In Honduras, the Afro-Latino Garífuna are a unique population of non-Spanish speakers estranged from the general population because of their cultural differences. They suffer from poverty, lack of political and economic power, social invisibility, minimal education, and unemployment, and have inadequate access to basic necessities such as drinking water, education and medical care. The Instituto de Desarollo Hondureño (IDH) helps to bridge the social gap.

A Partnership with Instituto de Desarollo Hondureño
To improve their livelihoods, the IDH helps the Garífuna population gain access to business training and credit opportunities so they can create sustainable micro-enterprises. In the past year, we partnered with IDH to help 950 struggling Garífuna people, primarily women, support their families by establishing small businesses. The IDH program targets people who earn $2 to $4 (U.S.) a day using grassroots methodology to provide training opportunities for young families.

Tomasa’s Bread-Baking Business
Tomasa Petrona, a single mother of five, was struggling to care for her family before working with IDH. But with training and credit, she grew her business of making coconut bread and has become more financially stable. “Now my family eats better, and I can buy medicine when we get sick,” she says. “I have changed our home’s dirt floor to concrete, and one by one I am installing cement block walls. I’m very proud that my oldest son finished high school, and I want to keep all my children in school until they graduate.”