Educating Rural Families in Vulnerable Conditions

COMAL Network

September 19, 2024

Sixth Report for GlobalGiving

Project Title: Educating Children in Conditions of Rural Vulnerability

Since its creation, the COMAL Network has promoted and accompanied the community organization of farmers and indigenous people, promoted different social enterprises of production and services, including community stores, collective agro-industry initiatives, basic grains, organization of community granaries with native seeds, coffee and vegetable production, as well as the formation of Rural Savings and Credit Banks (CRACs) at the community and regional level with the participation of agricultural producers. These CRACs are community organizations whose purpose is to promote savings and provide financial assistance in a sustainable manner within the groups formed as cajas.

The pace of economic growth in Honduras has been weak and insufficient to reduce the poverty that affects 74% of its citizens. While progress towards equality between men and women is exceedingly slow, the current panorama reveals that women and youth face the worst conditions of inequality, vulnerability, exclusion and injustice.

Progress to date in guaranteeing the rights and opportunities of women and youth is clearly insufficient. In Honduras, as in the rest of the world, women earn less than men and are concentrated in the lowest paid and most precarious jobs, their contribution to society is not recognized and they are excluded from decision-making processes at the household, local and national levels.

Main achievements:

 During the days of September 04 to 06, the workshop strengthening and development of financial inclusion models for participating producer organizations in the departments of La Paz, Intibuca and Lempira was held. The workshop was held at the ECOSOL training center in Siguatepeque. Thirty-three people participated, including 22 producers who are members of the Cajas de Ahorro y Crédito, 9 members of the technical staff of Red COMAL and 2 members of the technical staff of CRS, who work in the project Caminos hacia la Resiliencia (Pathways to Resilience).

 The objective is to develop basic financial skills in small farmers, especially women, to enable them to have a better understanding of how they use their money, as well as the use of tools that allow them to plan for future income and expenses considering periods of scarcity, thereby strengthening/creating financial resilience.

During the workshop, participants reflected on the importance of financial education and the promotion of the savings habit to face different situations at the family and community level.

 On behalf of the community organizations affiliated to our association, we would like to express our gratitude to the donors who, through GlobalGiving, contribute to improving the living conditions of rural families in Honduras.

COMAL Network

May 28, 2024

Fifth Report for GlobalGiving

Project Title: Educating Children in Conditions of Rural Vulnerability

In recent years there is a recognition that while empowering women and girls is essential to reducing violence against them and building equitable relationships and fulfilling lives, it is also necessary to work with men, adolescents and boys. There is a growing awareness that gender beliefs, social norms, and attitudes affect men as much as women. They affect everyone, although the impacts are not the same for all.

 These norms, beliefs, and attitudes affect the vital needs and aspirations of men and women, impeding their full lives.   Not only that, but they also contribute to violence. Indeed, men and women exercise and experience violence in different ways, but violent acts are overwhelmingly perpetrated by men - whether against women, other men or themselves. Therefore, it is necessary to deepen our understanding of "masculinity" and the factors that affect it, in order to adequately address it and reduce gender-based violence and thus foster equity and equality among all people in addition to promoting the full life or integral development of all men and women.

Main achievements:

 Despite economic limitations in this quarter a training workshop on Gender Justice was held, 31 people participated, including 15 women and 16 men members of the organizations affiliated to the COMAL Network in the regions of Intibucá, Lempira and La Paz. The workshop provided a space for reflection on the social conditions that motivate the hegemony of men and women, as well as their involvement in the violation of human rights.

 In addition, it encouraged critical reflection and self-learning, creativity and critical thinking in students, and promotes the socialization of knowledge through teamwork.It also focuses on developing positive attitudes towards learning and fostering motivation for the development of new skills, which contributes to cooperative learning and the building of healthy interpersonal relationships, greater equity and gender justice in community organizations.

On behalf of the community organizations affiliated to our association, we thank the financial support of all donors who through GlobalGiving make possible these processes of capacity building for producers in the communities of western Honduras.