Danielle with Nathalia, Sauni, Augustina and Dilcia! All future students of the Ramon Rosa Middle School!Â
Name: Danielle Dostaly
Year: Junior
Major: Sociology with Women’s Studies Minor
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
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How and why did you get involved with Students Helping Honduras?
Danielle: “My first semester freshman year I went to the big involvement fair in the SAC plaza. Our former president was at the table handing out bags of juice. I stopped and she told me that in Honduras, plastic cups are too expensive so many families use little bags instead. She invited me to an interest meeting and the rest is history.”
What are your goals with the organization?
Danielle: “To raise $25k! Yep $25,000. This past winter break our chapter traveled to Honduras and broke ground on three new classrooms for the Ramon Rosa Middle School. Now, the foundation is there and it will cost $25k to finish it. If we can’t raise the money then the school is not going to get finished. We have to do it.”
I know you have visited the students you are helping, what was that experience like?
Danielle: “It was amazing. It really brings the cause to light. During the trip, I met a fifth grader named Sauni, her family welcomed some other volunteers and I into their home for lunch. Since 1st grade Sauni has only been able to go to school half a day because the school has 6 grades and only 3 classrooms. Now, next year she hopes to have a full day of classes. I think about Sauni and her family every day. I can’t wait to raise 25K and see her sitting in her new sixth grade classroom next year.”Â
Danielle with Sauni.Â
How has being a part of Students Helping Honduras changed your outlook on life?
Danielle: “It’s definitely made me more socially conscious. I don’t feel as comfortable in my everyday life now. The village the Ramon Rosa School is in just got electricity 8 months ago. I can’t imagine Sauni growing up in a home without electricity. Poverty is not just a statistic we hear on TV, it’s real life. The kids in the community are so cute! But, I worry about their futures, the odds are so stacked against them. Even with new classrooms, what will their lives shape up to be? Will they be the ones to break their families out of the cycle of poverty?”
Why should someone join Students Helping Honduras?
Danielle: “I admit, Students Helping Honduras is not for everyone. Most students are here for themselves, to get their education and to get out. And that’s fine. But, if you believe that your years in college can be used to serve a greater purpose, something much bigger than Stony Brook, that will last for generations and mean the world to entire communities that the western world has forgotten about, this organization is for you.”Â
What is advice you would give to someone wanting to make a difference?
Danielle: “Find your passion! Mine is working towards every child having access to a good education. Yours could be women’s rights, LGBT rights, health, refugee rights or something else. Whatever it is, find a responsible and sustainable organization and then find a way to get involved! Donate your time, maybe even a little bit of money, or even just share facebook posts. Most people in this world lack passion but, it doesn’t have to be this way. If you truly want to make a difference, you will find a way.”Â
Danielle with Nicole and David.Â
What do you think the future holds for Students Helping Honduras?
Danielle: “Students Helping Honduras cannot fix poverty. We cannot even attempt to grasp the real scoop of the issue. What we can do is continue to serve as the scaffolding that empowers the Honduran people to solve the issues that plague their families and country. The future of SHH lies in the future of our Honduran directors.Under their leadership I believe SHH and all the college chapters around the country, can continue to make a our small impact and make things a little easier for the communities that we work with.”