Mike Savage of New Canaan Helps Honduran Children

Honduras is a Central American country that lies above Nicaragua and to the west of Guatemala and El Salvador. 

With a population of nearly 10 million people, Honduras remains one of the poorest nations in the world. More than 66% of the Honduras population lives in poverty and one out of five Hondurans actually live in “extreme poverty”. For those one in five people, they are desperately struggling to get by on less than $2 U.S. per day.

In fact, all of Latin America has the highest rate of child homicides in the world. The region is besieged by violence as armed groups target children.

In addition, Honduras was one of the hardest nations in the region to be hit by COVID-19. Without the proper medical and everyday supplies, these children and their parents have barely a chance to survive. They struggle daily to not just survive, but have any chance to thrive.

That’s why migrant caravans are at all time high. Little success of making the trek safely to the United States border is a reality. Making it successfully and legally across the border is almost a complete fantasy.

In short, these children and families need to help if they have any change to make a decent life for themselves in their home country.

To survive, Honduras families and children need help. Mike Savage of New Canaan, CT and his wife Sandra are two people doing just that. 

September 2021 was marked with a clothes drive in celebration of National Hispanic month.

And the drive goes on!

The drive to continue collecting clothes and learning items for the impoverished families of Honduras continues. To date, hundreds of pounds of merchandise has been collected and shipped to the Central American country. Many families have given thanks to the Savage-Rivera Foundation for the ongoing effort to help those in need.

Fighting Poverty in Honduras

Though poverty remains widespread in Honduras, the country has made considerable progress in recent years in reducing the number of people living in poverty. Between 2010 and 2015, the Honduran government estimates that the poverty rate fell from 64.2 percent to 57.5 percent.

The country’s poverty reduction efforts have been hampered by a number of factors, including high levels of inequality, limited economic opportunities, and environmental shocks such as hurricanes and droughts. In addition, Honduras faces significant challenges in terms of governance and institutional capacity.

Despite these challenges, the Honduran government has taken a number of steps to reduce poverty and improve the standard of living for its citizens. For example, the government has implemented a number of social protection programs, such as the Bono 10,000 cash transfer program, which provides financial assistance to households with children under the age of 18.

The government has also invested in infrastructure and services, including the construction of roads, bridges, and schools. In addition, the government has launched initiatives to promote economic growth and create jobs. These efforts are starting to bear fruit, as Honduras’ economy is projected to grow by 3.5 percent in 2017.

While Honduras still has a long way to go in terms of reducing poverty, the country’s efforts are beginning to pay off. With continued commitment from the government and international partners, Honduras can continue to make progress in tackling poverty and improve the standard of living for its citizens.