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Honduras
Honduras ranks among the most economically challenged countries in the Central American/Caribbean region. Two-thirds of the population lives below the national poverty line, and close to 50% live in conditions of extreme poverty. When Hurricane Mitch hit the country in 1998, it resulted in an estimated $2 billion in damage and left thousands of people homeless. Honduras is the epicenter of the Central American HIV/AIDS epidemic, accounting for more than half of the reported cases in the region, even though the country has only 17% of the population.
Episcopal Relief & Development's work in Honduras is carried out with with a group of partners specializing in various aspects of development. The organization's primary relationship is with the Diocese of Honduras and its Anglican Agency of Development, known as AANGLIDESH, which was originally established Episcopal Relief & Development's support. Through the diocese, the agency also partners with El Hogar Projects, which provides orphaned boys a home and an education. As an extension, El Hogar’s Episcopal Agricultural School and Farm reaches out to rural families living in poverty by providing young men an academic and practical background in basic agriculture.
Rebuilding Communities
- Efforts continue to rebuild housing and community infrastructure destroyed during Hurricane Mitch and other natural disasters. Current efforts are focused on rebuilding homes for 700 people in the Amarateca Valley area.
Creating Economic Opportunities and Strengthening Communities
- Training programs enhance individuals’ ability to start and manage small businesses by providing capital credit and courses in marketing and entrepreneurship.
- Employment opportunties with a bread-baking cooperative, block-making factory and small tourism company enable individuals to enhance skills and access local markets. The initiatives target marginalized groups such as fishermen, people living with HIV, and women from the Garifuna communities, who face systematic discrimination.
- At the Agricultural School, students learn principles and practicalities of animal husbandry, crop production and water conservation to maintain productive farms.
Alleviating Hunger and Improving Food Supply
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Community gardens and fruit tree plantations improve the income potential and health of local residents in the mountainous rural areas.
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At the agro-technical school, the next generation of agricultural workers is being empowered to carry their newfound knowledge back to their home areas. There, they will work alongside residents and teach them techniques to transform community gardens, providing longer-term food availability and diversity in people’s diets.
Promoting Health and Fighting Disease
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Environmentally sound cooking stoves and composting latrines promote safer, healthier living conditions in the rural communities of El Paraiso and Copan.
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Trained health educators instruct community members in basic disease prevention and hygiene and sanitation practices that reduce respiratory, water-borne and mosquito-borne illnesses.
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Across the country, church groups, clergy, youth and commercial sex workers participate in health education programs that focus on HIV/AIDS prevention.
