Poverty in Paradise

In a small village in the region of El Paraiso nestled among the mountains of Honduras, lives a woman named Santos Victorina Tomás Flores. Santos is the mother of four children—three boys and one girl. Her days are filled with love for her children, but also with the harsh reality of poverty that grips their lives. They live in a tiny shack with dirt flooring and no electricity or running water.

Santos’ days begin early, as she rises with the sun to tend to her children’s needs. But despite her best efforts, there have been times when she couldn’t provide enough food for her hungry children.

Life in the village is tough. Jobs are scarce, and the meager earnings of Santos’s husband are insufficient to feed the family. They have been living in constant fear of not being able to afford even the most basic necessities.

Santos remembers the desperation she felt when her children looked at her with pleading eyes, asking for food she couldn’t provide. She recounts how they endured hunger, sacrificing the couple’s meals so their children wouldn’t go hungry. She recalls tearfully as her heart broke many times when her children begged for even a tortilla, as their little stomachs rumbled with hunger.

Amidst the struggles, Santos sees a glimmer of hope now that ADRA has arrived in El Paraiso. The humanitarian agency is helping Santos to buy food for her family. ADRA partners with USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) to provide life-saving assistance to families like the Tomas Flores, who live in the “dry corridor” communities of  Honduras affected by climate change and propensity to drought.

ADRA’s Transfer Project provides cash transfers to families for the purchase of food, smart agricultural technology, home gardens, drought-tolerant seeds such as sorghum, as well as health and nutrition programs. ADRA nutrition specialists and volunteers visit households and feed malnourished children with nutritious cookies to improve their well-being.

Santos is grateful for the assistance she receives. She is now watching with delight as her children and baby begin to eat better and regain their health. With tears of joy, she thanked God for the significant change in her family, particularly her baby boy, who was critically malnourished. “I gave him the cookies, and he began eating. When he finished them, he changed and ate the remaining food. I am delighted because he is growing but seeing him the way he was, made me cry.  And thank you, and God, for the small seeds that each of us plants.”

Through ADRA’s support, the family is planting, tomatoes, and cucumbers to supplement their diet and ease their financial burden. Santos knows how far they have come. The family no longer suffers as they once did.  With the Transfer Project, they afford more of the things they need.

For hundreds of families, such as the Tomas Flores, the village has evolved from one of poverty to one of resilience and hope. Santos’ story, while filled with hardship, highlights perseverance and the impact of humanitarian relief offered by ADRA and BHA. As Santos contemplates the future, she merely aspires for a better place to raise her children:

 “Please continue to help, maybe one day we can find a way to rebuild our home so my children can have water to drink, electricity to do their homework, and a better floor to sleep on.”