2025 News & Updates

March 2025

March 24th update - please see the "Macuelizo" photo album on the "Photos & Videos" page of this website for some recent photos we took of the students, teachers and school grounds during our visit to this poor and very rural little mountain community.  Twenty-five years ago when FOH first visited the area there was basically nothing there but the big, flat, dirt "field" that you see in the photos (where the kids are playing soccer).  We drove onto the field in 4x4 trucks (truck bed filled with bundles of clothing), not a building or person in sight, parked the trucks and leaned on the truck horn.  Women and children started appearing from over the edges of the hill, knowing that the sound of the horn meant our partners in Honduras had brought something for them.  Fast forward a few years and a group from Taiwan built a small, three room school and a proper bathroom on the site.....what a difference that made!  And shortly after that a group from England started to provide support and more infrastructure for the school.  To see the positive difference that has been made in that community in the last 20 years because the children now have an opportunity to get an education is absolutely amazing!  They now have five classrooms, another building with a lunchroom & kitchen and a separate kindergarten.  On this most recent visit FOH was able to provide them with some school supplies, some soccer balls and a snack.   

March 11th update - thanks again to major support & logistical assistance from our partners in Honduras, FOH has been able to supply new backpacks ("mochilas") to the students for the start of the new school year.  Please see the "New Backpacks" photo album on the "Photos & Videos" page of this website for photos of the children lined up by grade (Kindergarten through Grade 6) on the playground and then coming up by grade to receive their new backpacks.  There are also photos with some of the teachers assisting in distributing  the backpacks plus photos of some of the students with their parents.  Many thanks to everyone who contributed to making this happen! 

March 10th update - "Certificate of Gratitude".....when the FOH members were in Honduras in February they were summoned to a meeting one afternoon with the Mayor of Valle de Angeles.  While at that meeting, Friends of Honduras was presented with a "Certificate of Gratitude" plaque in recognition of the work that FOH has done in the community of Retiro (part of the Municipality of Valle de Angeles) over the past 25 years.  A photo of the plaque is on the "Photos & Videos" page of this website.  The plaque says "The Municipal Corporation of Valle de Angeles grants this Certificate of Gratitude to : Friends of Honduras Society for their valuable contribution to the community development of the Municipality of Valle de Angeles.  Given in Valle de Angeles F.M. on the 21st day of the month of February 2025 by Wilfred Ponce Ponce, Municipal Mayor Valle De Angeles".  This is quite an honor and one for which we are very grateful!

March 4th update - another fundraising goal from last fall was to raise sufficient funds so what we could provide new teaching supplies for the teachers at the start of the new school year in February   This fundraising goal was also met and the teachers were very pleased to receive craft paper, crepe paper, glue guns & glue sticks, rulers, protractors, colored pencils & crayons, pens, masking tape, scissors, white glue, silicone glue, stickers, etc.  Please see the "New Teaching Supplies" photo album on the "Photos & Videos" tab on the main page of this website for photos of the supplies being delivered to the teachers & students!  Many thanks to all the generous donors who made this possible.

February 2025

February 28th update - one of the fundraising goals last fall was to raise enough money to purchase new textbooks and workbooks for the start of the school year for each student at the school.  That goal was reached and the students are very excited to have their new books!  Please see the "New Textbooks" photo album on the "Photos & Videos" tab on the main page of this website for photos of the books being delivered to the school, the many helping hands that carried the boxes to the school grounds, the students with their new books and the happy teachers!

February 27th update - the two FOH Board Members who have been in Honduras for the past two weeks visiting the school and medical clinic have now returned to Victoria with lots of positive news.  Textbooks, school supplies, teaching supplies and mochila's (backpacks) were purchased and distributed to the students and teachers at the school.  Some soccer balls and basketballs were also given to the school.  Painting and maintenance for the buildings (school & medical clinic) is scheduled as is the installation of some fencing & handrails to keep the students safe.  Lots of photos and video of the students, parents and teachers were taken and they will be posted on this site over the next few weeks.  The mayor in Valle de Angeles has indicated that his office will be providing support to this project by way of the installation of a dedicated water line/supply for the medical clinic and by providing a painting crew to paint the classrooms and medical clinic (FOH will provide the paint).  We are so thankful for the support!  Check back here often for further updates.

 

January 2025

January 27th update - the FOH 2025 AGM was held last week and we were able to look back on a year when a lot was accomplished.  FOH is so thankful to be surrounded by a large and varied group of supporters and we so appreciate them sharing the vision for the school and medical clinic in Honduras!  Two of our Canadian Board members will be travelling to the school in Honduras in February to get a first hand look at how things are going.  They will be purchasing the new school supplies for the students and will be determining other areas of need....ie. food, teaching supplies, classroom furniture & supplies, classroom maintenance, school grounds maintenance, etc. 

January 15th update - back in August of last year, in honor of the upcoming 25th anniversary of the start of FOH, the decision was made by the FOH Board to try to raise sufficient funds for the provision of Christmas Food Hampers and for new textbooks, workbooks & school supplies for the start of the new school year in February 2025.  Costs estimates for these items were obtained and a goal was set of raising $35,000.....$18,000 by Dec 15, 2024 for the Christmas Food Hampers and a further $17,000 by Jan 15, 2025 for the text/work books & the school supplies.  It seemed a daunting task 5 months ago but FOH is pleased to announce that through the continued support of a wide range of very generous and faithful donors, the goal of raising $35,000 by today has been reached!  Donations are continuing to arrive such that it would appear that there will may be some funds available for additional items needed at the school......repair & maintenance of the school buildings & grounds, maintenance of the bathrooms & the water system, replacement of old, dilapidated desks & chalk/white boards, etc.  A couple of FOH Board members will be at the school in mid-February to get a good idea of what is needed and what would be the best use of any extra funds that are on hand.  Many thanks to everyone who has participated in this project so far.  Your support, monetary contributions and encouragement are making a very positive difference in the lives of the students at the school!

January 9th update - plans are being finalized for two FOH board members to travel to Honduras in February to visit the schools and the medical clinic.  Stay tuned....further details will be posted here as they become available.

 

January 6th update - two of the three goals of the FOH fundraiser that started back in September 2024 have been met....1. the purchase of Christmas food hampers for the student's families at the two schools ($18.000) has been fully funded (the food hampers have been delivered to the two schools) and....2. the $11,000 needed for the purchase of new textbooks & workbooks for the school in Retiro for the start of the school year in February has also been fully funded (the books are on order).  The last goal of the fundraiser is the $6000 needed for the purchase of packages of new school supplies for each student plus supplies for the teachers at the school in Retiro (ie. notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers, rulers, etc).  The fundraising total for this project is now just over $5000 so we are within $1000 of what is needed to fully fund this project.  The target date for this part of the fundraiser is January 15th so there is still time to contribute to this if you would like to.  Please click on the "Donate Now" button at the bottom right corner of the main page of this website for information on how you can donate.  FOH is a registered charity so charitable donation receipts are available for donations from Canadian sources.  Thanks everyone for your faithful support of the work being done at the schools and the medical clinic!