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Bridging the Gap
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| In La Esperanza, a Lenca woman brings potatoes to the market. |
At 6 a.m. we set out on a five-hour drive to the northwest of Choluteca through the Comayagua valley to the state of Intibucá, which, aside from sections of damaged road and bridges, remained largely unaffected by Mitch. Intibucá's open woodlands -- supporting pine forests interspersed with some oak, scrub and grassy clearings -- was a welcome change from the plains of Choluteca.
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| The view of La Esperanza from the grotto. |
On the way to visit one of CARE's food-for-work projects we drove through the capital of Intibucá, which in my opinion, is one of the best-kept secrets in Honduras. At about 5,300 feet, the colonial city of La Esperanza (Hope) is located in a prime vegetable-growing area. At the local market, you can buy any type of vegetable from the Lenca Indians, the area's largest indigenous group, who farm on hillsides outside the town. On the west side of town there is a grotto carved into the mountainside. The view from the top is breathtaking.
After eating a typical lunch of chicken, rice, beans and tomatoes at a small comedor (diner) we drove out into the countryside toward the town of Semane, Yaramaguila, just over an hour away. The pace was slow as we braced ourselves to absorb the bumps in the unpaved road.
But at least there's a road.
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| Christina García receives food in exchange for helping to build a road. |
Most communities in rural Honduras are not yet connected by roads, but only by walking paths. Without roads, it's difficult for families to bring crops to market or have access to proper health facilities. On this Saturday afternoon, we came upon a group of 20 people in the road, pushing wheelbarrows, moving rocks and shoveling dirt -- part of CARE's food-for-work program to build and repair roads. I spoke with 39-year-old Christina García, who receives beans, rice and cooking oil from CARE in exchange for her work. She told me it's a big help for them because "we can fill our stomachs and help the community at the same time."
Through its food-for-work programs, CARE has created employment opportunities for the most vulnerable groups in 120 Honduran communities. Christina told me "Before, women never left their villages, but now, through these types of community programs, they have become empowered to change and feel a part of something." As her 15-year-old son Carlos walked up, she added that "on an average day, there are about 40 to 60 men, women and a few young ones helping out."
With increased transportation links, farming communities now have the opportunity to break from traditional corn and bean agriculture to also include growing fruits and vegetables to sell at local markets. Throughout the region, CARE also works in the agriculture sector -- giving farming communities the extra boost of training so that they can produce a diversity of crops. I visited local farmer and teacher Francisco Baldramin Perez, who explained to me as he picked a huge tomato from his garden, "I believe that by taking care of the land, the land will take care of you."
CARE currently manages 48 demonstration plots in southwestern Honduras that are used to teach improved agricultural techniques. CARE also holds seminars to teach families basic nutrition and health practices -- stressing the importance of a diversified diet.
Continue to Day 5
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