Life is not easy for mothers like Kendy. She lives in the El Buen Samaritano community next to the city garbage dump in Teguicgalpa, Honduras. Here, most of the homes are led by single women.* 

After losing her job and not being able to find another one, Kendy has worked under the sun and rain among mountains of garbage, searching in the dumpsite for something to recycle, something to sell, or even something to eat for herself and her daughters. 

Despite all the difficulties, Kendy never gave up. She always wanted to have her own business. Until the recent business training programs, in partnership with Mentors International, that felt like a dream.

Today, Kendy has started her own small business. She sells food, including delicious cheese and pork pupusas. Her business is called La Bendición, which means a blessing from God. This opportunity is a blessing for Kendy and her family as it is a path out of the garbage dump.

Kendy is no longer working in the garbage dump, and she’s also managed to make small improvements to her home. One of her daughters, Charlotte, is continuing her studies as a Samaritan Scholar. Charlotte is also a student in our brand-new English class held at the family life center. 

Kendy had to drop out of school in the sixth grade to help support her family. With that level of education, it’s nearly impossible to get a decent-paying job in a country where jobs are scarce.

The entrepreneurship training has filled the gap for Kendy and many women with similar stories. We’re so grateful for the support for these mothers. The best pupusas I’ve ever eaten are those made by Kendy!

*According to the National Commissioner for Human Rights approximately 38% of households in Honduras are headed by women. In Kendy’s community, that number jumps to 80%. About 980,000 are single-parent mothers in Honduras. Back in 1988, women headed only 21% of households, nationally. 

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.

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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.