Providing support for the sons and daughters of Honduras

When youth come together to work for the well-being of the community, it always creates positive change. For that reason, we support and encourage the efforts of youth to affect change in their communities. We have promoted the formation and organization of a Honduran youth movement, in which young people have defined their local, municipal and regional organizational structures and are establishing strategic alliances with other organizations.

For youth to reach these leadership positions, first they must be educated. We renovate schools and help teachers identify students’ needs, specifically in the areas of Spanish and math. For schools in remote areas, we stock their library shelves with books and also create Dream Corners, or small libraries, in first-grade classrooms stocked with educational and cultural books. Literacy and basic education programs, through a partnership with other nongovernmental organizations and the Secretary of Education, are made available to those youth and adults unable to complete their education.

Early stimulation is important in the development of children’s motor, communication and social skills.  Through our Guide Mothers program, trained community volunteers go into homes to make new mothers aware of how to stimulate their young children’s development as well as to inform them about immunizations, sanitation and safe water. In areas where these children do not have access to schools, we have also built preschool education centers.

Our Child Protection Program, implemented through the Child Safety Nets organization in affiliated communities, helps children who may be in trouble through a combined effort between schools, health centers, municipal authorities, and the District Attorney’s Office. Guide Mothers provide one avenue of facilitating this program by identifying potentially victimized children when they make home visits.

Guide Mothers deliver good advice

Our health efforts in Honduras extend from expanding access to safe water to reducing mortality rates associated with births. Guide Mothers teach families about safe water management and treatment, promote HIV testing of pregnant women and help to identify signs of danger for mothers and their newborns. We also conduct an education program for youth ages 12 to 24 years about the risks of contracting HIV.

Part of our nutrition initiative in Honduras includes monitoring the weight of children under the age of five and referring those children who are underweight to health huts for assistance. To keep children at healthy weights, educators train mothers to use locally grown foods and proper preparation techniques for healthier meals for their families. In partnership with the World Food Programme, we deliver food to children with growth deficiencies, mothers-to-be and new mothers and families in need of assistance.

The Micro-Credit and Savings program uses a strategy called Rural Cash Boxes to help Honduran families create sustainable sources of income. These savings and credit resources, which have their own internal organization, income control and registration systems, are used for financing individual activities with the potential to increase production, commercialization and sale of services. Vocational training in carpentry, metal work, tailoring and shoemaking provides youth and adults opportunities for employment and creating small businesses.

Hurricane Mitch severely disabled this country in 1998, so we ramped up our emergency response in Honduras. We initiated a Risk Management and Prevention of Disasters plan that identifies evacuation routes, shelters and vulnerable areas. Plus, we have partnered with the World Food Programme and the Permanent Contingencies Commission to help families affected by drought in the southern regions of Honduras. 

From birth through adulthood, we provide stimulation, safety and support to the children of Honduras.  Help us help the next generation facilitate change and growth in this country.