PHOTO PROVIDED BY DIOCESE OF HONDURAS Some attendees expressed interest in using the group’s money to form a microenterprise of Chinese food that included flakes, syrup, pupusas (thick corn tortilla), pickles, vinegars and jellies. The people present in the workshop were given a snack at 10:30 a.m. and lunch at 12:30 p.m.

The two huge caravans from Central America that set out for the U.S. several weeks ago have been one of the biggest stories of the year. Individuals and families from a minimum of 20 countries, including Guatemala and Honduras, compose the caravans, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Sort of lost in the shuffle in this news story are the poverty-stricken people who did not leave their homes, including many in Honduras. A whopping 66 percent of the Honduran population was living in poverty as late as just two years ago, according to the World Bank website. It is worse in rural areas where 20 percent of Hondurans live in extreme poverty on less than $1.90 in U.S. money.

But there are those who are taking notice of the plight of the Honduran people and making a concerted effort to help. Two ongoing projects are the Savings Groups with Education and Family Gardens that were developed by the Anglican Association for the Development of Honduras (AANGLIDESH) for use in the Diocese of Honduras, a companion diocese of the Diocese of Central Florida.

The Savings Group with Education, under the direction of new facilitator Nohelia Maradiaga, has focused on the development of the Annual Work Plan. Within that work plan, 18 groups have been formed, four under the direct supervision of Maradiaga. The groups band together to save money, and then members take out micro-loans to pay for school expenses, medical bills or to even start a small home enterprise such as making a variety of foods for sale. Each of the groups also have a social goal to benefit their communities, such as painting a church.

The Family Gardens project then was created to further assist Hondurans with the formation of food security and the potentiality of a modest supplemental income. Families receive fruit trees and more.

“In some small way, these programs directly address very real needs of rural Hondurans in their homes,” said Martha Emerson, a member of the Honduras Commission for the Diocese of Central Florida.

In a report released to the Diocese of Central Florida, Maradiaga said the groups have been saving well. The Group of Saving Growing in Grace of Danan Deanery, which was formed by 16 women and five men, has saved 13,611 Lempiras or $561.78 in U.S. dollars. Four people have borrowed 500 Lempiras or $20.64 in U.S. money.

“That money was used to buy school supplies, medicines and pay transportation to their children’s school; these have been the main needs that they have been able to attend with them,” Maradiaga said. “All of them are happy to be able to count on this help when they need it. It is the only option that they have. Besides this, their social goal of this cycle is to buy the paint to paint the temple of the community.”

Another group, Grupo Jesús es Luz, which is composed of 12 women and six men, has saved 9,349 Lempiras or $385.87 in U.S. dollars. The money, thus far, has benefited 12 people to buy medicine, children’s clothes and school expenses. The group’s social goal is to purchase wood for the elaboration of a bookcase for the Episcopal church of the community, Maradiaga said.

The successes of the groups under Maradiaga follows the initial formation and facilitation of the first small groups under Canon Connie Sanchez. But the Diocese of Honduras recognized the need for more facilitators to help build more groups around the country, so the Diocese of Central Florida Honduras Commission provided a first-year salary for the creation of a new facilitator: Maradiaga.

Emerson said the Diocese of Central Florida Honduras Commission would like to reward Maradiaga with a salary beyond her first year but need the public’s help. Considering that Honduras’ per capita income is approximately $600 U.S. dollars and unemployment sits at a staggering 28 percent, the need to continue aiding these savings groups is essential to the country’s survival.

To support Maradiaga in her efforts as facilitator, contributions can be sent through the Honduras Development Network via Randy Smith, P.O. Box 450865, Sunrise, FL 33346. Interested benefactors also can check out: https://www.hondurasdevelopmentnetwork.org/ via the internet.