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EL MILAGRO SUSTAINABLECOMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PHASE IProject OverviewLocation:In-countryPartner (ICP): CEPUDOSummary:The project aims to uplift the El Milagro community, which has faced forced displacementand economic hardships, by focusing on social development, health, education andeconomic empowerment. The first phase includes promoting social development,improving well-being, supporting academic development and fostering economic growththrough financial literacy and microenterprise development. A second part of the proposalwill include the construction of homes with water and sanitation access. Through targetedinterventions, the project aims to create a brighter future for the community.Honduras covers an area of 43,433 square miles and has a population of 10.3 million. Thecountry has a Human Development Index value for 2021 of 0.621 — which positions thecountry at 137 out of 191 countries and territories — and in Latin America, is the second-worst rating after Haiti. Nacaome MunicipalityAmountrequested: $268,180.62Beneficiaries:46families, around Valle Department, in Honduras184 peopleDuration:36 monthsNacaomeMunicipality. Click for exact location. hereHondurasBackground and ContextTo carry out this proposal, we conducted aseries of assessments to understand thecommunity's needs, challenges and assets.This was followed by co-design sessionswith the ICP to propose and agree on theproject actions or activities aimed ataddressing those concerns. Ourmethodology included quantitative andqualitative data collection methods andtechniques, such as surveys, communityparticipatory tools, reviews of previousproject reports and technical studies (e.g.,topography).Pictured above are residents of El Milagro,Nacaome, during the participatory datacollection activities.1&
The current economic, political and social situation in Honduras remains worrying, and hasbeen affected by a series of internal and external factors. The Honduran economy has beenimpacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as by Hurricanes Eta and Iota. On top of that, mass migration of citizens to other countries, particularly the United States. The El Milagro community in Nacaome consists of 46 impoverished families living on aplot donated by the municipality of approximately 17,500 square meters. The land issafe from floods or landslides, and its flat topography makes it suitable for construction.It is easily accessible, located about 1 kilometer from the Pan-American Highway and 2-3kilometers from Nacaome's central park. Nacaome, founded in 1535, spansapproximately 589.21 km² and has a population of 60,647 people, with both urban andrural areas.These are some of the characteristics of the El Milagro community and its inhabitantswho participated in the data collection process:El Milagro, NacaomeHonduras ranks among the countries with the lowest levels of prosperity and highest levelsof inequality. The country's Multidimensional Poverty Index is 59.6%, which significantlyrises when considering vulnerable populations in rural areas.5members per family73%are under 30 years of ageBasic needs (water,shelter and food)3% Consume vegetables dailyor almost daily13% Consume meat or seafooddaily or almost daily66%Did not complete any kindof formal education or onlycompleted some years ofprimary schoolEducation and vocationaltraining88%Do not have the watersource located in the house80%Struggle to afford additionalschool fees and supplies fortheir children.The residents of El Milagro haveexperienced a life crisis due to forceddisplacement caused by the fragility oftheir plastic homes to wind damage.
CEPUDO in NacaomeFor the past decade, CEPUDO and Food For The Poor (FFTP) have been activelyinvolved in the development of the Nacaome region. In close proximity to the El Milagrocommunity, CEPUDO has successfully constructed 39 residential dwellings. At present,the organization extends crucial support to the Nacaome Valle Polyclinic by providingessential resources such as personal care items, medication, wheelchairs, sanitaryfacilities and cleaning supplies.The proposed project aims to achieve sustainable community development through aholistic approach. The CEPUDO and FFTP strategy focuses on meeting basic needswhile promoting self-management, citizen participation and empowerment. Themethodology is transformative, based on practical experiences and the desire forchange. Community involvement will be prioritized to foster a sense of ownership andparticipation among community members. Our StrategyThis proposal is a Sustainable Community Development (SCD) project. Within theseinterventions, we address vulnerabilities, build on existing assets and promotesustainability. Our projects integrate material or physical interventions and also includesocial and spiritual components based on the unique situation of each community. Permanent employment50% Single income source$134Monthly average incomeper householdInformal labor (5%agriculture)83%3%75%Do not save money80%Believe they would notget creditEconomic empowerment88%Have faith in communitycollaboration to solveproblems43%Express feelings of instabilityor uncertainty regarding theircurrent living situationSocial developmentThere is no presence of formallyorganized community leaders in ElMilagro. Forced displacement leads to adverseeffects on their well-being, includingpsychological distress anduncertainty about the future.The residents of El Milagro areconfronted with economic difficultiesresulting from their nomadic lifestyle,which significantly impacts livelihooddisruption and income generation.
Empower families for economic growth through enhanced financial literacy andmicroenterprise development.Project DescriptionThis project's overarching is to promote the sustainable social and economicdevelopment of 46 families residing in the community of El Milagro, Nacaome,Honduras. The of this phase are:goalspecific objectivesPromote social development and empowerment within the community.Enhance the emotional well-being of youth, children and families.Encourage parental involvement in their children's school education.These objectives will be sought through the following activities:Increased skills of participants to promote communityempowerment, resilience and self-management.Enhanced emotional well-being by promoting copingmechanisms, and fostering a supportive environment.Leadership Committee certified and sworn in by themunicipal government.Enhanced skills of women leaders in self-managementand citizen participation.Improved family and community cohesion throughvalues education.Children's holistic development promoted throughfamily training on Nurturing Care methodology andhealthy habits.Strengthened personal and civic competencies ofyoung people for employment, business skills andcitizenship.Main Components Expected Outcomes SocialDevelopmentCommunityengagement andcapacity buildingLeadership trainingand certificationValues educationand family supportYouth developmentThis project is presented in different phases; the first phase aims to strengthen thebuilding blocks required for long-lasting development, such as communityempowerment. The second phase will present components such as housing, water andsanitation, food security and income generation activities, among others.
ParticipantsThis intervention will benefit 46 families, approximately 184 people in total. They areselected based on various criteria, such as income, family size and willingness toprovide accurate information. The project aims to provide participants with skills forincome generation and financial literacy, as well as promote social development. Bytargeting different groups within the community, the project strives for equity andrepresentation regarding gender, age and ethnicity. Overall, the project aims to provideopportunities for families to improve their current living situation while strengtheningtheir community.Monitoring, Evaluation, Design, Accountability andLearningMEDAL is integral throughout the project and essential to improve futureinterventions' design and ensure project accountability. Therefore, we have created acomprehensive plan, which can be found here.Increased knowledge of personal and family finances.Increased knowledge of financial management formicroenterprises.Strengthened skills of participants to start and managemicroenterprises.Developed knowledge of leaders to create and use thesocial fund and rotating savings groups.Identified the target market, competition and potentialeconomic growth opportunities for families in El Milagro. EconomicEmpowermentFinancial literacy Market assessmentParents engaged in their children's school education,fostering participation in school activities and eventsEducationParenting schoolThe Monitoring, Evaluation, Design, Accountability and Learning (MEDAL) Planinvolves coordinating efforts with the FFTP MEDAL team to conduct regularmonitoring and evaluation activities throughout the project's duration. The team aimsto measure the outcomes of project activities on participating families and assesschanges in their lives.
Project TimelineThe full project timeline can be accessed Project BudgetEl Milagro, Nacaome SCD Budgethere.To gather data, qualitative and quantitative research will be conducted, focusing onkey questions related to poverty reduction, resilience building and community self-sustainability. In this you can access the full report of the qualitative assessment in Spanish, and and an example video summarizing the assessment process in Guatemala with Englishsubtitles here. Additional Informationlink
Click to view more photos of El Milagro, Nacaome.herePictured above is a family from El Milagro, Nacaome, in their home, a zinc-walled structure that isincapable of withstanding strong winds and deemed insecure.