Project Description:

To build the capacity of Garifuna women to lead their families and communities to increased well-being, including better health and higher incomes, through leadership and asset management training. Participant savings will be matched one to one (to a maximum of $100) for an investment selected by each participant.

This five year project will improve the quality of life and standard of living of families in marginalized communities in Honduras through the promotion of women’s education, leadership, health and economic development.

This project provides weekly leadership classes to women in marginalized communities; it utilizes weekly classes to train women in financial management (including budgeting and savings) and family health matters; and, it also promotes asset accumulation among needy women through one to one savings matches (incentives).

Students will be given the opportunity to accumulate savings in a formal financial institution during their participation in classes as part of financial training; these savings will be matched, one to one, up to a maximum of $100 per student, upon their successful graduation from the Program, and applied toward a project or item benefiting their family or community.

Update from the field: December 2011

In the 2011 program year, 116 women are participating in the Leadership classes in eight Honduran communities, five of which are located in the new program area of Esparta, Atlantida. The women learn human rights, health, hygiene, and sanitation, sexual and reproductive rights, and strategies for community development. Further, the savings initiative has been very well received, with women saving a total of $8,755.00 as of September, 2011.

Women involved in CAUSE Canada programs had the opportunity this year to receive specialized training courses offered jointly with the Honduran Institute for Professional Training (INFOP). In May, a total of 108 women in the two programming regions attended a pastry-making course, including a component related to hygiene in food preparation. In June, a further 22 men and women in Iriona received training in the establishment of family gardens. These initiatives are intended to further the economic options available to the people of Iriona and Esparta, and to improve food security in the regions.

Participating women undertook community projects this year in two communities in Iriona and five communities in Esparta. Six of the projects are nearing completion, with one project delayed because of a late start-date for the Leadership class. The projects are developed and executed entirely by the women, using the skills they have acquired through their involvement in CAUSE Canada programs. In Esparta, the projects have included fencing in the local cemetery, and improvements to schools and kindergartens. In Iriona, the women of Sangrelaya undertook an ambitious initiative to build a fence around the cemetery, including constructing front gates. In Cocalito, the women painted a multi-purpose community centre used for travelling medical brigades, community meetings, and celebrations.



Update from the field: April 2011

There were 106 leadership participants in five communities in 2010. The leadership groups have covered a total of 43 different topics including family planning, preventative health and human rights.

The social forum held in August provided an arena for 60 women to discuss their local realities with their peers and local officials. Women made presentations about their experiences with personal and group businesses and participated in dialogue and question periods with the various presenters. The leadership groups were also given a space to present their community projects to the group by creating murals. The 2010 community projects commenced in September. They included:

• In San Jose de la Punta, the girls and boys latrines were retrofitted in the kindergarten. Conversations with the teacher emphasized the importance of these new bathrooms in order to improve sanitary conditions. 
   
• In Iriona Viejo the women raised funds to repair the building for the local yucca mill. This is an essential asset for the women in all five communities as they all use the mill to grate yucca to make their staple food, casabe. 
   
• In Ciriboya, an ambitious project was undertaken. A substantial bridge was built in a high traffic area of the community. The prior bridge was greatly damaged and had become dangerous for children and others living in the most populous part of the community. Over 40 volunteers came out to help with the project, including youth from the high school.

The personal savings are also projected to increase from the 2010 programming period. As of September, 106 women have saved $15,028, an average of $142 per participant, where as last year 121 women raised an average of $131 for the entire savings period.


Update from the field:  May 2010

Classes for 2010 began in February with 116 women in five communities along the coast of northeast Honduras in the municipality of Iriona.   The women are eager to learn and develop their leadership capacities.  One participant describes her experience…

“Norma spoke with a quiet strength and put extra force behind her words as she shared with me what she learned in the Leadership classes. Over the past few years Norma has begun to lose her vision and her face lost a little of its light when she spoke of the operation that left one of her eyes nearly blind. All the light returned when she spoke of her family and how she hopes to share what she learned in the classes with her daughters and her grandchildren. 

Norma recalled learning the word "autoesteema" or self esteem for the first time in the leadership class. Additionally, she explained that while she was already familiar with the idea of leaders it was not until she learned about leadership that she realized that everyone has the ability to lead. She believes that many of the students have gone on to become leaders in their families. Norma explained to me that as many women stop studying at a young age the classes have enormous benefits for these women as the lessons clarify many things and allow them to continue learning. Norma especially values the lessons regarding health as her husband has stomach problems but she now better understands what to cook for him.

Additionally Norma continues using the budgeting practises that she learned and saves money over the weeks to purchase gasoline in the city which she then sells in Ciriboya for a higher price. Norma proudly told me that the women in the leadership class had worked together to raise money for a new door for the hospital. She spoke of how good it made her feel to give some of her own money and to work with others to accomplish something that benefits the whole community.

Update from the field:  March 2009

Dreams became action as women in Honduras came together to carry out community projects in the coastal area of Iriona.  The projects were a product of ten months of CAUSE Canada Leadership Classes, where women attended weekly to learn about topics like health, financial management, decision-making and community mobilization.  In these classes, women also assessed community needs in order to design and plan appropriate projects.  There was a great deal of joy and pride shining through each participant in the projects as they worked to improve their communities. 

Tasks ranged from repairing roads and paths damaged by heavy rains and flooding to beautification and maintenance of a local community center and church to trash removal and palm tree planting on the Punta Piedra beach to reduce the erosive effects of the winds.  The success of the community projects made it evident that the women of Iriona are ready and willing to undertake even more ambitious projects in the coming years. While residents were cleaning the beachfront, there was already talk of creating a garbage disposal and management system, recycling program and composting facility.  Led by the women, residents are overflowing with ideas—and more importantly, the commitment to move ideas from head to heart to hands.