By Garrett Kenyon

“This is what it’s all about,” I thought as I stood on the mountaintop looking down into a beautiful, lush valley. In front of me, several men and women were digging and breaking rocks. These were the people of Colonia Paquita Bustillo, a village about halfway down the mountain. Up here, there was a breeze, but it was still scorching hot. Yet the people worked with vigor, laughing and smiling as they lay the foundations for something that would radically improve their lives.

Before ascending the mountain, we met Osman, Claudia and Erick – Youth Council officers. We were there to see the project they had decided to spend their annual Youth Fund on – a large water tank, from which purified water will flow down the mountain and into the homes of 56 families in the village below – many with sponsored children of their own. None of the Council members live in this village. They won’t benefit from this project. And yet, a group of youth, given the chance to spend money on whatever they want, decided to use it to help others.

As the villagers work, the youth talk about how sponsorship has instilled in them the desire to make the world a better place. All three grew up in neighborhoods where water was scarce. So they decided to spend the Youth Fund not on themselves, but to save other children from the same hardship. “It feels so wonderful to do something like this,” Claudia told me, her voice swollen with pride. I knew just how she felt.

Watch the video below for a short look at the work site and some genuinely awful narration from yours truly.

Check back soon for more updates, pictures and videos from our trip to Honduras.