Alma is a devoted mother and client with the Adelante Foundation from the department of Cortes. Alma withdrew her first loan for only $169.00 nearly three years ago, but has since grown her micro business so significantly that she recently took out her fifth loan for $526.00.  A wife and mother of three, Alma’s improved income ensures her children’s education and medical needs, and supports better living conditions for the entire family.

Alma’s small business success did not occur overnight but rather she nurtured her venture over time. Alma began her micro business when she still worked in the textile factory, selling inexpensive items to her co-workers.  Once Alma was able to take out microloans from the Adelante Foundation, she made the decision to dedicate herself exclusively to her micro enterprise.  Over the course of her loan cycles, Alma expanded her product inventory from undergarments and earrings to a whole variety of merchandise, such as clothes, jewelry, cosmetics, sandals and more. Alma remembers that constructing a new bathroom was one of the first goals she was able to achieve through saving income generated by her small business.

Alma’s eldest daughter will soon receive a secondary school diploma, and the youngest is eager to finish primary school and keep up her education.  The transportation costs alone for Alma’s eldest to attend school is almost $50 per week, and Alma comments that there are always expenses for school supplies.  For this reason, Alma is already planning for her youngest daughter’s secondary school education, an important investment that will provide her daughter with greater opportunities. Alma plans to keep growing her small business through microcredit in order to continue achieving her goals and improving her family’s overall quality of life.

Brenda, recipient housing loan

Brenda has been a client with the Adelante Foundation for nearly four years, receiving her first loan for $53.00 in order to invest in a small business selling clothes.  Over eight loan cycles, Brenda’s improved income has ensured an education for her daughter and supported better health and nutrition for the entire family.  However, Brenda and her husband have long wanted to renovate their home, a one room house with bamboo walls and an aging zinc roof.  The bamboo walls are especially problematic since rain water enters the home easily, soaking their bed and belongings.    The couple has only been able to save enough money to replace one small wall section with concrete laminates.  Unable to receive a loan from a bank, they would have expected to improve their home over the coming years little by little.

Brenda's home before: Bamboo wall

In September 2011, Brenda and her husband were granted a loan from the Adelante Foundation for $684.00 so they could enhance their living conditions.  The launch of this new low-interest loan product targeted at home improvements is one of our greatest achievements in 2011.  From August to November, $15,730 has been disbursed to 22 clients throughout Honduras.  Housing loans are available to AA clients like Brenda, who have an excellent repayment record and stellar assembly meeting attendance.  Clients who are eligible must also demonstrate that they have a visible need for improvements to their homes or business spaces.  The decision to offer this type of loan product stemmed from the realization that clients often use capital that could be invested in their small businesses to renovate their homes.  It is also apparent that it takes the rural poor years to save income in order to carry out construction projects.

After: New walls & roof

With the loan awarded from the Adelante Foundation, Brenda and her husband replaced the bamboo walls with concrete laminates, which was the most critical renovation, Brenda reveals, ¨My daughter is really happy, now the bed does not get wet at night when it rains!¨ In addition, the old zinc roofing was changed and the floors were finished with cement. Brenda and her husband are very satisfied, Brenda confirms, ¨I am thankful for the opportunity and I am going to keep working hard so I do not have problems making loan payments¨.

Delia, recipient housing loan

Another woman who has benefited from the launch of the Home Improvement Loan Product is Delia, who withdrew her first microloan from the Adelante Foundation for only $26.00 over seven years ago.  Over the course of her loan cycles, Delia has invested in selling a variety of different products, including breads, desserts, pastries, and vegetables.  Two years ago, Delia received her first Individual Loan Product, which she used to start a convenience store, and is currently paying off her second Individual Loan for $1210.00.  At the time, the store was a good investment, but since a small supermarket recently opened in her community, sales have plummeted.  Delia decided she would rather invest in a small restaurant, so she began saving income in order to build a new space adjacent to her home.  With three daughters to support in primary and secondary school, Delia feared that saving the income to achieve her goal would take years.  Fortunately, Delia’s AA status with the Adelante Foundation made her eligible for a Home Improvement Loan.  Delia received a loan for $1053.00, which allowed her to build a space for her restaurant venture and ensure the continued improvement of her family’s quality of life.

Delia's new space for restaurant

The stories of Delia and Brenda are just two inspiring examples of how Home Improvement Loans contribute to an improved quality of life for our clients.  While Brenda’s loan directly enhanced her family’s living conditions, Delia’s enabled her to start another small business after her original store took a big plunge in sales.  These two women have demonstrated their hard-work and diligence at growing their micro businesses, which is what made them eligible for this new loan product.  The demand from our clients for Home Improvement Loans is high at each of our five branch offices, and we hope that in 2012 we can award low-interest housing loans to more rural woman in Honduras.

Meeting Dr. Yunus, Founder Grameen Bank

The Adelante Foundation was recently represented by six top managers and seven board members at the Global Microcredit Summit in Valladolid, Spain.  Microfinance institutions from around the world were able to partake in workshops, courses, presentations and other events on using microcredit to eradicate global poverty.  Speakers at the Summit included some of the most influential practitioners in the industry, such as the founder of Grameen Bank in Bangledesh, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, co-founders Lynne Patterson and Carmen Valasco of Pro Mujer and Finca International’s founder John Hatch. Since the Adelante Foundation’s methodology is based on the Grameen Bank model, a special moment for our team was meeting Dr. Yunus.

After the conference, the delegates from our team in Honduras reflected on what they had learned and ideas for the upcoming 2012 year. One theme that resonated with many of our team members is the use of educational loans to improve opportunities for our clients and their families.  Unfortunately, insecurity attributed to delinquency is escalating in Honduras, and improving economic opportunities for young people is an important solution to this social problem.  Income earned by our clients is spent on education for their children, but paying for secondary school, university, or skills- training still remain a challenge. Offering educational loans to foster better opportunities for the children of our clients is an area of interest, and as General Manager, Sophia Anderson, puts it, ¨This way we might be able to reduce the number of young Hondurans that wind up becoming delinquents because they weren’t offered a better opportunity¨.

The relationship between microfinance and agricultural production also surfaced as a crucial component to reducing rural poverty.  The provision of loans or training sessions for agricultural production would enhance income generation from agriculture.  Many farmers already work with credit, but some are still excluded for a variety of reasons.  A step towards developing this type of loan product would be determining where microcredit would be most needed.  In the upcoming year, the Education Department is already planning to offer interactive workshops on agricultural production in order to boost profits and improve household food security.

Climate change is a global issue that will affect every nation in the future.  Using microfinance to reduce greenhouse gas emissions was another topic that emerged during the Summit.  Loans to purchase products that reduce emissions, such as solar panels or high efficiency stoves, also have the added benefit of moderating household expenses.  Claudia Nunez, Director of Accounting and IT, remarks, ¨A high efficiency stove is a product option that is being implemented by many institutions to help the problem of climate change and also clients’ economies¨.  Climate change can not be neglected since the underprivileged will suffer the most from the impacts of a warmer climate.

Lastly, the summit reiterated the importance of offering clients the opportunity to save with microfinance institutions.  National regulations often prohibit the development of savings accounts with unregulated banking institutions, which is a challenge faced by many microfinance institutions globally, including the Adelante Foundation.  This is the case in Honduras, so one potential solution being investigated is becoming a regulated institution. However, this change would never be undertaken if it would compromise our mission to serve Honduras’ rural poor.  The Summit reaffirmed our commitment to solving this problem so that our clients can save more.

Honduran team and Board of Directors, Valladolid, Spain

Each of the team members that attended the Summit reflected on how the Adelante Foundation is achieving its mission to improve the quality of life of the rural poor in Honduras.  The ideas and themes presented here are just a few of the highlights that transpired. Jose Luis Saldivar, Zone Supervisor and Agency Supervisor for the El Progreso branch, affirms, ¨I enjoyed the Summit because that’s where ideas are born and this is a big help to microfinance institutions from around the world¨.  In considering how the Adelante Foundation compares to other similar institutions, our team felt that while there are improvements to be made, we should be proud that we are so strongly committed to our mission.

African Palm Plantation, Colon

International press has recently brought attention to the agrarian conflict in an area known as Bajo Aguan, which is in the Honduran department of Colon.  The Adelante Foundation team has received inquiries from our generous supporters about the on-going land crisis.  For this reason, we would like to take this opportunity to inform our followers about the discord and human rights violations taking place in Bajo Aguan.

The conflict involves a land dispute between peasant farmers and wealthy landowners.  Peasant groups are occupying African palm plantations that they believe belong to them, arguing that the land was illegally sold to wealthy landowners in the 1990s.  Over the last two years, dozens of people have died, many of those killed were peasant farmers who reclaimed their lands as part of the movement.

In recent months, CNN and the New York Times have published articles on the violence in Bajo Aguan, and international organizations have been recognizing human rights violations since the conflict erupted.  A fact finding mission to Bajo Aguan, undertaken by several international organizations, documented the repressive tactics aimed to quell peasant movements, from intimidation to murder.  The director of Human Rights Watch released a statement calling on the Honduran government to conduct an impartial investigation into the killings of peasant farmers.  Amnesty International urged its supporters to take action against the forceful eviction of peasants.  These and other organizations are concerned about the state’s failure to protect its citizens in Bajo Aguan, and they criticize the Honduran government for not developing a comprehensive resolution to the dispute.

Photo credit La Prensa Honduras

The Adelante Foundation’s branch office in Tocoa serves the department of Colon with microcredit, which contributes to poverty alleviation in rural Honduras.   Clients from Bajo Aguan have been affected by the persistent tension in the area.  The main problem cited by our clients is the general climate of insecurity, which encourages delinquency and petty crime.  Women face a greater risk venturing out to sell their products, and the recent instability has impacted their small business sales.  Under the current circumstances, many people are reluctant to leave their immediate neighborhoods. President Lobo has escalated military and police presence in Bajo Aguan, stationing personnel permanently in order to maintain security. An Adelante Foundation client admitted that the military occupation is not a solution to the land conflict, a sentiment presumably shared by many residents of Bajo Aguan.

The current land dispute has its roots in the 1970s, when the Honduran government launched an agrarian reform campaign, redistributing lands to various peasant cooperative associations in Colon department.  In the early 1990s, these lands were sold to wealthy landowners eager to expand African Palm cultivation.  Dinant Corporation is the most prominent actor in the dispute, with over 22 000 acres of African Palm plantations, which is over one fifth of the agricultural lands in Bajo Aguan(1).  African Palms are cultivated in order to produce palm oil, which is exported as a biofuel and also used in the production of numerous household products and processed foods.

Photo credit Norwegian People's Aid

Peasants claim that the lands in question were illegally sold, an assertion supported in a report published by an International Observation Mission, which documented  human rights abuses in Bajo Aguan.  The most notable peasant group to have emerged is MUCA (Movimiento Unificado del Aguan or the Unified Peasant Movement of Aguan), which is demanding land sales from the 1990s be voided. Prior to the coup that ousted Manuel Zelaya in June 2009, an agreement was negotiated in an attempt to resolve the agrarian conflict.  Following the coup, the agreement was never enacted by the interim government or by President Lobo’s newly elected government.  MUCA aimed to pressure the Lobo administration by undertaking land invasions of selected plantations in Bajo Aguan.  These actions have sparked a wave of violence against the peasant movements, and since President Lobo was elected, over 40 peasant farmers have been killed, and several others, including private security forces, police, military, and innocent bystanders have lost their lives in Bajo Aguan(2).

In September 2011, the National Congress of Honduras approved a deal that attempts to resolve the discord.  The state will buy land from Dinant Corporation, allowing members of two peasant groups to purchase land with state guaranteed bank loans.  Dinant Corporation is expected to earn 546 million Honduran lempiras (or nearly $29 million) from the state’s land purchase, if the transaction occurs this coming January(3).  However, other peasant groups claiming lands have been left out of these negotiations.  Furthermore, the militarization of Bajo Aguan is of great concern given the documented collaboration between state security forces and private guards in repressing the peasant movements(4).  No arrests have been made for the murders of peasant farmers, extending impunity to perpetrators of violence. Last month, a human rights observatory was permanently established in Tocoa in order to document on-going human rights abuses in the area.  Hopefully, the mounting international attention on human rights violations will push the Lobo administration to confront these injustices.

Innovative Product: Pickled Veggies

The Adelante Foundation branch office in La Esperanza recently hosted product innovation workshops for clients in the departments of Intibuca and La Paz.  Many thanks to the Inter-American Foundation for the funds which made these workshops possible.  The workshops were held as part of the Adelante Foundation’s small business education program.    Developing workshops on product creation and innovation is a new frontier for the education department at the head office in La Ceiba.  Clients learn how to create new products or how to innovate existing ones in order to increase competitiveness and grow their businesses.  The Credit Officers who manage the loan pools in Intibuca and La Paz selected the women who would participate, and these women are responsible for passing on the skills they learn to their assembly groups.

In October, clients were invited to participate in a workshop focused on producing different varieties of breads and baked goods.  Most of the women who attended were already dedicated to this activity, but many were accustomed to producing only a few products, for example a few varieties of bread.  Over the course of three days, clients learned how to make several types of breads, donuts, fruit pastries, and more.  The Adelante Foundation’s Education Coordinator emphasizes that lack of innovation is one of the main reasons small businesses fail to grow.  Now these women and their corresponding assembly groups have the knowledge to expand their product inventories and earn more profits.

The second workshop took place in November and featured pickled vegetables and fruit jams.  Unlike baking, which requires specific equipment, producing jams and pickled veggies only necessitates a stove top or wood fire.  Every woman has the tools in her home to produce jams and pickled veggies, so participants did not need to have past experience.  The departments of Intibuca and La Paz benefit from a cooler climate that allows for the cultivation of an assortment of vegetables for pickling.  Pineapple, strawberry, and guava are also accessible and ideal for jam making.  Many clients grow the fruits and vegetables used in jam making and vegetable pickling, so by learning the process they can add value to existing products and sell them at a higher price.

I had the opportunity to attend the second workshop, observing and even participating myself in the production of pickled vegetables.  The process involves preparing, boiling, and arranging the vegetables, which are then preserved in homemade ginger spiced vinegar.  The fresh produce included cauliflower, carrots, shallots, onions, chilies and green beans.  The women were trained on how to sanitize the glass jars used for pickling by disinfecting them in boiling water.  Several clients already had experience pickling vegetables, but the women also learned how to innovate the product by cutting the veggies so as to make them more attractive.  Arranging the vegetables decoratively also makes the product more tempting to the buyer.  Take a look at the series of photos below to get a sense of the whole process pickling vegetables!

Preparing the chilies, yikes!

Filling jars decoratively with boiled veggies

Adding the ginger vinegar to complete the pickling process

In 2012, the Adelante Foundation plans to offer more product innovation workshops on different subjects.  The response from clients has been very positive, confirming that the workshops are practical.  A client from Jesus de Otoro, Marta, who attended the second workshop, explains, ¨it’s great because it’s a profitable activity that everyone can do in their homes¨.   Another client from the community of San Fernando adds, ¨you learn things that you did not know before, it’s very practical¨.  Through these workshops, the Adelante Foundation is providing clients with the tools to generate innovative businesses that support an improved quality of life.

Parque Central & Church Trujillo

The department of Colon, which cradles the Caribbean Sea, owes its name to Christopher Columbus (Cristobal Colon in Spanish) who went ashore on his final voyage to the Americas.  The calm, deep waters of the Bay of Trujillo were ideal for a commercial port, and today Trujillo remains the capital of the department.  Over the course of history, the economic and political centers of Honduras developed elsewhere, and today Trujillo is a quiet, appealing town set along the wide blue bay.

The Adelante Foundation has been serving the department of Colon with microcredit for almost a decade.  Before opening the branch office in Tocoa in 2003, the La Ceiba branch managed the loan pools in Colon.

Ana Rosa

Ana Rosa remembers when the loan pools in the area were managed by a Credit Officer based in La Ceiba.  Ana procured her first microloan from the Adelante Foundation for L1500 or $75.00 in order to improve inventory for her small business selling clothes.  When Ana’s husband passed away, Ana decided to move to San Pedro Sula in order to work in a textile factory, leaving her two teenaged children behind with her sister.  Ana spent three years working in San Pedro Sula, but the distance from her family became too much to bear.  Ana returned to her community in the municipality of Saba, and once again joined an Adelante Foundation assembly group.  Currently, Ana is on her second loan cycle and has invested her microloans in selling meat and lactose products at her sister’s pulperia (convenience store).  Although Ana admits she earned more money working in San Pedro Sula, Ana gains sufficient income through her micro enterprise and enjoys a more fulfilling life being close to her family.

The Adelante Foundation was able to reach more distant communities once the branch office in Tocoa was opened.  On a recent trip to Colon, I spent a few days based in Trujillo, where I joined the zone’s Credit Officer to visit clients and assembly meetings.  With over two months experience as an International Field Correspondent for the Adelante Foundation, I am accustomed to traveling long distances on motorcycle and venturing out to rural communities.  Nonetheless, I journeyed much farther than I had before in order to visit clients from the municipalities of Limon and Iriona, a dusty two hour commute from Trujillo or Tocoa.  By bus, the trip takes over three hours, sometimes more than four when rains deteriorate the unpaved road.

Elida in her store

In remote communities, small businesses provide access to goods that normally would not be available.  Long-time Adelante Foundation client, Elida, has a thriving micro business selling clothes, shoes, cosmetics, food products and more.  Recently, Elida obtained an individual loan product for L20 000 or $1000.00. Elida has over L100 000 or $5000.00 worth of merchandise in her store, which attests to her diligence reinvesting profits. Still young, Elida has many more years ahead of her as a successful micro entrepreneur.

Improving the quality of life in rural Honduras is about more than just increasing incomes.  My field trips in Colon and throughout Honduras have illustrated how women who have access to microcredit have more opportunities to achieve the things that they have reason to value in their lives (see Sen 1999).  Their quality of life is improved not only through a sustainable source of income, but also by having options.  For example, Ana Rosa chose a more peaceful life in her community close to her family.  By having her own store, Elida can easily take care of her only child, a newborn baby boy, while earning income in order to be a good provider for her family. These and countless other client stories attest to how the Adelante Foundation is achieving positive change in rural Honduras through microfinance.

View of cruise ship from mountain top

Off the North Coast of Honduras in the Caribbean Sea, the department of Las Islas de Bahia, or the Bay Islands, is the most visited department in Honduras.  The Bay Islands are made up of three islands, Utila, Roatan and Guanaja, of which Roatan attracts the greatest number of foreign and national tourists. Hundreds of thousands of visitors arrive every year to enjoy the island’s pristine beaches, lush interior and spectacular dive sites along the world’s second largest barrier reef.  Docking cruise ships brought in 470,000 tourists in the first 6 months of 2011 (1). Illustrating the island’s popularity, Roatan was recently named one of the world’s top 10 summer trip destinations by National Geographic Traveler magazine.

In the 20^th century, the island of Roatan has been transformed by the acceleration of the tourism industry over the last few decades.  Many people from the mainland have migrated to the island in search of better job opportunities as a result of the booming tourism sector.  The Adelante Foundation plays an important role on the island by providing microcredit to small businesses since many people do not find the opportunities for employment that they had expected.  The saturation of the job market is compounded by the high cost of living experienced by islanders.  The cost of basic household necessities, such as food, water, and energy are more expensive on Roatan compared to the mainland. Migrants also face the disadvantage of not owning land on Roatan, spending much of their income renting and saving what little they can in order to eventually purchase land at prices significantly higher than on the mainland.

Natalia in her kitchen

During a recent field trip to Roatan, I got to know the island beyond its tourist trail. I met over 30 clients from 12 different communities across the island.  Except for two clients I met in Punta Gorda, the clients I spoke with had migrated from the mainland, primarily from the departments of Colon and Atlantida.  Natalia Guardado came to Roatan 18 years ago from the town of Jutiapa, Atlantida.  Natalia spent years earning money washing and ironing clothes, while raising her 9 children as a single mother.  Four years ago, Natalia was able to invest in a comedor or small restaurant in Coxen Hole, and is currently on her third loan cycle of L 7 500 or $375.00 with the Adelante Foundation.  Little by little, Natalia impressively saved money in order to purchase a small plot of land and build a house. Last year, Natalia completed the construction of her home, and confirms the profits gained from her micro enterprise enabled her to finally accomplish her goal.  

Rebeca´s product in the works

Rebeca Guerrero, who recently withdrew her first microloan for L 4000 or $200.00 from the Adelante Foundation, has encountered obstacles building her life on Roatan. Rebeca moved to Roatan 8 years ago, and started a workshop altering clothes and making dresses.  In June of this year, Rebeca developed a new product to sell: hand crafted ¨Roatan¨ handbags.  However, she was unable to find a source of credit, explaining, ¨the town hall was offering loans so I went there, but they told me I could not use my sewing machine for collateral, they said I needed to own land to receive the loan¨.  Similar to many residents of Roatan, Rebeca is still renting a space for both her workshop and her home.  For that reason, she was excited to hear about the Adelante Foundation’s loan program offering non-collateralized loans.  With microcredit she was able to get her new innovation off the ground, buying enough material to produce 120 bags for the upcoming tourism season.

Having met so many inspiring women on Roatan, I will have to write again about my recent field experiences on the island.  I encourage readers who visit the island of Roatan to patronize locally owned businesses.  Residents of the island do benefit from the tourism industry, but they also face many challenges. By offering microloans, the Adelante Foundation provides the women of Roatan with more opportunities to improve their quality of life.

Graciela Ramirez & her pulperia

Graciela Amador Ramirez is a determined single mother and member of the Los Prados assembly group in the community of the same name.  Graciela resides in the municipality of Namasigue, which is approximately 30 minutes outside of Choluteca, in the department of Choluteca.  Over the course of four loan cycles, Graciela has developed a pulperia (convenience store), starting out with a loan of only L 2000 or $100.00.   This microloan from the Adelante Foundation enabled her to purchase a small quantity of products, and over the last two years, she has grown her pulperia into a well-stocked store.

Raising her three children alone has been a struggle for Graciela, but through her participation as a client with the Adelante Foundation, Graciela is better able to meet the needs of her family.  The profits accrued from her micro enterprise have ensured that her eldest son will graduate secondary school this year.  Recently, Graciela withdrew her biggest microloan to date, L 6000 or $300.00, and she plans to continue augmenting her loans in order to bolster the product inventory of her pulperia.  Graciela is appreciative of the opportunity given to her through microfinance, boasting, ¨the Foundation helps you a lot, the loans allow you to work harder and little by little improve your life¨.

Graciela & son in front of their home

Graciela’s home is located across from the community sports field, making her investment in a pulperia a wise small business decision.  Graciela confirms that she had always wanted to establish a pulperia, but never had access to credit to make that vision a reality.  Previously, Graciela could only sell a small quantity of snacks when sports games were held across from her home.  She confesses that at one point she even had to take out a loan in order to support the basic consumption of her household.  Graciela started out small, but now she has a well developed micro business, including a fridge and freezer, which she purchased over the course of her loan cycles.

Although she has confronted many challenges as a single mother, Graciela has been able to provide two of her three children with a secondary school education.  Currently, Graciela is funding a private school education for her son in Choluteca, where he lives with Graciela’s sister in order to reduce transportation costs.  This is an impressive accomplishment since Graciela’s son’s education costs L 1000 or $50.00 per month.  Graciela’s improved income will ensure that as soon as her son attains his diploma, she will be able to send her 14 year old son to secondary school as well.  This is an achievement Graciela feels would not have been possible without having received microcredit from the Adelante Foundation, and subsequently starting a profitable small business.

Photo Credit: La Prensa Honduras

In the month of October, heavy rains caused landslides and flooding all over Honduras. Across the country, 29 people have tragically lost their lives, and nearly 70,000 have been affected (1). Dozens of roads, highways and bridges have suffered damages, disrupting travel and hampering relief efforts.  Losses to agricultural production include an estimated 18,963 acres of crops throughout Honduras, part of which are basic staples, such as rice, beans and corn, hindering national food security (1).  Public sector engineers are currently assessing the total cost of damages to infrastructure endured during the month of October.  The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates 1.2 million people have been impacted by October’s torrential rains in Central America (2).

Photo Credit: La Prensa Honduras

In Southern Honduras, where the rains were most intense, surging rivers flooded whole communities. Landslides and flooding made roads impassable, and even collapsed a section of the Pan-American Highway, which connects Tegucigalpa to Southern Honduras.  The highway closure not only caused economic losses to commercial enterprises, but also obstructed efforts to send aid to the area. The department of Choluteca experienced the worst human impact, with 27,227 people affected, 1,880 dwellings damaged and 3,311 flood victims housed in shelters.  Large tracts of sugar cane remain underwater, and the Ministry of Agriculture reports that some 2,000 producers of various crops are affected in the southern zone (3).   Relief aid has been contributed by various countries and international organizations, such as the UN World Food Programme, as well as by the Honduran government, which spearheaded a solidarity campaign to raise funds for flood victims.

Data from COPEC report on damages

The rains that have disrupted life for so many Hondurans this October were largely not the product of a hurricane or tropical storm. On October 10, weather forecasters announced a low pressure system hovering off the Pacific coast that would produce torrential rains over several days.  Last week, Hurricane Rina raised fears of further destruction when the tropical storm strengthened into a category 2 hurricane.  Fortunately, the storm did not provoke significant damages, but Rina did generate heavy rainfall in the Bay Islands and along the Caribbean Coast of Honduras.

The relentless October rains have affected clients in each of the eight departments where the Adelante Foundation operates.  The road conditions have deteriorated during the month of October making travel for both clients and Credit Officers a challenge.  In the department of Yoro, travel between the departmental capital of Yoro and the city of El Progreso became precarious, as a result of potholes and landslides along the major highway that connects the two cities.  In the department of Colon, heavy rains caused flooding in several areas around Tocoa and Trujillo, delaying a pending field trip I had planned.  During the week of October 24, the Adelante Foundation held a bread making workshop for clients in the department of Intibuca, and although the workshop was a success, disrupted travel routes caused by heavy rains prevented some clients from attending the event.  In addition, Intibuca has suffered enormous damages to agricultural production, with an estimated 6, 875 acres (36% of national losses reported) of primarily corn and bean cultivation (1).  Across Honduras, downpours prevent many people from venturing out to purchase goods, which reduces small business sales for the Adelante Foundation’s clients.  While the rainy season comes to a close in parts of Honduras, the hurricane season and rains still impact the Caribbean coast through November.

Lagoon alongside a client's home, El Botadero

The onslaught of rain in October left the team at the Adelante Foundation branch office in Choluteca very concerned.  Credit Officers were unable to reach 25 assemblies, where overflowing rivers made several communities completely inaccessible.  The office supervisor, Pedro Ortiz, comments ¨all of our clients have been affected, their homes, their businesses, by illness, the situation for October loan payments is going to be complicated¨.  The prognosis looked bleak, but once the rains calmed and the rivers receded, the assessment indicated that remarkably only 6 solidarity groups were so severely impacted that they could not pay their next installment.   These clients have been given an additional 15 days to make their microloan payments from mid-October.  However, Pedro contends, ¨they are not going to be able to recuperate in 15 days, in some cases they have lost their homes, their businesses, so it will take time, but eventually they will recuperate¨.  If clients are unable to pay their loan installments, the microloan will be refinanced in order to help them get their lives back on track.  The rainy season on the Pacific side of Honduras is coming to an end, but the struggle continues as flood victims try to rebuild their lives.

At the beginning of October, I met clients that reside in the community El Botadero, in the department of Choluteca, which borders a lagoon near the Pacific coast.  This assembly group consists of four of the six solidarity groups that were severely impacted by the heavy rains.  During my next trip to Choluteca, I will meet with these courageous women again and report on how they are recovering from the flooding that has devastated their communities.  What are your thoughts on the relentless rains affecting Honduras and their impact on clients of the the Adelante Foundation?

The branch office in El Progreso, located in the department of Yoro, serves the Adelante Foundation clients around Choloma, Cortes.  Choloma is a large municipality that has grown and become more urbanized due to its location only 30 minutes by bus from San Pedro Sula.  Traveling between San Pedro Sula and Choloma, as I did when I recently visited the area, one hardly notices where San Pedro Sula ends and where Choloma begins.  Nonetheless, as I leave the centre of Choloma to visit the communities on the periphery, the urban landscape fades.  As I pass livestock and corn fields on the back of a motorcycle, it’s hard to believe I am traveling in the shadow of a metropolis.

Marina Cruz Rivera

Meeting clients of the Adelante Foundation around Choloma is illustrative of the challenges women in Cortes face in spite of residing in the country’s most prosperous department.  In the community of San Jose de Boqueron, I spoke with Marina Cruz Rivera who discussed candidly the tough economic situation she is confronting with her family.  Marina has four children ages 15 to 25, and her eldest is the single mother of four young children.  Recently, Marina’s husband fell ill and has not been able to work, so Marina and her two eldest children are responsible for supporting the entire household. Thankfully, Marina is on her seventh loan cycle with the Adelante Foundation, and has a well-established micro enterprise selling clothes, shoes and various other products. In addition to earning income in order to support the basic needs of her family, Marina’s 15 year old daughter wants to go to secondary school and attain a diploma in tourism. Marina is planning to work hard in order to make this impressive goal a reality for her daughter.  If she succeeds, Marina’s daughter will be the first of her children to complete secondary school.

Santos Ramirez

In the community of Brisas de la Bueso, which is near Choloma, Cortes, I talked with another woman who also spoke openly about the challenges of sending her children to secondary school.  Santos Ramirez is on her fifth loan cycle with the Adelante Foundation, and has a micro business selling undergarments and sandals. Santos admits that she has encountered many obstacles in her life, including educating her children.  Each of her children have attended primary school, but at this point only one of her children has received a secondary school certificate.  The cost of transportation, food, and school supplies was too much for her to afford in the past. Santos’ children are grown and live away from home, except for her two youngest, ages 8 and 15 years old. She explains that even though she was unable to give the opportunity of education to her older children, she hopes to send her two youngest to secondary school with income earned from her micro enterprise.

Despite the region’s economic prowess, the department of Cortes is not excluded from the poverty that permeates daily life for many Hondurans.  The Adelante Foundation alleviates poverty by providing non-collateralized loans to women in rural areas so that they can invest in small businesses, and in turn earn more income.  Visiting communities in Cortes, I witnessed how microfinance is enhancing the opportunities available to women and their families.  I look forward to returning to Cortes in order to learn more about how the clients of the Adelante Foundation are overcoming adversity and improving their lives through hard work and discipline.