Educate First-Generation Students in Honduras

Dear Friends,

The last time we checked in with you, we lamented the situation unfolding at the U.S.-Mexico border, where migrant children were being separated from their parents and protectors. Over the past month and a half, a new migration situation has emerged - the caravan.

Fathers, brothers, friends and neighbors of our scholars are among the migrant caravan. They looked on as entire families deserted left their homes behind and have followed their journey from northern Honduras all the way to Tijuana, Mexico.

Living and working on the ground in Honduras, it's not hard to understand why people leave. Despite the central government's rhetoric of change and development, the majority of Honduran youth and families live in poverty and experience violence in their communities. Their struggle to survive is a reality that we live and breathe every day.

What makes the difference between OYE scholars and the young people in the caravan is opportunity. The opportunity to graduate from high school. The opportunity to go to college. The opportunity to hope. The opportunity to turn that hope into action.

You make this work possible.

As so many young Hondurans continue to lose hope of better days at home, our work to educate, empower and engage young Hondurans to become agents of change is more urgent and important than ever. We hope you will continue to support our work moving forward.

In closing, I wanted to take a moment to share an excerpt from a reflection about a dialogue on migration we facilitated with our youth last month.

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We believe that the vast majority of people among the caravan are honest and hard-working men and women, many accompanied by their children, who are desperate for a safer place to live and the opportunity to provide a better life and future for their famiies.

Among the caravan is a 40-something father who hadn't worked in months and carried the burden of providing for his family. A 30-something brother who was a consistent presence in social and religious gatherings. A 20-something best friend who left without saying goodbye.

While many of our scholars do nothave a close family member or friend traveling in the migrant caravan, they have all experienced, at one time or another, the pain and loss of leaving a place, or being left behind by someone they loved. As the dialogue circle progressed, their sadness transformed into empathy; and their empathy transformed into a sense of responsibility and commitment to use the resources and opportunities they have, through OYE, to drive change and create opportunities for others.

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As always, thank you for your commitment to our young people, families and communities. As this year comes to a close, we hope you will give generously to give hope and opportunity to young people in Honduras.

Happy holidays to you and yours!

In appreciation,
Amanda

P.S. We are proud to share that last October 19th, OYE received the local government's top award, named in honor of El Progreso's first mayor "Guillermo J. Baín," in recognition of our commitment to education and youth development in our community.

Links:

• Reflection on migrant caravan (full text)
• Local gov't award announcement (full text)

Dear Friends,

Over the past several months, we have witnessed migrant families being torn apart in real time. The sad reality is that this is not new. Violence, poverty and inequality in Honduras have been separating families for decades, sometimes permanently.

Beyond the lack of opportunities to study or work, disadvantaged youth are exposed to violence, discrimination and social exclusion in their daily lives. Facing these challenges and dreaming of a better life, it should not come to a surprise that they continue to risk their lives to make the dangerous journey north.

Yet in the last five years, only 4 of over 200 OYE scholars have left or tried to leave Honduras. The reality is that most Honduran youth do not actually want to abandon everything they know and love for a country that is openly hostile to their presence. But without opportunities in Honduras, leaving becomes the only option.

Together with you, and our generous community of donors and partners, OYE has provided education, opportunity and hope to hundreds of youth since 2005.

This past weekend, several of our youth scholars sat in a circle with a delegation of U.S. Congressional staffers to talk about OYE and their lives in Honduras. The words "opportunity," "support," "family," and "belonging" came up repeatedly as they talked about their experiences in OYE. They acknowleged the importance of our scholarships to continue their education, but emphasized that OYE means so much more than that. They teared up (and so did the rest of us present) as they talked about what their lives may have looked like without OYE.

Sometimes youth just need someone to believe in their potential. And the support to reach it.

Former scholar, Cesar, captures this perfectly: "When our mom died, everyone would look at us and say: 'Those poor kids won't amount to anything. They will end up on the streets, in gangs or on drugs.' But we proved them wrong. The values my mom instilled in us, and the support we have received from OYE, guided us along a different path. Look at us now. My sister graduated from high school. I graduated. Later this year, my brother will graduate."

We are proud to share that César graduated from high school last year and is now employed full-time at one of Honduras' leading banks. At only 19-years-old, he is currently the sole financial provider for his family.

The transition from poverty to prosperity takes years of consistent and comprehensive support and is only possible through a shared effort between our youth, their families, our staff and our community of donors.

Thank you for being a part of our community.

In appreciation,
Amanda

P.S. An incredible group of anonymous donors have stepped up to match all donations dollar-for-dollar up to $15,000 through the end of the summer. We are over halfway to our goal, but we would really appreciate a gift from you to keep us moving forward!