The Project
Short-Term Volunteer Community Building Projects in Honduras

Working with Indigenous Maya Communities

GVI has committed itself to helping and assisting the May Chortí villages around Copán Ruinas. These areas of Honduras are the poorest in the country as, like many rural communities, it has been neglected because help has been focused on being provided to urban schools and communities.

Our aims are first and foremost to improve the standard of living of hundreds of indigenous families who live in often extreme poverty. Global Vision International, with the full support of the indigenous leaders of the communities, aims to tackle these issues in many different ways through basic funding of simple but essential physical sustainable projects. Once the initial starting phase has been funded and completed, it can be continued for many years without further funding, helping the families become self-sustainable and even start micro-businesses to increase the family income.

San Rafael

We will begin work in the Maya Chortí community of San Rafael, which has a population of approximately 300 and average family income is about 25 Lempiras (just over a dollar) a day. With this money, up to ten children per family must be fed, clothed and educated. Education is free in Honduras but the materials are not, which forces many children to not attend school. GVI and volunteer contributions are removing this financial constraint by supplying the children with the school materials they require. It is hoped that with the extra income the family will receive with this burden removed, those children who have dropped out will return. Living conditions for those in the community is exceptionally basic. The wooden and mud homes consist of one or two rooms, where the cooking, eating and sleeping is all happens in the same room, which is also shared by animals. Running water is scarce, sanitation almost non-existent. 40% of children do not reach the age of two due to malnutrition and dysentery.

As mentioned, we will be working in the community of San Rafael at first, with the aim to start work in more communities, including La Pintada, Santa Cruz, Sinaí, Boca del Monte and Rincon del Buey.

It must be stressed that GVI has the full support of the local indigenous leaders and teachers. Our education and community projects in Honduras are unique to Global Vision International. All funding of these projects comes directly from Global Vision International and volunteer contributions, included in the program fee. We receive no other outside source of income, apart from that raised through GVI and volunteer contributions. Suffice to say, without this funding from GVI and the volunteer contributions, the projects simply would not exist.