Build More Literate Communities in Rural Honduras

The Un Mundo Literacy Connections Program emerged to address high dropout rates, learning disabilities, lack of teachers in some communities or absenteeism in others.  It is quite common that the oldest kids in a family leave school before the school year ends to accompany their parents to the coffee harvest in other regions. Once they return to their school, they face frustration due to their lack of knowledge, and so in some cases they drop out of school.  

The literacy connections program is providing literacy services and after school reinforcement through the reading and writing clubs, youth club, and adult club, as well as with its famous Biblioblandido character (a masked character who goes from community to community, inviting reading and writing through the narrative of stories), and a community library.  

Currently our Literacy Connections program serves eight communities.  Late in 2016, the program was launched in the remote community of Los Planes. There our well trained community voluntary mentor, Aminta López, coordinates the reading and writing club, the youth club, and the adult club, all made possible thank to our communities’ volunteers and donors. 

Although Los Planes is remote, it is not exempt from the epidemic of violence and insecurity that has plagued the country lately, forcing people to stay in their own houses.  Until now, no one had fled from the community, but the Secretary of Education decided to remove the schoolteacher, arguing that there were not enough students. 

Then our community volunteer decided to take over the responsibility of schoolteacher. Now she is in charge of the school three days a week. The remaining day she attends all the clubs.  We do not know if the Secretary of Education will appoint a new schoolteacher for this academic year at some point, but meanwhile Aminta has taken responsibility for Los Planes children’s education, regardless of the violence, insecurity, and lack of government support.  Aminta is able to continue with this effort thank to our donors.