Making an impact
through three pillars:
Education
Casa de Esperanza provides scholarships to college students, as well as supporting 12 middle and high school boys through our Comayagua boys’ project.
Construction
Through our partnership with a local church, we have completed construction projects for several families and the church, including a commercial kitchen that feeds 400+ kids every month.
Health
Whether it’s mental health services for our college students, or necessary procedures for the students in our Comayagua boys’ project, we use our connections in Honduras to improve the health and wellness of those in need.
Our education ministry offers training and assistance to children and young adults who need a solid foundation to survive. Consider these staggering statistics about children and education in Honduras:
32%
of Children Finish Primary School
90%
of students need to repeat grades at some point in their education
45%
of students do not finish their education
The school systems in Honduras are not available to all children
Comayagua Boys Project
In 2012, Casa de Esperanza began assisting youth in the transition into their adult lives as theyleft Honduran orphanages.
The Issue:
Young adults leaving orphanages in Honduras typically do not have any vocational skills, nor have they developed basic life skills, such as banking, balancing a budget, learning to cook, learning proper nutrition, using public transportation, prioritizing their time and finishing their education.
Without these life skills, many young people leaving an orphanage enter a life of poverty and at times return to the streets selling themselves to prostitution, alcohol and drugs, thus continuing the cycle of poverty. Without family and friends supporting them, they are forced to survive on their own and can meet only their immediate needs. Without at least a secondary education, sustainable jobs that can support a family are difficult to find.
The Solution:
Casa de Esperanza formed a partnership with local Honduran couple, Ada and Chema, who have three boys of their own. Casa de Esperanza helped the couple expand their home to accommodate an additional 12 young men.
Serving as house parents, the boys live in their home, forming a family unit. The boys receive a high school education with an additional certificate in a specialized technical skill (such as electricity or metal work). They also help with the day to day management of the home, planning and preparing three nutritious meals each day, assisting with assigned chores and home maintenance, and balancing the household budget. They also end the day together with a devotional, which the boys are responsible for leading. All of this contributes to fostering a spirit of generosity and compassion.
The Results:
By learning a skilled trade, these young men will secure employment opportunities for the rest of their lives.
Although attending a university is free in Honduras, the cost of books, fees, transportation and finding an apartment in the city makes it virtually impossible to attend college without significant financial assistance. Through your contributions, we hope to continue to teach them electrical, plumbing and welding skills.
For several years, Casa de Esperanza has also invested in an on-site carpentry workshop at the boys’ home. “Abuelo Dave’s Workshop,”…
named after one of our generous donors, “Grandpa Dave,” allows the boys to learn metal and woodworking skills from their instructor Luis. This gives them additional opportunities making furniture. Several of the boys have graduated from the program, and they are encouraged to remain with the host family for another year to mentor the younger boys, leading by example.
Thanks to your generosity, the Comayagua Boys Project continues to thrive.
Casa de Esperanza travels to Honduras about once a year with teams of volunteers—from professionals and experts to beginners and novice—to work on a variety of construction projects,…
such as expanding and improving church facilities, housing repair, new home starts, and the construction of a new primary school. Whenever possible, we work to partner with Honduran architects and purchase supplies locally in order to support the Honduran economy.
Some of our previous projects include:
Construction of a Christian elementary school in Taulabe.
Construction of a church in the mountain village of Jaitique.
Construction of additions of classrooms at a church in Jardines.
Carpentry work for our transition homes.
Construction of a two-story classroom addition for a church in Siguatepeque.
Our most recent accomplishment was the installation of a commercial kitchen at a local church
For several years, Casa de Esperanza Included in our construction mission is improving—or installing—plumbing, as the water sources in Honduras are very unreliable and bacteria laden, a sewer systems are inadequate, if even present.has also invested in an on-site carpentry workshop at the boys’ home. “Abuelo Dave’s Workshop,”…
This makes the water a prime source of gastrointestinal diseases. Little if any precautionary measures are taken to treat the water source before ingestion. Because of this, water improvement has also been a large part of Casa de Esperanza’s work. Fortunately we have a licensed plumber on our board, Mr. Dave Herrema, and with his help we have improved water safety in many of the areas we have worked.
Although Honduras has socialized medicine, few people can afford the treatments the doctor may prescribe.
Hospitals keep few supplies on hand; if you were to need to have your gallbladder removed, for example, you would need to purchase all the necessary supplies for the surgery at a local pharmacy.
When Casa De Esperanza partners with local churches, we work to identify leaders within the community who may be willing to learn and promote disease prevention concepts. We provide these leaders with resources such as written materials, access to online learning programs and audio-visual materials to teach them more about community health.
In the past, we’ve had the opportunity to have an Optical Technician travel with our team…
as there is a great need to provide Hondurans with glasses. Far-sightedness is very common, and many adults need glasses for “close-up” work such as sewing, reading, etc. Our Optical Technician provides vision screenings and fits the people with reading glasses.
Casa de Esperanza has a strong partnership with a private evangelical hospital in Honduras.
One of our educational program graduates works as a nurse there and is willing to help us by recommending the proper patient care in certain situations. Our medical assistance funds are granted on a case-by-case basis and we are grateful to serve in this way.
