This week’s campus celebrity had a summer that got her one step closer to saving the world. Lena Rice ‘14’s friend at home in Philadelphia had started a club to support an organization in San Pedro, Honduras called “Nuestras Pequenas Rosas”, or “Our Little Roses”, at their high school. “Our Little Roses” is a home for girls who have been abandoned or sexually assaulted by their families. The girls range in age from one and a half to eighteen years old. Lena and a few other girls from her high school stayed in Honduras for a week, and organized a summer school for the girls at the home, and other boys and girls in the area.
Each morning, the group woke up early for breakfast. “The food was amazing! The pineapples were especially delicious and fresh, as was the other fruit.” School began at 9am. The kids were divided into four different age groups, and Lena and her group taught them math, reading, writing, and art. They spoke mostly in Spanish with the younger girls, and in English with the older girls. After school, they played soccer and did arts and crafts with the girls. Lena and her group lived in an apartment above the home where the girls lived, along with other church groups, volunteers, and visitors.
“I would definitely recommend that Amherst students do something similar to this because you know you are making a difference in these girls’ lives, even if only for a week. It made me realize how much I take my family for granted because I know they will always love me unconditionally, whereas these girls have come from terrible family situations without any support. I probably learned more from the girls than they did from me, but the point was for them to feel cared for and have fun with other girls who were close to their age. You would never know they came from harsh family environments because they were some of the happiest girls I have ever met. I loved forming close relationships with the girls, which also made it so much harder to leave. ”
At Amherst, Lena is on the women’s varsity squash team. She also volunteers for Project Sunshine, and loves to hang out with her friends!
Want to learn more about “Our Little Roses”? Check out their website for more info:
http://www.ourlittleroses.org/
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Amherst chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.