By Mary McCann Sanchez | COMAL collaborator
What could be more important than the food we eat? The World Food Program of the United Nations tells us that Honduras has sustained economic growth in the past twenty years, but that high poverty and income equality are continued threats to the diets of the rural poor. In particular, the WFP tells us, “…these issues pose challenges to diverse populations, particularly women, girls and indigenous and Afro-descendant groups, who are already vulnerable to food insecurity in a country with high stunting levels, limited dietary diversity, [and] micronutrient deficiencies.” (WFP, July 2022) In 2026, we see those vulnerabilities heightened by drought and the resulting scorched harvests of traditional corn and beans crops.
The Lenca communities in the departments of La Paz, Intibucá and Lempira in Honduras are among those affected. However, as members of the COMAL Network, women and girls in the departments of La Pax, Intibucá and Lempira have actively transformed their diets through producing vegetables, using soil and water management techniques acquired with the support of COMAL technical staff.
At the same time, the communities expressed a felt need for more protein. Traditionally the indigenous of Honduras use backyard poultry production as a source of nutrients. But in recent years the high heat, new diseases and the failure of corn crops previously used for chicken feed has led to the alarming disappearance of patio hens and their eggs.
COMAL community-based leadership and technical staff responded to these concerns by providing 200 women heads of households with 2,250 high-producing Brown Nick hens. The team will provide technical assistance to keep these hens – and the families they serve – healthy. 1,000 family members will benefit from this source of protein and the women are enthusiastically hopeful about selling the eggs they will not consume to local markets. Restoring a diversified diet and contributing to the well-being of communities through fair marketing practices is an essential step toward well-being.
The COMAL Network thanks you for keeping a healthy tradition alive!
By Donaldo Zuniga | Project Leader
By Donaldo Zuniga | Manager of operations and program leader
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