Next for our partner highlight series, we will travel to Central America where one organization is doing amazing work in Honduras. Many people may know that Honduras is the second poorest country in Central America. That is why for the past 30 years, HOI (previously known as Honduras Outreach Inc.) has been spreading Christ’s love through service in Honduras.
It is HOI’s goal to create and support opportunities for Central Americans to provide for themselves and for their families.
HOI has grown significantly thanks to the help from mission teams who partner with the organization. When the first mission teams arrived in the Agalta Valley in 1989, they immediately recognized the lack of nutrition in the local villages. The team also noticed a need for better education and healthcare. Now, HOI has been working to provide communities with the resources that are needed to improve their quality of life through six programs including health, education, spiritual development, agriculture, economic development and, community development.
HOI is responsible for the healthcare of 33 communities as assigned by the Honduras Ministry of Health.
Through four health clinics, HOI is able to treat over 16,000 patients per year by providing basic care, prenatal care, nutrition education, dentistry and, physical therapy. This has helped the vaccination rate to improve drastically from 15% to 98% and the infant mortality rate to decrease by 88%.
HOI believes in helping to empower the people by focusing on their strengths and abilities.
Residents are able to learn many techniques from HOI’s different programs. With the community development program, the residents put in their own time and labor to work on building up their community and their skillset. Experts were recruited to teach better farming techniques to grow healthier food, manage cattle, nutrition, and how to sell extra produce at markets. The economic program helps train residents to grow their business. And the spiritual program is dedicated to teaching the Bible and guiding families in their spiritual walk.
All the students are given the
opportunity to receive a quality education and pathway towards prosperity.
Educating future generations was something that was important for HOI. In 2000 and 2001, HOI established Aldersgate Elementary and Hope Middle School in the Agalta Valley of Honduras. The schools are managed with the help of the child sponsorship program. Now, almost 300 attend the schools and additional support is given to students who wish to continue their education at the local high school. The elementary and middle schools have a 99% graduation rate making these schools desirable to many families in surrounding communities.
With the amazing support HOI receives, HOI has been able to continue growing its program throughout the years with great success.
Here are some additional success stories that HOI is having on the communities in Honduras.
- In 2016, HOI started a clean water program to improve overall family health and decrease water-borne illnesses
- Developed a pilot nutrition project to use eggs as a source of protein for pregnant women in partnership with OneEgg
- Through the Bible Training Center, 150 pastors have been trained through an 8-month program reaching 85 villages that now have knowledgeable faith leaders in their communities
- Built a partnership with Young Life, an international ministry focused on introducing youth to Christ and helping them grow in their faith
Keep checking back for more highlights about the amazing organizations we partner with!
If you would like to read more about HOI and the work they are doing, you may visit their website here. To find out more information about sponsoring a child with HOI, click here.