Honduras
Samaritan's Purse began working in Honduras in 1998 in response to Hurricane Mitch. After meeting critical needs with emergency relief supplies, we began a housing project that provided homes to 5,000 destitute families. We are still meeting needs of vulnerable people through livestock and farm projects, water and sanitation programs, a supplemental feeding program for schoolchildren, health, hygiene, and micro-business projects at orphanages, HIV/AIDS testing and educational workshops, and evangelism programs reaching thousands of people.
Note From the Field
Physical and Spiritual Help
From country director Brad Phillips
The CHP team had successful medical brigades with a visiting cardiologist doing pre-evaluations.
Our women’s training program graduated 15 from a six-month sewing class for those infected or directly affected by HIV.
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Our evangelism, latrine, and filter projects held training sessions in the southern part of the country with Christian material to be used in the communities.
For one of our morning devotions we hosted a group of children from one of the orphanages that our Santiago project works with. The children played guitars, flutes, and the piano and led us in worship. We took them to eat afterwards, and for most of them it was the first time they had ever had breakfast from Burger King in their lives.
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PROJECTS
Animal and Livestock
Samaritan's Purse trains groups of local villagers in animal husbandry techniques. They receive animals after completing 10 training sessions, which include devotional times. The goal is to provide additional income sources to alleviate poverty. Participants agree to return one female offspring so the project can be expanded to a neighboring community. The program is benefiting 500 families in the Departments of Santa Barbara and Cortes.
Evangelism
The evangelism team goes into areas where we have other projects with the goal of sharing the Good News with beneficiaries. In addition, we show the "JESUS" film in rural communities throughout the country, and support an adult literacy project with food ration distributions and teachings about Christ. The evangelism team proclaimed the Gospel to 38,000 people in 2008, with more than 2,100 decisions for Christ. We partner with local church leaders who can provide follow up.
The Power of Knowing: Voluntary Counseling and Testing Centers
The project offers free HIV tests with results available in 20 minutes, and individual counseling. Samaritan's Purse operates two Voluntary Counseling and Testing Centers in San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa, the two largest Honduran cities. We also conduct outreach events in universities and textile factories. Our goal is to test 22,500 people this year.
Prescription for Hope
Samaritan’s Purse-Honduras has sent a team to several Central and South American countries to educate, break down barriers of prejudice, and to encourage the local church to talk about the HIV/AIDS pandemic and to reach out with Christ-like compassion to its victims.
Project Hope: HIV Education
A curriculum promoting abstinence and faithfulness as the best HIV/AIDS prevention method is being taught to children aged 9-15 in five Garifuna communities on the north coast of Honduras. About 350 young people meet weekly at a champa (local straw hut) to be taught the lesson and receive homework assignments. They also participate in educational fairs, health fairs, and other creative activities to encourage learning about making healthy sexual choices. We also are conducting HIV testing brigades for adults in the same communities.
Project Santiago: Orphanage Support
Samaritan's Purse supports the operation of nine orphanages though monthly food distributions. We also provide health and hygiene lessons to the children in the orphanages, as well as weekly Bible memorization lessons. Additionally, we have brought work groups to help with construction improvement projects. In two homes, we also provide micro-business training and hope to implement the program in more orphanages in the future.
Water and Sanitation Programs
In 2008, Samaritan's Purse provided household water filters to more than 500 families. In addition, six community heath and hygiene workshops were held to teach individuals how to prevent the spread of disease through proper sanitation.
Children's Heart Project
Our office has been sending children to the United States for heart surgery since 2004. Several of our staff have helped to serve as translators for the family and child. A visiting pediatric cardiologist from the U.S. is currently helping to identify children with life-threatening heart conditions.
PRAYER REQUESTS
Security
Honduras has very high levels of crime, and as a non-governmental organization with numerous vehicles, we can be a target.Safety
Our teams travel to and from rural work sites that can be as much as three or four hours away on roads that are narrow and dangerous.Wisdom
We are seeking God's wisdom if we should continue a program that is scheduled to end in the near future.
Stories from Honduras
Remembering Those in Prison
Operation Christmas Child brings a message of hope to the children of inmates in a Honduran jail
“Doctor, He Believes!”
A physician’s willingness to share his faith helps lead a patient to faith in Christ
Loving Care for Orphans
Young lives are being changed by the love of God at an orphanage in Honduras supported by Samaritan’s Purse
