36 Interact students from District 6290 and 23 adult chaperones attended the 2023 Rotary District-Wide Interact Service Trip to El Salvador, March 29 - April 7.
2023 Rotary District-Wide Interact Service Trip to El Salvador
Great opportunities are made available to Interactors through their combined efforts with Rotarians, by sharing great ideas and working toward similar goals. Thirty-six Interact students from several Interact Clubs in District 6290, and 23 adult chaperones (including Rotarians and trip alumni from Michigan, New Hampshire, and New York) attended the 2023 Rotary District-Wide Interact Service Trip to El Salvador held March 29-April 7. 
The 59 volunteers worked together in the mountainous region of Talnique to build seven hurricane-resistant concrete homes for multigenerational families who lived in small mud huts held together by bamboo slats, or in shanties made from scrap metal. Volunteers worked in extremely hot temperatures alongside the indigenous families to build each house by hand from the ground up.The service trip provided exposure to new geographical areas and cultural experiences, including excursions to Mayan Ruins, volcanos, the ocean, an island, and a straw market, while being immersed in the customs and language of the country. For many of the student volunteers, it was their longest trip away from their families. For several, it was their first airplane flight. For the chaperones, it was an opportunity to meet and serve with a group of students who were respectful, kind, compassionate, and hard-working. Each volunteer carried an extra suitcase filled with clothing and many useful items totaling over 3000 pounds of donated goods that were shared with people in two different communities in the region.
Although a main goal of the trip was to serve the people of El Salvador by providing appropriate shelter to families in need, most Interactors feel that they gained more than they gave, through the unconditional love of the El Salvadorans and the lifelong friendships that were made. Many of the students are already planning to return on a future trip!
The District Interact Committee is pleased to share this 2.5-minute video, with gratitude to producer, Mike Vogas, Rotary Club of Muskegon.
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