Location
Honduras is a country of about 7,500,000 people located in Central America. It borders Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. The official language is Spanish. Their main exports are bananas and coffee, but the country suffers from low minimum wages and an unemployment rate of 28%. Honduras is a tropical paradise for some tourists, but unfortunately it suffers from many challenges facing a developing nation.
Copan Ruinas is a small town of about 6,000 people located near the border of Guatemala. The Mayan presence around Copan is an important part of their history. Copan Ruinas was the southernmost Mayan civilization and is the second largest in the Mayan world. The Mayan ruins have put Copan on the map as a popular tourist destination in Honduras. Tourism in Copan Ruinas does provide more jobs than in most Honduran cities. However, the disparity between rich and poor is large, and there are limited opportunities for most children to succeed and reach their potential.
The Situation in Honduras
Education
Low levels of education and the low value placed on education allow poverty to persist in Honduras. It has the lowest completion rate for students in secondary schools in Latin America. Public school children attend classes only four hours a day and are not offered extra-curricular activities that foster growth and creativity. UrbanPromise will work together with the community to provide the opportunities and daily support that give children the chance to develop new skills and thrive in school.
Youth Development
Honduras has a 28% unemployment rate that contributes to the high poverty rate. Only 2% of youth graduate from university and many of them lack the leadership and job skills to compete professionally. Those without the necessary skills are more susceptible to fall into negative social cycles. By providing opportunities for youth ages 13-17, to lead programs for children and by fostering leadership skills, teenagers are more likely to make healthy life choices and enter into the job market.
Values
The majority of children come from broken families where parents, predominantly fathers, are absent. Children do not learn foundational values at home, and the lack of awareness regarding respect for women, environmental care, and basic nutrition causes real problems in the community. UrbanPromise specifically addresses such issues and engages children and youth in programs that introduce core values and inspire children to reach their potential.