What’s Going On? An Insider’s Account of the Recent Events in Honduras by Sophia Anderson

Honduran President, Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales, known as “Mel” to most Hondurans, was ousted from power this past Sunday, June 28.  In the early hours of the morning, he was woken up by military officers, forcibly taken from his home in pajamas, and placed on a plane headed for San Jose, Costa Rica, where he was placed in exile.

Later that morning, the Honduran Congress held an emergency session in which they read and approved a letter of resignation written by Zelaya (although he categorically denies having written it).  In the afternoon, according to the succession of power outlined in the Constitution, the President of Congress, Roberto Micheletti, was appointed as interim president until the next election is held in November.

In order to fully understand what is being presented by much of the international press as a gross violation of democracy, one must examine the events leading up to Sunday.  Honduras’ Constitution currently states a presidential limit of one term.  Zelaya has been trying for months to gain support of a referendum vote to modify the Constitution.  The desired outcome of this modification includes a re-election and potential indefinite presidential stay in power – similar to dictators such as Hugo Chavez, Zelaya’s close political ally, and Fidel Castro.

Furthermore, Zelaya has been widely criticized for his blatant abuse of power and obsession with winning the upcoming referendum vote at the expense of his other responsibilities.  Without an approved federal budget in place, Zelaya has been spending government funds at will.  Most notably, government workers who had not received a salary in several months due to supposed lack of funds were paid 300-500 Lempiras ($15-25) in exchange for marching in a pro-referendum demonstration.  Meanwhile, hundreds of Hondurans severely affected by the May 28 earthquake and thousands more in subsequent danger of flooding from destroyed levees of Ulúa River were completely ignored.

In the weeks before the referendum vote, it became clear that Zelaya did not have legal grounds to hold an election.  Although the Constitution can be modified, the Supreme Court declared Zelaya’s referendum illegal because the President does not have authority to propose such modifications and, even if he did, it must be approved by Congress.  In addition, the Attorney General supported the Supreme Court’s decision and declared that he would prosecute anyone involved in carrying out the illegal vote.
Just a few days before the referendum vote, the Head of the Armed Forces, Romeo Vasquez, declared that he would not participate in the logistics of making an illegal election take place (a role traditionally carried out by the military).  Zelaya responded by firing him and refused to reinstate Vasquez on the Supreme Court’s order.  Shortly thereafter, the Defense Minister and Heads of the Navy and Air Force also resigned.

On Friday, June 26, in a desperate attempt to carry out his illegal referendum vote despite widespread opposition, Zelaya led a crowd of supporters to a military compound near the airport in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa.  They successfully took possession of the country’s ballot boxes and distributed them, along with thousands of illegal ballots that had been sent from Venezuela by Hugo Chavez, throughout Honduras for Sunday’s illegal vote.

The international community, including the Organization of American States (OAS) and the European Union, has been quick to condemn what they are calling a military coup, while the new administration insists it was not a coup because Zelaya was clearly warned beforehand about the potential consequences if he carried out his illegal referendum vote.   Furthermore, the military is not ruling the country.  Rather, an interim president has been appointed to govern until the next election in November.  The OAS has called for Zelaya to be returned to the Presidency and will hold a meeting in Washington D.C. to discuss the crisis.

The United States, while condemning Sunday’s actions as illegal, has stopped short of officially declaring a coup, which would require the U.S. to cut off millions of dollars of aid to Honduras, where over half the population lives in extreme poverty.  The U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, indicated U.S. reluctance to returning Zelaya to the Presidency when she said, “We haven’t laid out any demands that we’re insisting on, because we’re working with others on behalf of our ultimate objectives.”[1]  President of the Inter-American Dialogue in Washington D.C., Peter Hakim, summarized the international community’s predicament by saying that Zelaya had been “fighting with all institutions in the country” and that “he’s in no condition to really govern. At the same time to stand by and allow him to be pushed out by the military reverses a course of 20 years.”1

In Honduras, there is a sense of tense anticipation over what is to come.  Monday, while Micheletti was naming his new cabinet, an estimated 1,500 pro-Zelaya demonstrators were sprayed with tear gas by soldiers attempting to control the protests outside the Presidential Palace in Tegucigalpa.[2]  A nationwide 48-hour curfew was imposed from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. starting Sunday evening and is likely to be extended.  Meanwhile citizens throughout the country have been lining up at grocery stores and gas stations to stock up on fuel and supplies as they wait to see what will happen next.  As these events unfold, Adelante will continue to support our clients and work to improve the standard of living of the extreme poor.

[1] Sheridan, Mary Beth. U.S. Condemns Honduran Coup: Still, Administration Steps Lightly. The Washington Post. 6/30/09.
[2] Rosenberg, Mica. Honduras Isolated over Zelaya Ouster. Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/i​dUSTRE55R24E20090629. 6/29/09.

Hondurans await outcome of political crisis

Tension mounts in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa as Honduran president Mel Zelaya defiantly continues his plans to hold an election Sunday to open up the country’s constitution to revision and potentially remove presidential term limits that currently prevent him from remaining in power past his current four-year term.  Zelaya’s referendum has been declared illegal by the Supreme Court, and the congress passed a law earlier in the week blocking the illegitimate election from taking place.

Zelaya fired the chief of the armed forces, General Romeo Vasquez, Thursday, June 25^th, after he refused to cooperate in handing over ballot boxes and provide logistical support for Sunday’s election, a role the army traditionally plays.  Shortly after, the chiefs of the air force and navy resigned, along with the defense minister, Edmundo Orellana, in opposition to Zelaya.  The Supreme Court ordered Zelaya to reinstate Vasquez, stating that he could not be fired for refusing to obey illegal orders, but Zelaya refused.

An estimated 2,000 supporters marched through the streets of Tegucigalpa Thursday with President Zelaya to an army base where the ballot boxes are kept. They were handed over to him without conflict, and he intends to use them to carry out Sunday’s election with the support of the police, who continue to back him.

Zelaya has gained much support for his movement from the poor – mainly farmers and labor leaders who believe his reforms would be to their benefit – but he is on his own amongst those in power.  The congress, the Supreme Court, and both major political parties are against him. His own liberal party has already selected a candidate for this November’s election, and has distanced itself from Zelaya and his attempt to reform the constitution. The Attorney General, Luis Alberto Rubi, is urging congress to oust Zelaya from power.

Citizens throughout the country are watching the developments with anticipation, hoping the conflict will be resolved peacefully.  Some are more optimistic than others.  Two alternative viewpoints are presented below:

“Essentially, we’re on the brink of a complete break-down of our constitution and political structure. The president, Mel Zelaya, will hold an illegal vote on Sunday aimed at dissolving congress and paving the way for his presidency to remain in power indefinitely. Under his new government, Mel has vowed to follow Chavez and Fidel Castro’s model by adopting communist measures such as nationalizing private industry and declaring government ownership of children over the age of three (for indoctrination purposes). Imagine that?….unbelievable.

Although Mel has bought out the opposing political party and the high ranking military leaders, there is some sense of confidence among many Hondurans that his plan will fail, given the radical nature of his ideology which many citizens don’t subscribe to.  Nonetheless, there is a deep sense of concern and uncertainty while the country is bracing for Sunday’s outcome.”

Julio Castillo, Adelante board member

“I have the opinion that things are not on the verge of complete breakdown and that our rudimentary checks and balances will prevail.

Already the heads of the armed forces resigned rather than obey the illegal process being proposed by the President. The Minister of Defense, who has been a close traditional ally of the President also resigned due to the illegality of this proposal. We are talking about a respected prominent lawyer, who has held the highest office in the Judiciary and has been within the inner circle of the President. We are a long ways from the end of this situation and it is worth mentioning that the illegal vote on Sunday is to decide if the Honduran people approve adding a ballot box during our November Presidential elections asking people if they are in favor of changing the Constitution. This a Chavista ploy (with cosmetic ¨¨democratic¨¨ camouflage) to grant our current President broad powers and undermine Constitutional term limits, freedom of the press, and the Judiciary. The President tried to manipulate the naming of the new Supreme Court a few months ago and was severely bruised as none of his nominees were selected. In the US people take for granted the separation of the Judiciary, Legislative and the Executive powers but this is the basis for democracy. If we have an independent Judiciary, it is harder for people with power of decision to violate laws. Without the assistance of the armed forces it will be logistically impossible to hold this charade. The President has had to change the name of the process to an opinion poll survey as voting in a ballot box is illegal outside the legal established chronology of the voting process. The highest courts of law, Attorney General, churches and Congress have determined this is an illegal process.

Although the GOH has had an intense media campaign financed by Chavez, our media has been virulent in it s opposition and common people have held massive demonstrations against the President in an orderly manner.

Mel Zelaya is a mercurial personality being manipulated by air conditioned Marxists who ride first class in trans Atlantic flights and ride around in Cadillac motorcades in the name of the campesino. He claimed to be a Civil engineer all his life until a journalist discovered he attended less than 90 days of university classes.”

Jose “Pepe” Herrero, citizen of La Ceiba

The Aftershocks Continue with No End in Sight

The most powerful aftershock to hit Honduras yet rattled the population at 11:13 p.m. local time on Sunday, June 7.  This tremor measured 5.7 on the Richter scale and its epicenter was only 20 miles northwest of La Ceiba in the Caribbean Sea between La Ceiba, home to Fundación Adelante’s headquarters, and the Bay Island of Utila.

This is the eleventh aftershock officially recorded by the United States Geological Survey[1] since a major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3 on the Richter scale and an epicenter six miles below the Caribbean Sea and 75 miles NNE of La Ceiba, hit Honduras on May 28.  The aftershock epicenters have been scattered, seven off the Honduran shore in the Caribbean Sea and four southeast of La Ceiba on the mainland[2]. The most recent tremor sent La Ceiba residents running out of their homes just before midnight and many people reported hardly sleeping the rest of the night.  The local news reported three homes destroyed in La Ceiba and one in the nearby community of El Porvenir.

Table 1 – A listing of the date, time, magnitude and location for all recent recorded earthquakes in Honduras.

Number	Date	Local time	Magnitude on the Richter Scale	Location in relation to La Ceiba, Honduras
1	5/28/09	2:24 a.m.	7.3	125 km (75 mi) NNE (offshore)
2	5/28/09	4:06 a.m.	4.8	95 km (60 mi) NW (offshore)
3	5/28/09	8:45 p.m.	4.5	100 km (60 mi) WNW (offshore)
4	5/28/09	11:17 p.m.	4.1	80 km (50 mi) NNE (offshore)
5	5/29/09	6:51 a.m.	4.6	55 km (35 mi) SE (on land)
6	5/30/09	12:33 a.m.	4.5	115 km (70 mi) NW (offshore)
7	6/02/09	12:43 a.m.	5.0	45 km (30 mi) SE (on land)
8	6/04/09	6:41 p.m.	4.7	50 km (30 mi) SE (on land)
9	6/04/09	7:12 p.m.	4.3	45 km (25 mi) SE (on land)
10	6/05/09	10:37 p.m.	4.7	110 km (65 mi) WNW (offshore)
11	6/06/09	5:53 a.m.	4.5	85 km (50 mi) NNW (offshore)
12	6/07/09	11:13 p.m.	5.7	30 km (20 mi) NW (offshore)

Residents here are not unfamiliar with natural disasters. Just a little over ten years ago, Hurricane Mitch devastated the country’s infrastructure and left half its population homeless.  People here are well accustomed to the threat of hurricanes as they are generally preceded by watches and warnings with computer models carefully predicting the most likely path. However, the earthquake threat is entirely unfamiliar – it lurks in the distance like a fer-de-lance hidden in the grass ready to strike an unsuspecting passer-by with its deadly bite.  The first quake took the population completely by surprise and the subsequent aftershocks have left people traumatized – spending sleepless nights listening for rumbling and shooting up in bed at the slightest noise or tremor.   Almost two weeks have passed since the initial earthquake and people are starting to wonder if this saga will ever end.

Unfortunately, according to Wilfred Strauch, a seismologist from Germany’s Institute of Geosciences and Natural Resources in Honduras to aid authorities, the country remains at risk[3].  He claims, however, that the location of the epicenter in the ocean saved Honduras because “if it had been on land with that intensity (7.3) the consequences would have been devastating.”  He further explains that the type of construction and underlying bedrock contribute to the level of devastation in different parts of the country.  For example, in the bay island of Roatán most homes are made of wood and the destruction was minor even though it was the closest landmass to the epicenter of the original earthquake.  Cement structures are much more vulnerable to breaking, as are homes built on fragile floodplain soils like those in the Sula valley, near San Pedro Sula, where the destruction was most severe.

According to residents in the hardest-hit areas near Omoa, Puerto Cortes and El Progreso, neither the national nor the municipal governments have shown an interest in assisting affected communities[4].  At least 350 homes were destroyed in the area surrounding Puerto Cortes alone and hundreds of people are living without potable water – many young children and senior citizens are suffering from gastrointestinal, respiratory and skin illnesses as a result.  The majority of those affected make up the poorest segment of the population. Bernarda Bueso, 73 years old, lost her home in the earthquake and expressed, “I don’t understand why the president, Mel Zelaya, hasn’t even sent us water or food to help us survive the sad reality that we are living⁴.”

At least one Adelante assembly, from the community of El Juncal in the Aguan Valley, has been affected[5].  Their neighborhood was evacuated to the nearby town of Olanchito after the government issued a red alert for their area near the epicenters of the four land-based aftershocks.   Several clients – such as Maura Cárcamo who lost one of the walls of her home and Elsa Martinez, Lilian Chirinos, Norma Ponce, Deysi Flores, and Silvia Chirinos whose homes have severely cracked walls – have only recently begun to return home and assess the damages.  With their community in turmoil, no food to put on their tables nor government aid in sight, these clients are understandably more concerned with repairing their homes and rebuilding their lives than paying off their delinquent loans.

This situation highlights the difficult reality of working with the rural poor in one of the most disadvantaged countries in the western hemisphere.  Adelante’s mission is to improve the standard of living of this highly vulnerable population, but the best way of accomplishing this goal is not always as clear as one might hope.  At times like these, while we cannot forgive our clients’ debts, we can and do refinance their loans in order to allow them a reasonable amount of time to get their lives back in order before paying them back.

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[1] United States Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/. Last updated 6/8/09.

[2] Please see Table 1 and corresponding map. Map source: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/americas/honduras.jpg

[3] Honduras está en situación de riesgo (Honduras is at risk), by Pablo C. Zapata. Diario La Prensa 6/6/09.

[4] Victimas del terremoto olvidadas por Gobierno (Victims of earthquake forgotten by government),by Yolany Izaguirre. Diario La Prensa 6/4/09.

[5] According to Rossel Martinez, Fundacion Adelante Olanchito branch office supervisor. 6/8/09.

LETTER TO NORTH AMERICA FROM MY KITCHEN

LETTER TO NORTH AMERICA FROM MY KITCHEN

WHILE MAKING JELLY FROM WINE GRAPES AFTER RETURNING

FROM ADELANTE, THE MICRO CREDIT LENDING PROGRAM

IN HONDURAS WITH THOUGHTS ON WHO’S RICH AND WHO’S POOR

AFTER THE ECONOMIC MELTDOWN IN THE UNITED STATES

 

High heat from the big burner breaks down grape skins

Releasing tannin with juice vintners call lucid memory.

Oh, the great spike of alcohol! Years ago, life descended

In story and song turning me away from acceptable truths

and compromise accompanying memorable wine.

The old wine press gave me the necessary extraction.

 

Put yourself in the shoes of a man trying to get a small loan

To start a business in Honduras. Try it. Do you think you could

Get a loan for a hundred dollars?—Make this jelly, pay back your loan,

And earn a profit? Do you? You paid top dollar for those jars.

That pectin’s not cheap, and you need another twenty pounds of sugar.

One more question. Where will you find the women to trust you?

 

Women and children don’t even figure in definitions of who’s poor.

There’s a poverty World Bank knows nothing about.

Read Muhammad Yunnus. Women join in groups of five

Because that’s how many fingers there are on the hand.

Interdependent from the beginning, they get no breaks

On deregulating anything. A man would need four women

 

 

 

 To trust him, and another fifteen to start an assembly where he lives.

Women suffer more. They know men drink up the loans and leave.

In the world of development when you mix the poor

With the non-poor, the less poor always drive out the poor.

“What was required,” Yunnus writes,  “… an institution that would lend

To those who had nothing. People suffer for lack of 22 cents.”

 

But the bread maker, María Lucía Hernández Martinez,

Gets up at 2 am and bakes bread. She rides the bus

Into La Ceiba and sells it. There’s an orchid attached to a plant

Winding its way into my eye from her fence pole.

It’s radically open. Improving this fence

Is one of Maria’s dreams. Why do I want my own

Story attached to a parasitic flower?

María buys flour in bags in La Ceiba.

She can’t afford to buy flour—or milk—in bulk.

Flour and milk has doubled in price in the last year.

When things get tough in the rich countries,

Trouble first doubles up the poor. Maria’s a single

 

Mother with seven kids, three still at home.

A frying pan with a spoon of beans left from breakfast

Tells the story. Dirt floor and tin roof

Covers the oven that bakes the bread.

Horno/furnace. Her treasure. Cerco y casa.

Fence and home repairs.

María es la jefaDe Buena Amanecer. Thanksgiving Dawn

Is the name of her assembly. My jelly would be good

On María’s bread. Would I force her out of business?

Jesus has a parable of the 99. Leave the 99 to save the one.

The juice on my stove bubbles up from below.

María turns jelly jars upside down. This time,

 

It’s the 99 who need to be saved. Adelante urges

Us forward, knowing, not knowing. The jelly

Is a trick against safety. How you’re wired

Into interdependence gets lost with your retirement plan.

María is the leader, boss, and angel of bread. Pan de cada día

Is her invitation. First loans average 89 dollars.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jim Bodeen

21 September—28 October, 2008

La Ceiba, Honduras—Yakima, Washington

 

 

Jim and Karen Bodeen are the publishers and proprietors of Blue Begonia Press, an exclusively poetry press. Jim made his first trip to Honduras and Adelante in February of 2007 (see http://bluebegoniapress.com/index.php?page_id=318), and recently returned in September of 2008 with a group from the Whatcom County North Rotary Club. Jim is a poet whose passion is recording the history of common people; and he has worked to record the history of a family in the village of La Cuestita, state of Michoacán, México through word, poem, quilt, film, photo and family tree. Jim lives in Yakima, Washington with his wife, Karen, and regularly enjoys spending time with his four grandchildren.

 

Blog Action Day 2008:Poverty

Today on Blog Action Day the Adelante Foundation would like to recognize poverty issues all over the world. We are working to improve the standard of living of extremely poor women living in Honduras. The poverty in Honduras is among the most severe in Latin America. About 74% of the country’s poor people, and 86% of the extremely poor, live in rural areas. Since 1999, Adelante has provided small loans to very poor women so they can start and grow their own small business. Over time, the women use their profits to buy better food for their families; improve their homes; buy medicine when necessary; send children to school; and plan and save for the future. Adelante appreciates being able to be a part of the Blog Action Day!

Piñatas!

Art staff making piñatas

On September 10^th Honduras will celebrate Dia del Niño, or Children’s Day, and Adelante is getting ready! Last week the education and art departments teamed up to make some piñata “prototypes,” and this week they’re sharing their new skills with community educators from over 30 assemblies from the north coast served by La Ceiba’s main office. A similar scene is playing out in Adelante branch offices throughout the country, and the plan is to celebrate Dia del Niño with a piñata for the children in every single one of our almost 300 assemblies from La Ceiba’s Caribbean coast to Choluteca’s Pacific Gulf of Fonseca. That’s a LOT of piñatas!!

Hello Kitty!

I took some time to walk around and meet these wonderful women as they busily turn wire, plaster of paris, and newspaper into turtles, fish, helicopters, pineapples, and cats among other forms. Most said that it was the first time they had ever made a piñata, and they were excited to think about how much their children would enjoy beating it to shreds to get at the much-anticipated sweets inside.

Sea turtle in the making

For someone like me who grew up in the U.S., the piñata tradition can be borderline offensive. My own mother asked me once as my son’s second birthday was approaching if we were going to “beat one of those things to death” at his party. “Of course,” I replied. A kids’ celebration without a piñata in Honduras would be like a birthday cake without candles. I was a little worried, though, that he would get upset and cry when he saw his beloved Barney literally being beaten to a pulp, but it soon became apparent that that was pure projection on my part – he may not look like it, but this kid is 100% Honduran. Beating Barney to death is as natural as pinning the tail on the donkey.

Education staff working with clients

Art staff and clients working together

Taking the time to celebrate the children of our clients on their special day is more than just a fun diversion from an otherwise hectic work schedule. It helps us to build a sense of community among our clients and between them and our staff. It is our hope that they will enjoy being part of this community and develop a sense of loyalty to Adelante as a result. Building unity through projects like these, we believe, is key to our growth and success as an institution.

Reflection on Career Change

Adelante Logo and Slogan

This past January I made the decision to leave teaching after eight years to embark on a new career. It seemed like I had to wait forever to start – the school year didn’t end until the first week in June, and then my family and I went to visit my parents and extended family in the U.S. for two weeks. Finally, on July 1^st I walked into the doors of the Adelante Foundation office eager to get started as the new International Development Coordinator.

The position appeals to me because it gives me the opportunity to give something back to the less fortunate here. I’ve been living in Honduras for over eight years now, and in my work at a local American school most of my daily interactions were with a small percentage of the Honduran population – privileged children and their families. I learned much during this time and got to know many wonderful people. But I often felt selfish living so comfortably in such a beautiful country and knowing how the vast majority of the population lives. I have spent enough time visiting the Honduran countryside and talking with the people there to grasp the immensity of the chasm between these two “classes” of the population. To call them classes seems like an understatement. They might as well be different subspecies.

Colonia El Naranjal

The wealthy minority in Honduras lives in a way not that different from the middle-to-upper class in the United States. In an uncomfortably hot country, they are able to live in comfortable, air-conditioned homes, and drive new, air-conditioned cars.  If the power goes out, which it does regularly, many have generators that keep their air conditioners

Colonia El Toronjal

and appliances running.  The lucky few are able to outfit their children with fashionable clothes, iPods, Nintendo Wiis, and Motorola Razr phones. They frequent U.S. chains like Dunkin’ Donuts, Burger King, and Kentucky Fried Chicken and fly to Miami for the weekend to go shopping. One notable difference is that due to security concerns, many of the wealthy in Honduras live behind 10-foot high walls topped by spirals of razor-sharp wire or several strands of electric wire and with an armed security guard outside their homes.

Typical building structure in rural Honduras

 

Very poor Honduran peasants, in contrast, live in make-shift structures pieced together with whatever they can find – cardboard, corrugated tin, plastic tarps, branches, and even mud. Often these dwellings lack doors, so the family’s livestock – chickens and pigs perhaps – wander in and out of their homes. Living in such close proximity to livestock at least partially explains the high incidence of intestinal parasites. Lack of access to clean water is also to blame.

 

Ceramic wood-burning stove

Since wood is the most readily available source of cooking fuel, wood-burning stoves are commonly used; this often leads to respiratory illnesses. Many people also suffer from malnutrition because they consume basically the same things, day in and day out: corn tortillas, plantains, rice, manioc, and if they’re slightly better off, beans add a little protein to their diet. The disproportionate amount of starch explains why, despite malnutrition, they’re often overweight.

They move from place to place on foot or by bicycle, often an entire family together, which can be quite an impressive site. The father may sit, for example, on the seat and pedal the bicycle; meanwhile the mother sits on the crossbar holding a younger child in her arms; and finally the older child, carrying a chicken, a bag of goods to sell, or even a baby sibling, sits on a rack placed over the rear wheel.

 

Barefoot children in the street

The children, with bloated bellies, play barefoot in the dirt, pretending some plastic piece of garbage they found is a toy truck. If they are lucky and a foreign government or NGO has installed a system of latrines in their village, then they have an outhouse connected to a septic tank. Otherwise they go to the bathroom in a hole in the ground. They may have running water if they live next to a stream; otherwise they walk as far as necessary to get to the nearest stream or river – a place where they bathe, wash their clothes, and collect water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. In some cases, this walk may take an hour or more.

 

River near Jutiapa

Their lack of access to education is crippling and the resulting level of ignorance when it comes to the most basic issues of health and sanitation is incomprehensible at times. Although primary education is technically free in Honduras, parents must provide money for uniforms, books, and transportation; and the children must not be occupied with more critical responsibilities like helping to run the family business or farm their plot of land. As a result, most people have at most a second-grade education and lack basic knowledge that one might consider to be common sense. The most shocking thing I have witnessed is a young mother throwing a dirty diaper in a stream, and a few moments later, collecting water with a bottle from the very same stream to mix her baby’s formula. The fact that this poor woman was spending her family’s meager earnings to buy expensive formula to mix with dirty stream water for her baby instead of giving him her own breast milk is the topic of another discussion entirely.

Reflecting on this dichotomy makes me wonder how I fit in. My life is certainly more similar to the

Downtown California

former group than the latter. I own a car, sleep in an air-conditioned bedroom, spend more money on food in a month than many Hondurans probably do in a year, and I make sure that my beautiful well-nourished son has enough toys to keep his heart content. It’s difficult not to feel guilty about having those very basic comforts when you’ve witnessed such poverty, but I don’t mean to imply that the situation is hopeless. There is a wide range of economic classes in between these two extremes, and most people that I’ve met have been cheerful and generous, despite what many people in the developed world might consider a miserable existence. It would be unreasonable to expect to bridge this gap entirely, but in most cases some basic education and a small amount of capital can result in a dramatic improvement in the standard of living of those at the lower end of this extreme. Over time, small changes can add up to bigger ones, and a new generation may look forward to a brighter future. I hope that through my work at Adelante, I will have the opportunity to work towards that end.

 

 

As is common when starting a new job, I felt insecure at first. There were so many new people to meet, some computer glitches, and I was facing responsibilities that were new to me. But now, after just having completed my third week, I not only feel more at ease, I can feel the Adelante spirit seeping into my bones. It truly is infectious. The people with whom I have interacted here are excited about their jobs and committed to the cause of the organization.

 

Adelante clients

In order to prepare myself, I have spent some time reading. I began by reading The Price of a Dream: The Story of the Grameen Bank by David Bornstein, a truly inspiring account of how the Grameen Bank, founded in Bangladesh, successfully implemented the system of microcredit for the poor that became the model for microfinance organizations, including Adelante, working in developing countries all over the world. I continued by reading the multitude of Adelante client stories left for me by my predecessors – stories of women who have become empowered by education and capital to work their way out of poverty and improve the lives of themselves and their families. Finally, I’ve perused the websites of donor organizations (for example, see http://www.wholeplanetfoundation.org/partners/microentrepreneurs/); and watched the Adelante video on YouTube (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBBP8SRMJOo).

 

Adelante clients shouting slogan "Unity, discipline, work, and courage; this is our way of life."

This week I will make a trip out into the field to meet some clients and observe their Asambleas, or meetings, where they will discuss the status of their loans and receive a talk on one of many business, health, or human rights topics offered by Adelante’s education department. I look forward to meeting some of the amazing women I have been reading about and witnessing first-hand the difference Adelante is making in their lives. Perhaps I will find it makes a profound difference in my own.

Home Again

Transitions can be exciting and daunting times in life. In times of big changes, there is often lots of uncertainty, sometimes fear, and the experience of stepping into the unknown. But changes can also be refreshing, re-energizing, and exciting when our lives take new and unexpected turns. But perhaps much depends on context: when change and transition can be faced with confidence, when there is comfort and security, the refreshing and exciting aspects of transition have more space to grow.

I am currently in a period of transition – which explains why I have not entered a blog in several weeks. I have left Honduras, and am back at home in Canada. My last couple weeks in La Ceiba were busy and full of work, organizing, packing and farewells. There were lots of loose ends to tie up, and lots of sorting to do: I had settled in to La Ceiba, and had accumulated the tools and materials of living. All that stuff had to be organized; some of it was packed, some left with friends, some donated.

And then there were the farewells. Before leaving the Adelante office, staff presented me with a beautiful hand-made card, inscribed with thoughtful words, memories and farewells. Even though I was only in their office for a few months, I was always touched by the thoughtfulness and caring of the staff. I also had to run around the city, saying farewell to friends and other co-workers; unfortunately, in the busy-ness of those last few days, some people were missed.

And now I am home. I have visited family, seen some friends, and begun to settle in again. Being back after a year away is wonderful and fantastic and overwhelming and exhausting. So much to take in, so much to consider, so much to notice and be surprised by and reflect upon. So much to miss from Honduras.

Now that I am back home, my plans include enjoying summer in this beautiful place, spending time with my family and friends, and diving in to the job hunt. I have left one life experience, and am exploring options and seeking opportunities for the next one.

During this time of transition, I can’t help but think back to my experiences with Adelante. I remember some of the many women I met and spoke with, after hurdling through the hills of Honduras on a motorbike, visiting Adelante Asambleas. The lives of many of these women were defined by transition. Many lived in precarious and uncertain circumstances, and unpredictability made regular appearances in their lives.

Many of these women, and their families, may not have the security that I have in times of transition. When women in particularly vulnerable communities walk a fine line, precariously balancing and struggling to stay on their feet, guiding their families along behind them, unexpected events and times of change and transition do much to threaten that shaky balance. Many of these women do not have the safety net that I have when confronting transition. They do not have a beautiful place to relax in and enjoy, or a sanctuary where they are welcomed with open arms and do not need to pay bills or rent, while they contemplate their next move.

And it seemed to me, as I spoke with the women I met in Adelante Asambleas, that they face this uncertainty and unpredictability with courage and strength. They access all the resources and support that they can, and use their insight and love for their families, to face the challenges in their lives, always striving to make a better life for their families

So while I confront the challenges of transition in my own life, I think back on these women. I remember their difficulties, and their courage. I remind myself to appreciate the circumstances that allow me this time and space to reflect during my times of transition, and I am motivated to keep working hard and walking strongly forward.

More Intibuca

The Asambleas that I visited in Intibucá were colourful, cheerful occasions. After climbing the hills on motorbike with Adan or Ethel, we would pull up beside a little pathway on the side of the road, park the bike, and walk through the gate in the chicken-wire fence into someone’s yard. The meetings were held in individual women’s houses; always at the same time and place every two weeks. Plastic chairs were brought out, or make-shift benches of planks of wood were set up. When we pulled up on the motos, most of the women from the Asamblea would have already arrived, putting shame to the stereotype of Latin American lateness.

Many of the women wore brightly-coloured cotton dresses, and vibrant head-scarves. The cooler temperatures meant many women wore knitted sweaters over their dresses.

The women I met always seemed happy to welcome me, and pleased to talk to me. A few women told me about their lives, their families, their businesses. All the women I spoke to were raising children; some women had husbands to help them, others didn’t. All the women wanted to see their children educated and become professionals, but not all could afford school for all their children.

The women I spoke with all worked hard to support their family, operating a small business to make ends meet. A few women made bread, which they sold in the market or to their neighbours and friends. At every Asamblea meeting, at least one woman brought bread that she sold to the others at the meeting. I thought this was fantastic and thoroughly enjoyed snacking on their fresh, home-made rolls!

Other women sold vegetables in the local market. They would buy the veggies at the market in bulk, and then sell them in smaller portions. Other women made fast food, which they sold either in a comedor (small, usually family-run restaurant) or walking around town, carrying their food in a cloth-lined plastic bucket. These women would make tacos, baleadas (flour tortillas with beans, avocado, cheese, and meat) or nacatamales (corn, veggies, and meat mixed together and wrapped in a banana leaf).

The majority of the women in Adelante in Intibucá live in the rural regions, so the houses were tucked away in the hills. The houses we visited were varied: some were built with cement walls and tiled floors, others were wooden planks sealed with mud, with packed-earthen floors. Several of the families also had a couple chickens, roosters, rabbits and cats. At one house, they noticed me cooing over a box of very tiny baby kittens, still nursing from their mother. Noticing my interest in the small animals, they took me to a little shed to see their brand-new bunnies. The little white bundles of fur were adorable – all tucked away in a bundle in the corner. At her mother’s insistence, a little girl pulled one out so we could see them hop around. The bunnies explored the shed a bit; they were very timid and very fast!

 

Something else I noticed were the gardens. It was obvious that careful attention was paid to the budding plants growing along fences or perched on shelves beside people’s homes. Smaller plants were growing in old tins or plastic buckets, lined up side by side. In several gardens, stark peace lilies grew prominently, grabbing attention away from nearby bushes. Peace lilies grow freely in this region, and can be seen for sale in pick-up trucks throughout the town of La Esperanza.

Adan and Ethel of Intibuca

Adan and Ethel were my gallant hosts and intrepid guides on my visit to Intibucá. They constitute the small but stalwart Adelante office in La Esperanza. Both were exceptionally friendly and eager to help. They are also both soft-spoken and kind, and yet confident, effusive, and gregarious when working with clients of Adelante at the Asambleas. The two were strangers before they began working with Adelante, but now they seem to be close friends. They obviously get along really well, and enjoy working together and helping each other out. They seemed to share some silent understanding, and worked fluidly and amiably together.

Adan is originally from a town called Camasca, which, he tells me with a slightly impish grin, is the prettiest town in the region. Camasca is about two hours from La Esperanza, and he travels home most weekends to visit his family. He’s the youngest in a family of six children – three boys and three girls.

Adan has big dimples and a shy smile – one he tends to tuck away with the tilt of his head when a smile surprises him. He told me he started working for the Fundación Adelante back in May 2006. Unfortunately, a year later his mother fell ill. He left Adelante to move back home, so he could help his family through her illness. Happily, within the year, his mother’s health improved.

He told me that he had been disappointed to leave Adelante, and kept in touch with the friends he had made in the organization. A year later, he heard through one of those friends – Oscar, now Director of Operations, another Adelante superstar I’ll have to blog about later – that a spot had opened up for a credit officer in La Esperanza. Adan applied, and in March of this year, he was once again working for Fundación Adelante.

Ethel is originally from La Paz – the department that borders Intibucá (Adelante has some Asambleas in that department that are Adan’s responsibility). She moved with her family to La Esperanza seven years ago; her dad had been working in La Esperanza for a few years, and the family moved to join him. Nowadays, her dad works for a small bank that gives loans in rural areas. I smiled when she told me that: it looks like Ethel is not the only one in the family working in rural finance!

Last year a friend told her about Fundación Adelante, and that they were looking for a credit officer. She applied for the job, and in September 2007 she started work. She went to La Ceiba for two weeks for training (Adan trained in Tocoa – a town east of Ceiba – for two months). It was her first time in Ceiba, and although the training was helpful and interesting, she didn’t like the big city. She adjusted a bit more the second week, but was happy to return to the verdant, cool hills and calmer streets of Intibucá.

Ethel lives in La Esperanza with her family; her parents, three of her siblings, and Ethel’s two children – a seven year old girl, and a three year old boy – all share the house. She has another sister who lives with her husband beside the Adelante office.

The Adelante office in La Esperanza is one small room on one of the town’s dirt streets, near the centre. Inside, there are a couple desks, a computer, and some filing cabinets.

Adan and Ethel don’t spend much time in the little Adelante office; most days are spent out on their motorbikes, climbing the hills and valleys of Intibucá, to visit Asambleas and participants.

They both told me they really enjoyed their work. Adan said he likes giving fair credit to the women of Intibucá and La Paz, as well as facilitating training opportunities. He believes that you can facilitate greater, more profound change by changing people’s attitudes, rather than constructing a building, or providing some project.

One of the aspects that Ethel most enjoys about the job is learning from the women that they work with. She said she has learned a lot from these women; they’ve shown her determination and responsibility, hard work and discipline.

Ethel laughed openly when she told me another thing she has enjoyed about the job: learning to drive a motorbike. Adan taught her (after some previous failed lessons with other friends), and now she is a confident and proud moto driver! Driving on these steep gravel roads on a bike is not easy, even more so with the added weight and balance-shift that comes with a passenger, but Ethel drove me to Asamblea meetings with the ease of someone who has been driving for years.

Visiting Intibucá – with its beautiful surroundings, friendly people, and cooler climate – is a pleasure, and Adan and Ethel make the trip even more enjoyable.