Race 4 OYE!

Yesterday, June 26th, Team OYE participated in the Maraton Internacional de La Prensa in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. The events were a 10.5 km race and a 21 km run around the city of San Pedro Sula. Iloany Ochoa, Sandra Hadith Alvarado, Riley Leonard, Jackie Krizovensky ran the 10.5 km race and Michael Solis, Demetri Lopez, and Ana Luisa Ahern finished the 21 km half marathon. Coty Mayo, Fabiola Oro and Edoardo Umanzor cheered Team OYE on as we ran in the San Pedro Sula sun. The weather on race day was a cool 90 degrees F with high humidity making it feel like 101! Team OYE managed to stay hydrated and make it across the finish line with proud smiles. Together the team fundraised over $5,000 for OYE's programs! Thank you to all of Race 4 OYE's supporters and fans for making this event such an incredible success! Check out the runnner's blogs: Michael, Mechie & Ana. If you are running a race and would like to Race 4 OYE, contact us at oyehonduras@gmail.com.

 

Interview with OYE Volunteer Deneysis Labrada

We recently carried out an interview with Deneysis Labrada, an OYE volunteer from American University who wrote a research paper on OYE and the role of youth empowerment in promoting education.

Q: What is your name and age, and where are you from?

A: My name is Deneysis Labrada. I am 20 years-old. I am from Florida.

Q: What is your current course of study?

A: I am currently studying international relations with a focus on Latin America and Spanish.

Q: What inspired you to carry out research on OYE?

A: I was taking an introduction to international relations research at American University. I thought it would be interesting to incorporate my alternative spring break trip in Honduras, which had an educational development focus, rather than doing research on something that had already been studied.

Q: What research question were you trying to address?

A: How does participation in OYE influence the student’s decision to continue with their education?

Q: How did you go about doing this?

A: I conducted a survey in which 79 out of the 91 scholars got back to me. I also interviewed 6 participants and 2 staff. When I had that information, I performed a statistical analysis and incorporated the interviews to obtain my findings.

Q: What were your principal findings?

A: I found that participation in OYE has a positive relationship with youth empowerment, which has an impact on youth’s decision to continue with their education. Participation not only leads to self-empowerment, but also a decision to continue with education. There was a statistically significant, positive correlation between participation in OYE and the students’ decision to continue studying.

Q: What are your greatest memories from your time at OYE?

A: Getting to meet everyone who works at OYE, understanding their stories, and being able to continue that communication.

Q: What are you currently working on?

A: Right now I am in Costa Rica with Youth Challenge International working on several development projects. The work involves infrastructure, English classes, computer classes, life skills, and other development on the social and infrastructural levels. We are also implementing a tourism and recycling plan that will go on through our continued development approach.

Q: When are you coming back to Honduras?

A: Hopefully next spring or summer!

Q: Do you have anything you’d like to share with the OYE scholars?

A: I miss them and I can’t wait to go back. I wish I was there with you guys.

GlobalGiving Bonus Day- Your contribution to OYE is worth 30% more!

Want your donation dollars to have the greatest impact possible?

On June 15, 2011 (from 00:01:00 to 23:59:59 Eastern time/GMT-4) the GlobalGiving Bonus Day offers a 30% match for your donations. Online donations of up to $1,000 per individual donor/per project are eligible to be matched at 30% only on Wednesday, June 15. Make your contributions to OYE go further with $75,000 of available matching funds-- so make your donation early on June 15th before the matching funds run out!

Additional cash bonuses of $1,000 each will be awarded to the top project that generates the largest amount of money and the top project to solicit the greatest number of unique donations.

If you've been thinking about donating to OYE, now is your chance to make an even greater impact with your contribution! Give Here!

Thank you!

Copa OYE Soccer Tournament

           Under the extreme heat of Saturday afternoon Copa OYE officially kicked off with an opening ceremony followed by the first games of the tournament. The ceremony began as all participating teams filled onto the field to music and announcements over the loud speaker. OYE program coordinators (who are fully in charge of this years tournament) addressed the assembled athletes regarding the tournament and its rules before handing the microphone over to OYE founder Ana Luisa. The ceremony came to a close with a round of fireworks and a dance performance by a youth group from the Garifuna community in Cayos Cochinos. The soccer games began with a fun match between the Garifuna youth and OYE staff and friends. The first official game of the tournament was the OYE Boys vs. team “Argentina.” Both teams played hard but unfortunately for OYE's team the game ended six to eight, in favor of Argentina. The Girls team had similar luck and lost four to eight to team “Valkirias.” However, the tournament continues and both teams have an opportunity to advance with a win in group play next Saturday.

The OYE boys pose for a team photo 

The OYE girls team walks onto the field during the opening ceremony

Some of the teams during the ceremony 

Girls from the Garifuna community perform a traditional dance  while boys in the background play the drums  

 

OYE's Birthday Party

          Saturday night OYE took advantage of the open space on the second level of its new office to host a karaoke and dance night for OYE scholars, families, and friends. This event was the culmination of OYE's 6^th anniversary. As the sun set over El Progreso and the evening progressed, attendees enjoyed refreshments offered by the scholars in between dances and karaoke performances. A mixture of Latin music and popular American songs pulsed over the dance floor late into the evening while the strobe light kept time. The audience was treated to some karaoke performances by talented locals and the group of volunteers under the direction of Michael Solis, who sang while dancers from OYE's volunteer program performed a dance routine to Lady Gaga's hit song “Born this Way." The audience went wild for the performance and requested a second one, which didn't take place until the next day when the group performed live on Teleprogreso.

Party space above the office area

Volunteers and staff members shake a leg during the dance routine.

Scholars takeover the dance floor

Watch the OYE Volunteer Dance Team perform LIVE on TeleProgreso!!

OYE's 6th Anniversary celebration

 The OYE office bustled with activity in preparation for the organization's 6^th anniversary celebration. In the days leading up to OYE's birthday many preparations where made including painting a new OYE logo on the building's exterior welcoming visitors as well as a new coat of paint on the interior in addition to decorative touches. Each program also prepared a table or wall to display the previous year's activities and accomplishments and to showcase talent. The weekend of celebration began Friday with an open house where the scholars sold food in the courtyard while booming music and announcements set a festive mood and helped to attract people from the city center of El Progreso. Over the course of the afternoon, school groups were able to tour the new space and learn about OYE and the various programs.  

CONGRATULATIONS and FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS to OYE!

Volunteers, Riley Leonard and Coty Mayo pose after finishing OYE's new welcoming logo

Marketing director, Michael Solis, adds finishing touches to the logo

Jerseys on display by the sports program during Fridays open house

A group of scholars add decorative touches to the exterior of the building 

OYE scholars sell refreshments during Friday's school tours