For children to attend school in Honduras, their families must pay for uniforms and other materials, forcing them to choose between basic survival needs and sending children to school. We believe education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty.
With our sponsorship program, we are removing barriers to offer children the opportunity for an education.
Our sponsorship program provides scholarships for all children in the El Carrizo community who attend elementary and middle school and advance each year. We also provide scholarships to high school students who pursue certified technical degrees that lead to meaningful work.
When we walked through El Carrizo the first time, we noticed there were no books. Young kids were not being read to and older kids had no books to read. We sent down boxes of books and created a lending library in a local church.
We soon learned that was not enough. In 2015, we built Aprende Conmigo (Come Learn With Me), a community learning center that is making a lasting impact on local families. Aprende Conmigo is home to essential programs to carry out our mission.
The first official use of Aprende Conmigo was a preschool. We hired our first employee, a native Honduran with an education degree, and brought her to the United States for training at local preschools. Today, students are entering school prepared to succeed.
There were very few children attending middle school when we started. Most children had dropped out of school, and there was no local school, making it almost impossible for parents to send their children if they wanted to continue. Our middle school in Aprende Conmigo keeps these children in school, getting them closer to reaching their dreams.
Sharefish provided sewing machines and instructions for mothers in El Carrizo, and these classes are held in one of the rooms in Aprende Conmigo. These women can now make clothes for their families and make products to sell. Sharefish volunteers even bring napkins back to sell here in the United States.
Aprende Conmigo has become a hub for community education. Health education classes, tutoring and computer classes are commonplace. In the fall of 2024, Sharefish is partnering with BlessBack to hold micro-business entrepreneurial training, equipping families with more ways to make their dreams come true.
