“To enable these real men and women to escape from extreme poverty, we must allow them to be dignified agents of their own destiny. Integral human development and the full exercise of human dignity cannot be imposed. They must be built up and allowed to unfold for each individual, for every family, in communion with others, and in a right relationship with all those areas in which human social life develops – friends, communities, towns and cities, schools, businesses and unions, provinces, nations, etc.”
– Pope Francis (9/25/15, United Nations)
Location: Central America
Official Language: Spanish
Currency: Lempira
Capital: Tegucigalpa
Population: 8,500,000
Olancho
Location: Eastern Honduras
Main Industry: Agriculture
Capital: Juticalpa
Population: 538,000
Challenges Facing Our Community
Climate Instability
The poor are disproportionately affected when severe weather events occur. According to the World Bank, in rural parts of Honduras, 1 in 5 people live in extreme poverty. Industry is also affected as floods, droughts, and rising temperatures are forcing businesses to relocate operations.
Immigration
The flow of individuals and families out of Honduras is affecting families, industry, and schools. According to a report from the New York Times in 2014, Juticalpa had the third largest number of children who had crossed the US border from communities across Central America.
Increasing Cost of Living
Many factors affect the cost of living for Hondurans. According to the Secretary of Labor, from 2014- 2018, the average 2-income household in Honduras earned $6,072 per year to sustain an average of 4-5 family members. As the cost of gasoline rises, it quickly affects the cost of electricity and cost of living generally. Olancho has the highest cost of energy per kilowatt in the country according to the Empresa Nacional de Energía Eléctrica. The Honduran Central Bank reports inflation at 4-5%, though Central General de Trabajadores de Honduras, an association of employers, insists it is higher.
Deforestation
The clearing of forests in Honduras results from slash and burn farming, industrial scale agriculture, clearing for cattle farming, mining activities, timber harvesting, and forest fires. The effects include increased erosion and landslides. Deforestation is linked to exasperating the effects of both flooding and drought.