Andrew Pease enjoys a romp with his host brother Rudolfo during his stay in Intibucu, Honduras.
Los Gatos students share skills in Amigos program
By Leigh Ann Maze
While some Los Gatos teenagers spent their summer vacations relaxing, hanging out with friends or working, a few local teens spent a life-changing summer in Latin America.
Four Los Gatos residents spent up to eight weeks working and living in small communities in Latin America through the Amigos program.
Amigos is a voluntary, nonprofit organization that provides leadership development opportunities for young people, promotes community health in Latin America and facilitates cross-cultural understanding.
Los Gatos High School student Andrew Pease, 17, spent eight weeks of his summer in Intibucu, Honduras, building chicken coops, grain storage sheds, water storage tanks, latrines and stoves.
As with all Amigos volunteers, Pease lived with a host family with whom he said he felt a part. Green's host father was president of the small town of about 1,000 people.
"My whole family cried when I left," Pease said.
Pease's town had running water, but few homes had electricity.
Andrew Pease washes his clothes while in Intibucu, Honduras, as a participant in the Amigos program.
Jennifer Cohen, 17, a Los Gatos resident and SHS student was also a volunteer in Intibucu, Honduras, this summer, but in a different town. She worked on similar projects as Pease and also taught English and hygiene in the local school. Cohen lived with host parents, three host brothers and three host sisters, ages 2 through 14, in an adobe brick house without electricity or running water.
"My dad grew corn and sold it. They were especially poor because they also needed corn for themselves and their animals," Cohen said. "My mother didn't work because they had so many kids to watch over."
No one in Cohen's community spoke English, and she said she felt awkward at first asking people to repeat themselves. "But by the end my partner and I had improved so much we could have conversations in Spanish for hours."
Cohen became very close to her family and the people in her community and had an "amazing experience."
On the day before she returned home her family surprised her with a cake that they had saved up to afford for two months, and that they had to travel to a neighboring town to buy. "It was so touching," Cohen said.
That same day, while Cohen was packing to leave, a child asked her to come to the school. There, all of the children gave Cohen and her Amigos partner drawings and gave them hugs to say goodbye. Then, they all sang the Honduran national anthem.
Cohen feels that the experience has changed her.
"I have come out so much stronger," Cohen said. "I'm much more independent and my leadership skills have gone through the roof, and my people skills, too. My parents are just shocked."
Cohen is planning to visit her host family for two weeks next year and will volunteer for Amigos again in two summers.
Erin Lewis enjoys a moment with her host parents Froilan and Catalina Baez.
LGHS senior Erin Lewis, 17, spent seven weeks in a small town in Paraguay building latrines and stoves, and giving talks in the local schools about dental hygiene and a disease in Paraguay known as chagas. Lewis lived with her host mother, father, brother and sister, with whom she shared a room and became very close. Lewis' farming town had about 1,500 residents and had only dirt roads. Some families had electricity and a few had running water.
"I think my view on things is a little bit different. Certain things affect me more now," Lewis said of her experience, which she hopes to do again some day. Lewis has lived in Los Gatos since she was 3 years old.
For Lewis the hardest part was the language. In Paraguay, there are two languages spoken, Spanish and Guarani. "The best thing was meeting all the people in the town, there was one family in particular," Lewis said.
While most Amigos have life-changing experiences, it isn't a program for everyone, according to Gladys Bernyk, a retired Saratoga resident who has been involved with the local chapter of Amigos since 1984, including three years as chapter president. One LGHS student this summer came home after one week.
Amigos is a much larger commitment than eight weeks of summer. The volunteers train for a full year, three hours per week before they leave. Their parents also must be involved. The volunteers also raise about $3,500 each to pay for airfare, building materials and other expenses by selling Texas Ruby Red grapefruits and poinsettias, and writing letters to family and friends.
Amigos has chapters across the country and sends about 600 volunteers to Latin America each summer, Bernyk said.
Informational meetings about the Amigos program will be held at Monte Vista High School on Sept. 20, in Room 9 at 7:30 p.m.; at the Bellarmine College Preparatory Liccardo Center on Sept. 27, at 7:30 p.m.; and at Los Gatos High School on Oct. 4, in Room 91 at 7:30 p.m.
Los Gatos, California Since 1881
