pitched in to help.
“The people are willing to help us out,” Wasmanski said.
Davenport said that this month’s trip will mark his 50th overall to the country, and will be Operation Honduras’ 19th official trip as a group. He explained the group’s main trip is in February, but the effort grew so much that enabled the group to make other trips throughout year.
Davenport explained private donations are put forth to make the trip happen.
In June 2015, nearly 2,000 students needed hearing aids, so Davenport and others from the group took a trip last May to prepare for the task. Those trips have been necessary throughout the years, and Davenport made four of those trips in the past year.
“The reward is far more than the small sacrifice of traveling,” he said. “Plus, it’s a beautiful country and it’s warm in the winter.”
While Davenport said having a positive impact on children in need is the group’s foremost goal, he said the work also helps provide “a foundation of relationships” with the country, as well as seeing firsthand what Americans are capable of doing when working together.
“If you just mail a check, you don’t see the American,” Davenport said.
He called on others throughout the Wyoming Valley to consider lending a hand.
“It’s adventure, and it’s fun,” he said.
