Madelyn Ventola ’27 hopes to return to the orphanage where she volunteered
Madelyn “Maddy” Ventola ’27 has a spring recess she’ll never forget.
While she and her family have traveled to the Bahamas, St. Kitts, and St. Lucia on previous school breaks, this year she and her mom flew to El Progreso, Honduras, where they spent a week volunteering at COPPROME orphanage.
They learned of the site, which serves about 40 children from infants to teens, from a neighbor, Deborah Proctor, MD, a Yale doctor and professor who wrote a book about her philanthropic efforts there. Reading Proctor’s book, Every Child Counts, informed Maddy’s visit, but she said nothing prepares visitors for the experience of being in a country where an estimated 60% of the population live in poverty.
“It’s urban poverty. It’s shocking to actually see it,” the Durham, CT, teen said. “You can read about it and learn about the economy, but it’s different to see people on the side of the road selling mangoes as their livelihoods.”
The children of the orphanage attend local school each day until noon, but there was nothing for them to do in the long hours between lunch and dinner. Dr. Proctor, who has made about 50 trips to Honduras as both a physician and a philanthropist, works to change that through the Honduras Children’s Project.
Every Child Counts details her journey to support the orphanage and the nonprofit organization, of which she is president. Honduras Children’s Project has built a comprehensive educational experience for the children of the orphanage that includes access to quality resources, personalized learning plans, and extracurricular activities.
The latter is where volunteers like Maddy come in. A seasoned soccer player, who is a member of both the Cheshire Academy’s varsity team and a club squad, she spent hours with the youngsters, often playing soccer.
“We played a lot of soccer,” she said with a laugh. “They really love soccer.”
Maddy also ate lunches at the orphanage, played board games and cards, helped with homework, and took part in an Easter egg hunt on the grounds. The Honduras Children’s Project believes such extra educational and enrichment activities help each child reach their full potential.
“Just giving money isn’t nearly as meaningful to the kids as going and playing soccer with them or flying kites,” she said.
Along the way, Maddy got to know each of the children, especially two young soccer fans, Darius, 12, and his 8-year-old brother, Luis. Some of the children do not have parents, but others are brought to the orphanage by families who can’t afford to raise them and hope they’ll find a better future living at the orphanage.
“It’s amazing how resilient these kids are,” she said of the group. “They’re faced with the most adversity possible and a lot of them grow up to do great things.”
Maddy funded her trip, in part, through Cheshire Academy’s Rizzolo-Larson Venture Grant, a program that provides funding for students to pursue innovative projects and enhance their educational opportunities beyond the classroom. Over the years, the program has enabled CA students to study archaeology in Romania, architecture in Germany, volunteer for dolphin rescue operations, perform cutting-edge scientific research, and contribute to a paleontological research dig in Montana.
Venture Grants are a powerful example of how philanthropy can directly change students’ lives.
“It’s incredibly gratifying to see students live out their passions and chart their own paths thanks to the generosity of our donors,” said Sasha Russell, director of annual giving, stewardship, and family engagement.
Maddy is an active part of the school community. An International Baccalaureate® Diploma candidate, she’s on the soccer and track & field teams, and is a science intern, peer tutor leader, day student prefect, and Student Ambassador.
Inspired by her week away, Maddy is already planning a possible second trip next spring – this time with cleats and other gear for the children. She hopes to bring her mom – a clinical psychologist who also helped the children – and her younger brother.
“I want him to come with us if we go next March,” she said. “It’s such a great experience and I’ll never forget it and I want him to have that experience, too.”
