The Honduras
Mission
FCC has had a relationship with UCC's missionary in Honduras, Dr. Joyce
Baker, dating back 40 years. Even though she is now retired, we still
have an ongoing program there. Hans and Suse Jahns began their
Honduran ministry in 1993. Suse also taught
several groups of women to knit, and one group has opened a small store
to market their beautiful wares. Some of her students became the
teachers and went to several villages. They have taught these skills to
over 300.
Below: A group of women knitting
during a workshop in Corquin
Several years ago an FCC work party of ten visited the
mission. Lately, our effort has shifted to support education in rural
areas that lack adequate schools. Several new schools and kindergartens
have been built with FCC support, and all have a plaque in the front
with First Congregational's name on it. The village people have yearned
for an adequate school for their children, and the communities have
donated the land. When they are complete, there is much joy and
celebration. The government pays the teachers' salaries. Other
recent initiatives are the installation of wood-saving kitchen stoves to
reduce the need for fire wood and deforestation, to reduce the
respiratory illnesses due to smoke, and to reduce to number of children
burned in open fire accidents. Also we have introduced solar
flashlights in areas without electricity. These are charged by the sun
during the day and hung from the ceiling at night.
The school in Joconales,
completed with FCC support in 2005
Below: The newest school in Chiliquera, completed in 2007
Below: Villagers carry tiles
for a new school.
The Jahns and FCC also helped with "Dona Justa" wood-saving
stoves. ODECO, the organization in Corquin with which we work, has
already built 400 of them and 300 more families are waiting to get
one. What is so special about this stove? 1. It needs only 30 % of
the wood used in traditional stoves, 2. it produces more heat, 3. it
comes with a stove pipe (no more smoke in the kitchen and therefore
fewer respiratory illnesses, 4. it needs to be cleaned only once a
month instead of once a week, 5. it reduces the number of burns,
mainly of little children, since the fire is contained and not open
like in some places (especially in Guatemala where these stoves are
also built).
There is more:
Honduran1
Honduran2
Honduran2
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