What happened next... #Memoir #Honduras #Consequences

 

By Anne Hamilton Fowler (Guest Blogger)

Thank you, Lisabet, for inviting me back for a follow up to last February’sblog post.

You’ve suggested that I describe “why” I wrote my memoir (I did it on a dare!), how I thought its publication would affect me and what was “the reality”!

Making a public disclosure in the book of some rather sketchy and disastrous events from my life, followed by a description of the humanitarian work I’ve accomplished in Honduras, was certainly cathartic!!! However, it has also affected both me and readers in ways I had not anticipated. An overwhelming response came from people who had read the book; women who’d been victimized themselves AND from their friends/ relatives who had lent them support.

This led to some very candid and personal discussions over the past year. Discussions not only about the immediate repercussions of rape but about dealing with the long term emotional fallout. Oh yes, my memories echoed over the years although I’m not sure until I wrote the book I had ever really come to grips with that aspect of my life.

Overall these dialogues have given me a clearer view of the variety of ways in which people from different cultures and backgrounds deal with trauma. I believe that publishing my story with the resultant discussions have helped. It certainly gave me some long awaited closure. The other change publishing the book accomplished was to alter my belief that people who knew of my past behavior judged me in a negative light. Perhaps I was mistaken.

Here are just a few of the comments I have received from readers:

"Your life is an inspiration to us all and the candid honesty you've displayed is admirable.”

“The way you have turned your life around from one of reckless and rash behavior to one of service is quite remarkable.” “Anne Hamilton Fowler you are truly an inspiring woman and an example of how it is possible to turn lemons to lemonade!”

But enough about how publishing affected me. You may recall, last February I wrote about the beginning of my Honduran Journey, or “Mrs. Fowlers’ Excellent Adventure” as it has become known. If I had written my memoir in two books, that definitely would have been the title of the second book!

Here is a synopsis of what happened after I actually made the move to Central America:

April, 2001 I closed up shop, sold my Toronto home, packed belongings that I wanted to keep and moved to the cottage. That October I commenced my five-year plan and made the long awaited move to a country once dubbed by the BBC as “the murder capital of the western world”.

What exactly would I be doing? Didn’t have a clue other than for the next five years I was going to live for half the year over an El Progreso eye/dental clinic for the poor, one I had become associated with from several previous mission trips; then, the remaining six months at my Haliburton cottage behaving like a normal retired person.

Oh, in my Human Resources mind I had a vague idea of tasks I needed to accomplish at the clinic; updating administrative procedures, hiring and training more staff, improving overall efficiency and increasing the number of patients. But I knew that until I was actually living there I couldn’t assess the situation properly.

Vague idea? Boy, did I ever miscalculate; I had no idea what I was getting into!! It soon became clear that simply increasing staff numbers and updating systems was the least of my challenges. Besides moving from my 4,000 square foot Toronto home to a 12’X16’ room, there was the issue of communication. My Spanish language skills proved less than fluent in spite of my participation in several mission trips over the past seven years plus my time spent attending language school.

Fortunately, the clinic had a couple of bilingual people on staff who enabled me to forge ahead using a trial and error approach. Some things worked, some were dismal failures. But I persevered and actually initiated some pretty good programs, many of which are still in operation twenty-two years later.

Two of those surviving projects are as follows: 

The Visiting Doctor program invites international ophthalmologists to volunteer for a week at the clinic where they perform surgery, do patient consults and teach new procedures to the medical staff. The clinic provides accommodation and meals; the doctors bring their expertise and medical supplies. 

Another major project I developed, one still utilized in several elementary schools throughout the country, is the Healthy Living Education program. A series of educational puppet skits teaching dental health, eye safety, nutrition and HIV awareness are presented to students followed by teeth brushing instruction and vision testing. 

For several years we held an annual Science Fair competition. This gave schools an opportunity to share with their communities what they had learned from our program.

I spent almost four productive years in El Progreso as a member of the clinic staff, actively participating in community events and clinic business. What came next? The year is now 2023 and I am still in Honduras! What happened to my so-called five year plan that had me exiting in 2006? What changed?

During my time spent in El Progreso I had come to the realization that there was so much more to do for the Honduran people. This was where I was supposed to be; my work was not yet finished. I chose to stay on in Honduras and have never looked back.

In 2004, with money from a family inheritance, I purchased property located in the small north coast village of El Porvenir. I proceeded to design a house which I named Hamilton Benest House after my parents and aunt whose estates had funded the project. Friends inquired “what had I been smoking” that led me to believe it was possible for someone about to become a senior citizen, and who spoke terrible Spanish, would be able to find a reputable builder? By some miracle I was introduced to a terrific contractor, construction of Hamilton Benest House began and in February, 2005 I moved to Porvenir with the contents of my room at the clinic. Not quite enough furniture to fill my new five- bedroom home; time to shop! 

Was it “a seamless building project”? Far from it! There were MANY challenges and pitfalls. But that’s a whole other story!

Finally settled, I introduced projects established in El Progreso into my new community. Over the past eighteen years many new initiatives have been successfully launched. These programs have included free English classes for children through our Porvenir English program (PEP), providing business opportunities to women (producing the environmentally friendly Bee Bag project), building two school libraries, furnishing a dental clinic for the town, establishing the Anne Fowler Bilingual School and Part Two of the Healthy Living Program which now provides annual free dental care for all Grade 3-6 students. Since this article is limited in size, I suggest that you visit my web site for pictures and program descriptions: http://anne.honduranhope.net

El Porvenir is certainly a different town than the one where I first ventured in 2005; only a handful of gringos lived there. Unquestionably, there are now more children attending school, high school graduation numbers are up with some students going on to university. I believe that in many ways these changes are due to the impact of our community projects. Projects I could never have accomplished without the help of a remarkable young Honduran woman, Iris Carranza. We have been joined at the hip since 2005 and I consider her my Honduran daughter. 

During the past fifteen years almost 800 international volunteers of all ages have participated in our various programs and projects. These travellers arrive from the US, Canada, Europe and Australia, they live in two volunteer houses for periods ranging from 1 – 12 months. They come through the organization Honduras Child Alliance which was formed in 2008 when Iris and I sought help finding volunteer teachers to launch PEP. Now, in 2023, HCA completely runs PEP plus a variety of other very successful projects of their own. They definitely picked up the slack when I had to “slow down”!

Am I happy with what I have accomplished in the past 22 years? Yes, I am. Although at 82 I have had to step back and allow others to run my programs, I’m not dead yet!!! Frequently I am asked, “Do you regret upending your life to move to Honduras all those years ago?” My answer? Not for even one minute! A really important thing I have come to realize is that each of us needs to recognize that “who” we are is the sum of choices we’ve made in our lives. What one chooses to do with that knowledge determines their path going forward.I am very happy with the path I’m on.

To demonstrate that I didn’t always carry on philanthropic activities, here is a story from the first half of the book from the chapter entitled “Close Encounters of The #$%@* Kind”!!!

Excerpt

I absolutely love cruises and have lost count of the number I’ve enjoyed over the years. But I have a distinct memory of one that I ventured on alone. It was during a particularly unsettled time in my life when I was REALLY down in the dumps and thought, “maybe a cruise will cheer me up.” A last-minute reservation was booked just two days before the ship sailed from Florida. Since I was travelling solo, I boarded not sure what to expect, but just in case, several books were tucked in my suitcase. The plan was to find a secluded spot on the top deck, relax in a deck chair, read and enjoy the ocean breezes while drinking a glass of wine.

Didn’t happen that way!

The books were never opened because my first day on board I met an extremely attractive divorce traveling with his two teenaged sons. To quote one of my favorite speakers, Henry Kissinger, “Power is a great aphrodisiac.” It certainly was in this case!

While his boys were off doing their own thing, the attractive president of a Detroit based corporation became my charming companion for the duration of the trip. Although I’d been on many ships, my accommodations had never come close to the level of his state room. Luxurious beyond words with a large ocean view veranda, it was like something out of a movie. These surroundings alone could conjure up visions of romantic situations presenting endless possibilities to explore… which of course we did on several occasions.

However, one of the most exciting “no no” situations I’d ever experienced involved a life boat. One evening, while strolling on deck enjoying the warm breeze and star filled sky, we passed a craft undergoing some sort of upgrading or repair. Not to be dissuaded from a chance for adventure, we looked at each other and said, “Why don’t we check out the inside?” What an opportunity! How could we resist?

We climbed on board carrying our evening’s second bottle of wine and proceeded to take advantage of the unusual locale. The risk that someone enjoying an evening walk might pass by and spy on our activities just added to the excitement! But totally unexpected was our discovery by four workmen at a particularly inopportune moment when they showed up to check on their repairs. After quickly reassembling ourselves, we beat a hasty retreat. The workers didn’t speak English but “sorry, sorry” is a universal term understood by all. Although we were spared further embarrassment and didn’t bump into them the rest of the trip, my guess is that we supplied a titillating story for the entire ship’s crew. Some of the “looks” received from a few staff members were probably just imagined, the result of a guilty conscience!

We enjoyed each other’s company in what was a classic shipboard romance that ended when we docked. The trip had accomplished its purpose, my spirits were substantially lifted and I no longer resided “in the dumps.”

About the Author

Born and raised in Toronto, I grew up an only child in a traditional middle class Canadian family of the 40’s and 50’s. But my life has been anything but traditional! After finishing school my career included flight attendant with American Airlines, model, travel agent, world traveller, sales and marketing and almost 30 years in Human Resources as an entrepreneur/ business owner. I closed my company and retired in 2001 to take up another role, that of humanitarian. As someone once said when they described my various life pursuits during their introduction of me as that night’s speaker, “And she’s only 108 yeas old.”

Buy Links

All proceeds support charitable work in Honduras.

For Canadian readers:  

Paperback – https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1778350321
eBook – https://www.amazon.ca/dp/BO9HDN55FV
 

For US readers:  

Paperback – https://www.amazon.com/dp/1778350321
eBook – https://www.amazon.com/dp/BO9HDN55FV
 

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1778350321 

Germany – https://www.amazon.de/dp/1778350321

France – https://www.amazon.fr/dp/1778350321 

Spain – https://www.amazon.es/dp/1778350321 

Italy – https://www.amazon.it/dp/1778350321 

Australia – https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/1778350321

Or you can access via my web page at http://anne.honduranhope.net

Giveaway

I’ll give you a copy of my memoir I’ve Worn Many Hats if you will agree to email me with your comments after reading the book!

Mazel tov!