During class on November 13, the main focus for our Class of 2016 Periclean Scholars was to present our findings concerning different organizations to develop potential partnerships with. Our class often has wonderful ideas, but we had to look into these ideas further to discover whether or not a partnership with them would be feasible. Today in class, the presentations included Hope for Honduran Children (nicknamed by our class as H4HC) and youth development programs such as juvenile detention centers. H4HC, a favorite of many students in our class, seems to be a likely partnership. The organization includes two main projects, the Flor Azul Boys Community, a home to boys rescued from poverty, in addition to Nuevo Paraiso Village, a small village with a school system for impoverished children.
Boys playing futbol at Flor Azul, the school H4HC partners with.
Karen, the founder of this initiative, has been incredibly enthusiastic about working with our class, proving that the connections to this project already exist within our class. As long as our class could find a way to make this project sustainable in terms of working with Pericleans, H4HC seems to be a definite possibility for a strong Periclean partnership.
While the youth development presentation offered solid insight into the major issues with the prison system in Honduras, a partnership here does not seem as likely. One of the most interesting pieces of this presentation was the discussion of the integral role women play in gangs in Honduras. Women account for about 20% of gang membership in Honduras, and are forced to do many tasks for the gangs including stealing in public places and at times are raped by the entire gang as a form of initiation. Although partnership does not look quite as likely, our class suggested the possibility of partnering with H4HC and including a type of youth development program or creating a community center that gives out meals and houses mentors to help guide the youth away from joining gangs. Each of these presentations offered new ideas for partnership, but I think at this point our class has concluded that H4HC is the most feasible partnership option.
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As a follow up, the class did intend decide to partner with H4HC and several of us will go during fake break at the end of winter term to do some preliminary work with the organization. We are looking forward to meeting Karen and the boys in person!