Money Matters
Anticipating Costs
Basic Fees of Honduras MEH:
· Per diem fee: $35 USD per person, per overnight.
Covers in-country meals, lodging (bed linens and towels
provided), laundry services and basic transportation for
teams of 12 and over.
IMP: We require a minimum deposit of
15% of your total cost 30 days prior to your arrival. This
will help preparation expenses prior to your teams visit.
Please
note that we require a $100.00 USD non-refundable application
fee in order to
book your accommodations. This amount will be credited
back to you upon your arrival.
For
more details go to "Sending Money to Honduras" at http://www.mehonduras.org/payments.html .
· Construction material donation: at least $2000
for construction teams. (From experience, this is about how
much money is needed to keep a team of 10 busy for 5 full
days. This amount can be adjusted up or down, depending on
the number of people doing construction and the number of
days a team is working.) Of course, we would gratefully receive
more than this amount. It helps the work continue after a
team leaves.
· Exit tax from Honduras airport: approx. $33 USD
per person. (Sept. 2005). Email us for more current airport
tax.
westcott@cablecolor.hn
. This is not included in the price of an airline ticket,
and is
paid
at
the airport
upon
departure. .
Some other common costs for MEH teams to Honduras:
· Expenses in order to apply for, or to renew, a
passport.
· Cost of immunizations.
· Airfare from home city to Tegucigalpa/San Pedro
Sula.
· Meals en route.
· Tips for baggage porters ($.75 per bag carried)
· Personal spending money for souvenirs/snacks.
· Translator fee (contact MEH coordinators). We
have a limited number of translators available who charge
$20/day. The team pays this cost and any other expenses (food,
transportation, lodging). **Local translators are not available
for all dates, so please recruit Spanish-speakers for your
team!
· Extra group activities and sight-seeing costs,
like a dinner at a restaurant the last night, or transportation
to a point of interest.
· Gifts or tips to translators, drivers, and kitchen
help (people who’ve helped you all week) are appropriate,
but completely voluntary. A small gift that is representative
of the team is an appropriate option also. If you choose
to tip, please ask for guidance from the local pastor on
the amount to tip. In general, for translators, 20% is appropriate.
For drivers, $10 for the week. If you do tip, mention to
the local pastor or MEH coordinator that you are doing
so, to keep things transparent. Over-tipping causes problems.
Please check with Honduras MEH coordinator for current
fees.
With teams fewer than 12, there is a
possibility of a higher per diem fee, depending on the
transportation
costs at a
specific worksite or you may be required to pay for vehicle
rental separately. For further information on vehicle
rentals please inquire at vehicleinfo@mehonduras.org .
Cancellations
If a team member cancels less than one month before the
team arrives, we cannot guarantee a complete refund of the
per diem fee.
If an entire team cancels less than one month prior to their
scheduled arrival, a cancellation fee of $200 is charged
to cover administrative costs.
Sending Team Fees Ahead to Honduras
All team fees (per diem fees, construction donation, tour
transportation costs, translator fees, etc.) should be in
the hands of the treasurer in Honduras 30 days before the
team’s arrival date. This allows material to be purchased
ahead of time and arrangements to be made to accommodate
the team.
All team expenditures can be paid for with a single check
sent in the mail or by bank wire transfer. The manner in
which the funds are sent will determine when the funds are
in hand in Honduras.
More information on Sending Money to Honduras
Donating Funds to a Local Church in Honduras
Often teams make a donation to the local church they are
working with, to allow the construction to continue, for
school scholarships, for the purchase of a keyboard or sound
equipment, to buy medicine, etc. Some teams leave undesignated
funds that the pastor can use for the ministry of the church
at his/her discretion.
Any donations from the team should be presented to the MEH
coordinator or local pastor directly—not to individuals
in the congregation or community.
Some teams decide to raise and send money after their return
to the states. The MEH coordinators can provide information
about this.
Canadian Dollars
Canadian Dollars have no value in Honduras. You will need
to convert your Canadian spending dollars before you enter
Honduras.
US Dollars
In Honduras, US Dollars are only accepted in airports and
in Valle de Angeles (artisan tourist village). Other than
these, US dollars are not accepted anywhere.
Teams have had problems in the past with certain US dollars
not being accepted here because they are written on, have
stains, or are ripped. This has happened at tourist stores
in Valle de Angeles, with money-changers, at banks, and even
at the airport counter where you pay your exit fees of $33.
So team members should leave their old, battered bills at
home.
Changing US Dollars into Honduran Lempira
The airport is a good place to change dollars into lempira
before you leave for the site. There are money-changers outside
the terminal after you exit the airport building. Approved
money-changing men wear identifying vests, and in Tegucigalpa
they have been very honest. (Take more care double-counting
at the San Pedro Sula airport.) They usually give as good
or better than the bank’s buying-lempira rate.
Plan on changing your personal money and team money here,
including money for eventual sight-seeing here at the airport.
Getting to a bank is difficult at some sites. In addition,
regardless of worksite, taking the team to a bank is an extra
errand for the local hosts.
Be prepared to double-check the money-changer's calculations--bring
your own calculator or conversion sheet, or insist on using
the money-changer's calculator. An MEH staff person can
facilitate this.
ATM Machines
The airports have an ATM machine and if a team requests
it, team members can be directed to it before the team leaves
the airport. ATM machines give Lempiras, and each machine
allows a maximum withdrawal. (usually the maximum is either
L2000 or L5000)
Credit Cards
Credit Cards are accepted in Honduras in a limited way.
Most grocery stores, hotels, and mid-level restaurants accept
them. Some tourist shops accept them, but not all. Some tourist
shops charge an extra percentage to accept them. In Valle
de Angeles, all the Cooperative Pavilions accept them at
no extra charge.
Tipping
Tipping in restaurants is customarily 10% in Honduras.
Gifts or tips to translators, drivers, and kitchen help
are appropriate, but completely voluntary. A small gift that
is representative of the team is a nice
option. If you choose to tip, please ask for guidance from
the local pastor on the amount to tip. In general, for translators,
20% is appropriate. For drivers, $10 for the week. If you
do tip, please let the local pastor know you are doing so.
Over-tipping causes problems.
Medical teams should consider giving a small tip or token
gift to the people from the local congregation who are asked
by the pastor to work with the medical team all week. They
usually have made a sacrifice of some sort to support the
team in this way. Again, consult the local pastor for guidance
on this.
Left-over Lempiras
Left-over lempiras can be exchanged back into dollars at
the airport, with the same money-changers, on departure day.
Some teams donate left-over lempiras to the work project— to
the MEH staff person who facilitates the team evaluation
and accompanies the team
to the airport for departure. It’s helpful to include
a note with it telling the site and the designation.
Security
As with all valuables, it is best not to be obvious with
your money. Don’t flash a wad of cash when making a
purchase. Carry large quantities of cash in a security waist
pouch under your clothes. Carry smaller quantities of money
to use in your pocket.
At each site, teams stay in a place that is secure for the
team’s valuables. The only people who will enter your
rooms are either team members or trusted local individuals
who will enter to clean. Team members can tuck their cash
and passport in an out-of-the-way corner of their suitcase
and leave it there during work.
Sight-Seeing Costs
Some teams choose to sight-see at the end of their time
in Honduras. Teams are brought to Valley of Angels to do
their gift shopping.
Updated Sept., 2005
