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Making a Splash

by Ronia

Here in Honduras, most families dedicate some time to go to the beach and enjoy the beautiful ocean. But for us in landlocked Tegucigalpa, it takes between five and eight hours to reach a Caribbean coastal town! And for our scholarship students and their families, who live next to the municipal garbage dump, making that journey is nearly impossible.

So at our Buen Samaritano Family Life Center, we brought some of the ocean experience to our Samaritan Scholars. 

Our scholarship recipients and other children from the community have been enjoying swimming in the pools here at the family life center. They’re super happy, and we’re even happier to see them smile. 

Tegucigalpa, Honduras-city garbage dump

Since they live hours away from the ocean, we brought a beach day to our Samaritan Scholars in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

In Tegucigalpa, water is one of the most common problems we face as residents of the capital, since we don’t have enough. In this community, one of the projects we value most, and which we have thanks to International Samaritan, is the water system which brings clean, fresh water to 2,000 people.

Water is so important to us that we’ll be sure it isn’t wasted! Once the kids get tired of swimming, the water will be used in the restrooms for the toilets. But first, we get to see them happily enjoy time in the pools. 

Tegucigalpa, Honduras-city garbage dump

In 2023, with the help of generous donors, a 20,000-gallon water tower was built that brought clean water to 400 homes and more than 2,000 people. You can read more about the water system on our blog: intsam.org/a-day-without-water.

International Samaritan is a Christ-centered organization built on Catholic Social Teaching. Our mission is to walk hand-in-hand with people who live and work in the garbage dumps of developing nations to help them break out of poverty.

We provide holistic scholarships for students from kindergarten through college, and we’re currently supporting nearly 1,000 scholars in Central America, the Caribbean, and East Africa.

Would your church or school group like to partner and travel with us? Learn about our Learn, Serve, Grow program.

Empower our scholars to change their lives. Become a monthly supporter.

Ronia Romero, Honduras Program Director

Ronia serves as International Samaritan’s Program Director in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. She has a degree in Foreign Languages from the Universidad Autonoma of Honduras. For many years, she has dedicated herself to expanding opportunities for children, adolescents, and adults who work in the Tegucigalpa municipal dump.

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