A MODEL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM TO PROMOTE
THE ROLE OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN HONDURAN SOCIETY
Getting to the solution of poverty:
Shoulder to Shoulder developed a plan to help teachers in the rural schools surrounding Santa Lucia develop life skills that will result in improved self-esteem in girls ages 10-14. First, Shoulder to Shoulder presented a series of practical, innovative and model Training of Trainers (TOT) sessions that promoted the economic and social leadership of poor women and girls in the surrounding poorest communities. We choose to focus the training on Honduran teachers who would then teach and empower Honduran girls to apply their primary school education knowledge to the development of small-scale, home-based businesses that will meet community needs and promote self-esteem in girls. We choose the most isolated communities in western Intibuca, Honduras most accessible only by footpath. In these communities girls are seldom educated beyond the third grade and virtually never beyond the sixth grade. The reasons are related to complex sociological and cultural factors that are readily apparent but rarely challenged.
The second part of the project was to develop clubs that were required to be lead by girls, guided by teachers whose purpose was to develop entrepreneurial projects. This process of developing these clubs and initiating the projects resulted in remarkable changes in the self-esteem of the girls. The projects varied from starting community stores, growing vegetables to embroidery. Due to the intensive training of mentors (teachers) the objectives of developing girls as leaders were accomplished. We verified our findings by holding structured focus groups in each community and recording our findings. Over 50 girls participated and almost all have expressed a desire to continue their education beyond the sixth grade. This finding in itself is remarkable.
The teachers and communities involved in this project are as follows: Leoncitos, Magdalena, La Montana, Llanitos, Los Horcones, Palacios, San Francisco, Santa Lucia.
At right is a photograph of one of the teachers, Gloria del Cid, from Leoncitos, who completed the training, served as mentor and received a diploma at the end of the project:
Results:
After the initial seminar (Yo Puedo), Honduran Program Directors met with each school and reinforced the basic concepts of the program with the teachers and the elected officers (all girls) of each school. They continued to provide ongoing one-on-one consultation to the teachers and girls as they developed small-scale, culturally appropriate businesses. Businesses included community stores, embroidery, tourist items such as painting, piñatas and gardens. The teachers indicated that the girls were genuinely in charge of the program and successfully planned their projects. This included tasks such as making budgets, calculating profits, marketing and recruitment of volunteer labor. This included recruitment of boys to volunteer.
The picture below left is of Las Marias “Yo Puedo” President, Maria Nolvia Claros, standing in front of the embroidery projects made by the girls of her school. In this case even some of the boys participated in the embroidery under the leadership of the girls.
Top right is a photograph of the audience of the final seminar to display projects to Shoulder to Shoulder medical brigade participants and the community teachers.
Final comments by the girls and their teachers:
Final focus groups conducted with the girls and their teachers revealed positive findings. Examples:
Cereth, La Montana: “Boys tell the group what to do but the girls will discuss it more”
Mercedes, La Montana: “I think girls work better together. The boys will work if they’re made to, but girls work on their own. I think both are good leaders in their own way.”
Jose, San Francisco: “Girls lead differently than boys as they are ‘more active, responsible and punctual.’”
On the success of the project…
Cereth, La Montana: …(our embroidery) “sold because we practiced a lot and put our skills to work. We learned how to keep track of a business, to be proud of our work, and it makes us feel better about ourselves.”
Teacher, Santa Lucia: “There is a girl in the community who does not attend school and is deaf/mute. The girls in the project have taught her how to make pinatas. She now makes them at her home and gives them to the girls to sell in the store. Because of this program, she has learned a new skill.”
Josue, Principal, Palacios: “An added benefit of the project is that there is more communication between the community and the school since many townspeople use the store.”
On noticeable changes in girls participating in the project…
Teachers, La Montana: “Mercedes is very intelligent. Getting her involved in this project has helped her to use her intelligence and gain confidence in her abilities.” She has become a good leader, learning how to work with the group to get everyone involved.
Photo at right: Gloria Mercedes Gomez from La Montana at the 
graduation ceremony for Yo Puedo.
Rene Orellana, Maestro, Santa Lucia: Before getting involved in this project, Damaris (the secretary) was quiet and shy and never participated in anything. Now she talks and laughs and is much more involved in classes and school activities.
Maestros, Palacios: All the girls are more outgoing and spontaneous in the classroom and in their social interactions outside the classroom since the start of the program. All the girls are less shy now than they were prior to the project. They have showed increased interest in their classes, especially math.
Maestros, Palacios: The treasurer, Amparo, was very shy prior to the start of the program. She has become very outgoing, particularly when she is in charge of the store. She has become a leader because the opportunity to be a leader was available. Her math skills have also improved as a result of the project.
Amparo Cedillo from Palacios (right)
San Francisco: Alba (below) became more active and sociable and improved her grades. All the girls now direct school programs that before the teachers ran.
Las Marias (photo below right): The girls were initially so very shy that Jacque Coello had trouble even getting them to say their names to her but they have improved significantly over time and as the project continued. The Maestro says that the girls will speak with her authoritatively about the project but get extremely shy when questioned by others, although this has improved.
Las Marias: “Nolbia and Oneida are more outgoing and participate more in class”. They are now some of the first to volunteer to participate for things.
The teachers and the student leaders of Las Marias with their projects
Doris, Santa Lucia:
After realizing that the cost of making the pinatas was increasing, Doris looked at the total income and cost and recommended to the group that they raise the price from 70 to 80 lempiras. She justified the price increase by saying that the pinatas they were making now were bigger and prettier than before. This adjustment enabled the project to continue making a profit.
On what they’ve learned…
Kelly & Doris, Santa Lucia: now that they have some experience in making and selling pinatas, they are starting to “decide which kinds of pinatas sell the best - the bigger ones, the prettier ones. We are going to make and sell more of those.”
Alba, San Francisco: Being “more collaborative” was a change that occurred as a result of the project. It “showed that they had more capabilities than they thought.” Also that it made all their grades better. They plan to use the project profits to “keep the project alive.”
Girls as Leaders? It’s no Joke!
Professor Nolasco from San Francisco: “...At the conference (to initiate the curriculum) we were not sure that we could do this. Shoulder to Shoulder showed us something that we had forgotten- how to teach leadership, especially to girls. Now ... we have found that girls make great leaders. I can even say that during the conference we all thought it was some kind of a joke- that we could help girls be leaders. However, now we no longer say we can’t; we say we can!”
What can be done next?
Many of the girls involved in the project have started to dream. They dream about a future different than their parents. They dream of education and a happy, healthy life. Now, few from their remote villages ever go to school beyond the sixth grade. To do so, they must go to Santa Lucia to school where they must be able to buy uniforms, school supplies and pay for school fees plus occasional field trips. Although these costs total no more than $300 per year, it is far beyond the reach of most of these girls considering their family incomes of less than $500/year in most cases.
If you would like to support a girl to attend school please let us know by calling or writing us. For only $300 per year you can support a girl and her dreams.
Gloria Hernandez from Leoncito (photo at left) is just one of several girls who would like to further her education.
Shoulder to Shoulder
