CASA DE ESPERANZA
What We Do
Hope. Healing. Honduras.
Casa de Esperanza is a Christian, faith-based organization created to bring hope to the country of Honduras through education. Translated as “House of Hope,” Casa de Esperanza seeks to promote self-sufficiency and spiritual growth through supportive housing, training, and skills development. We also assist with medical care and provide basic construction services.
Education and Training
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.
COMAYAGUA BOYS PROJECT
In 2012, Casa de Esperanza began assisting youth in the transition into their adult lives as they left 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.
Health Care
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.
Medical
Dental Services
During our time working in Honduras, Casa de Esperanza has hosted over 100 dental clinics. For patients visiting our clinics, it was typically their first time visiting a dentist. Our team originally set out to create a mobile dental clinic model which allowed us to provide dental services in remote areas where we would not be preventing Honduran dentists from gaining business, and we would be helping those who were in need of care the most.
After a bit if head-scratching, the team arrived at three goals:
- To provide free dental care in a clean, safe environment in areas not serviced by other dentists.
- The care delivered was to be acceptable to United States standards and sterilization of instruments guaranteed.
- To spread the Word of God through distributing Bibles and study guides, and through partnerships with local pastors.
Thanks to generous donations from dental colleagues, enough was raised to purchase the necessary tools, equipment and supplies—with enough left over to purchase Bibles for our first clinic.
The team’s acceptance was affirmed when the Honduran Board of Dentistry issued temporary Dental Licenses and a Honduran dentist told us that we were the best and most organized clinic she had seen. Working with International Aid, the equipment was shipped to Honduras; and with the help of Drs. Mike and Maria Moore, we were able to get it through customs (another story).
We worked with local health officials and pastors in Honduras to schedule visits to mountain villages, so the people were aware of the clinic’s arrival. Whenever the clinic arrived, local Hondurans had been in prayer for its arrival. They helped load and unload, interpret, fix lunch and provide with snacks. The local Pastor would pray before the clinic opened, and he stayed to hand out Bibles and invited people to worship as they leave the clinic. Upon leaving the clinic, patients were also given oral hygiene kits and instructions for after-care. They were also educated on techniques for preventative care.
Following the COVID-19 Pandemic, our board of directors made the decision to focus our efforts on education rather than continuing the dental clinics*. We are extremely proud of the work our dentists and volunteers have completed over the years, and more than anything we pray that the people we encountered in the clinics were able to experience God's love in a very tangible way!
To date, our clinics treated over 7,800 people, providing exams, extractions, cleanings, fillings, and sealants.
We also handed out over 8,800 copies of the New Testament in Spanish.
*If you still wish to donate dental supplies or you have questions about dental care in Honduras, please contact [email protected]. We have continuing connections with Honduran dentists and would love to assist them.
Construction Assistance
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:
Included in our construction mission is improving—or installing—plumbing, as the water sources in Honduras are very unreliable and bacteria laden, as sewer systems are inadequate, if even present. 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.
SOME OF OUR
Testimonials
"It’s all about the relationships we build with the people of Honduras. When you clean someone’s teeth, you can’t get much closer than that. When you build a house with someone, it doesn’t get much better than that."
Dr. Bill DeWitt, Director
"This organization not only brings medical and dental care to Honduras, they bring love, educational support, construction projects, more love, relationship building, networking with other agencies, and more love to the people of Honduras, they also bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to a people group who desperately are seeking TRUTH and GOD’S LOVE. Thanks for an Amazing experience Casa de Esperanza 2013 Mission Team!"
