In Honduras, poverty and lack of opportunity prevent many children from going to school. While the country offers free public education, children must still have the proper supplies to attend. But for parents who are struggling to make ends meet, school supplies can seem an impossible expense.
In the last half of 2017 our partner in Honduras, Children’s Gift Ministry, distributed 14,175 School Kits across all 18 departments of the country, making education possible for children living in extreme poverty. Children’s Gift Ministry president, Ken Harrell, notes that the gift of School Kits truly does make education possible for children in Honduras. “Many of these parents are single mothers just getting by from day to day and cannot afford food and clothing, much less school supplies, as much as they would like to. It is hard to believe how a simple school kit given to a child could bring such hope to a single mother living in poverty, but it truly does!”
Meet some of the children who received School Kits through this distribution, with our thanks to everyone who collects and assembles School Kits. If you are interested in learning how to donate School Kits, click the button below to get started!
Jeremy Ramirez
Eight year-old Jeremy Ramirez and his family live in an area called Los Bordos in the city of San Pedro Sula, Honduras. It’s been called the “Murder Capital of the World.”
Like most families in the area, Jeremy’s lives in extremely humble quarters: a one-room shack with a dirt floor and a tin roof.
Many children in this area cannot attend school because their parents can’t afford the school supplies needed to attend. But thanks to the gift of School Kits, Jeremey’s mother says he will go to school this year.
“This is the first time I have had school supplies to go to school,” says Jeremy. His mother shares that she’s had trouble finding work, and as a result her children haven’t been able to go to school. She’s thankful for the gift of school supplies for her son, saying, “May God bless and multiply everything you do.”
Orin and Selvin
Orin and Selvin live with their two younger siblings and their mother, Rita, in the Department of Yoro in Northern Honduras.
Just one month before receiving their School Kits, their father was killed.
The grief of losing him, for Rita, was compounded by the fact that her children would not be able to attend school because she couldn’t afford their supplies.
Thanks to the gift of School Kits, Rita’s burden is eased a little bit. The family still has many challenges ahead, but Rita is happy that her boys can go to school.
“I had no money to send my children to school. This is the first time my children have received school supplies and I want to say thank you for helping us!”
Adriana, Evelyn Suazo, and José
For Adriana, Evelyn Suazo, and José, School Kits came right on time. Their family has been struggling.
Their father, Juan José, has not been able to find work for months. Mom, Vicenta Aguilar, says that sometimes they can only feed the children once a day. There was no way they would have been able to afford school supplies.
Many Honduran men leave school before the sixth grade and cannot read or write, which leaves them with limited skills to find jobs. It’s especially hard in rural areas like the one they live in. But the School Kits are definitely helping.
“This is the second year LWR has given our children the School Kits they need to get their education. This gives us hope and encouragement.”
Build Kits of Care
When you build Kits of Care, ordinary items become extraordinary tools for families to lift themselves out of poverty. Building School Kits is an especially meaningful activity for school-aged children, confirmation youth, and college students, providing the opportunity to reach out to young people around the world to make education possible. Consider planning a service project around building School Kits!
This blog was originally posted on the Lutheran World Relief page, lwr.org/blog, in January 2018.
Visit https://lwr.org/get-involved/build-kits-of-care/school-kits for more information about packing and sending School Kits.
Photos courtesy of LWR
