I completed my field studies this summer with the United Nations Volunteers in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The UNV is the volunteer branch of the United Nations that works towards facilitating human development around the world through volunteerism, training, education and local capacity building.
According to the 2003 UNDP Human Development Report, Honduras is the second poorest country in the Americas, following Haiti. It ranked 116 out of the 177 countries rated. Forty percent of the population lives on less than $2 a day, 20% are illiterate, the infant mortality rate is 31 per 1,000 compared to 7 per 1,000 in the US, and 20% of the population is undernourished. These discouraging statistics indicate that much remains to be accomplished in the field of human development.
While there were many projects being carried out by the UNV, I worked solely on the publication of a book entitled, A New World – Under Construction. This book is a compilation of summaries of successful experiences in human development in Honduras, intended to capture the attention of the international funding community, spark collaborative efforts between local organizations and inspire similar action throughout the country and around the world.
The organizations or projects included were organized according to the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). I had the task of seeking out organizations or experiences that fell under MDG 3: Reducing Gender Inequalities and Empowering Women, MDG 4: Improving Maternal Health, MDG 5: Reducing Infant Mortality, and MDG 6: Combat HIV, Malaria and Other Diseases. As these goals either directly or indirectly deal with sexual and reproductive health, I interviewed several organizations working towards improving women’s health, reducing gender inequalities and empowering women.
We based our selection for interviews of the organizations on the number of recommendations it received from other top development professionals and organizations and from research done by the UNV. We further refined our search by using the following criteria: level of community impact and success, gender sensitivity, ability to be replicated, cost efficiency, innovation and future perspectives on the continuance of the program/project.
At the close of my internship, I was able to visit about 30 different organizations and wrote 24 summaries personally. Final edits are still being done on the book and the expected release date is November 14, 2005.
I benefited tremendously from meeting with and discussing relevant development issues with key professionals in the field. Additionally, I grew professionally and personally under the guidance of my preceptor, who provided the perfect atmosphere in which to learn, understand and experience the many different facets of human development. I wish to thank the Bixby Foundation and the Drabkin Fund for making this experience possible. |
