This Fall’s trip marked 20 years since we started our activities in Honduras. Our partnership with the people of San Jose San Marcos de la Sierra started about two years after that. As I look back at where our interventions started and what we have accomplished I am deeply appreciative for all the hard work and support all of you have made to this project. I may be the one constant having gone on every trip our group has made to San Jose, but our success would not be possible without every person who has spent time in San Jose and every person who has given financially to make all these interventions possible. Thank you!
We of course do not work in a vacuum in San Jose so it is always hard to know exactly how much we have improved the lives of the average community member given other changes have happened from the government and the occasional other project. When we compare what has changed in San Jose versus the changes in the surrounding communities over the past 18 years we get a pretty good idea of the profound positive impact we have had. Surrounding communities appear to be stuck in time without any real progress towards improvements in quality of life. San Jose is moving forward. We see less cases in the clinic of asthma attacks, diarrhea, and scabies. We have also seen many students continue their education, going on to middle school and beyond. A few have even completed post high school education to now work as a teacher, a lab technician and a nurse. This enables younger children to see what is possible through education and hard work.
As I reflect on the changes in San Jose I believe our interventions lead to a change in an attitude of the people. This change has helped them as much as the material improvements from projects such as cook stoves and water projects. Community members realize that change for the better is possible. People seem a bit more open and self assured. Maybe it is this underlying subtle attitude shift that makes change possible. Additionally, when more children can advance their education beyond the sixth grade community members begin to see there are more options in life than day labor in area fields making $3-$5 a day or being pregnant at 16 and staying in the house. People start to try new things or work a bit harder and smarter. This transformation is still beginning, but I have hope it will continue.
My greatest concerns for the future for the people of San Jose involves the same reasons migrants travel to the US Southern border. There are very few jobs in Honduras and there is too much violence. As the children become more educated they often have to leave the San Jose area in the hopes of finding jobs elsewhere. We are exploring options to create jobs locally. As with all interventions we will need to try many things and hope to have a few work well. The violence problem is a harder issue to address. Presently we have not experienced any violence or “protection” payouts to gangs. With job creation that may become a problem we will have to address in the future.
Thank you again for your continued support of the San Jose Partners Project in Southwest Honduras. I firmly believe your donated investments of time, skill, and money have been well spent by our organization. Consider continuing to support our efforts. I am heartened by our progress to date but there is much more work to be done so that our years of intervention are self sustaining. Happy Holidays and thank you!
Sincerely,
Douglas Stockman, MD
Professor of Clinical Medicine, Department of Family Medicine
University of Rochester School of Medicine
Director, Global and Refugee Health
InstaGram: @sanjosepartners
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