The Americas and Caribbean : Honduras

Village Health Banks – Project HOPE’s Village Health Bank program began in Tegucigalpa, Honduras in 1993, one of the first programs to integrate health education with microcredit. Since that time, Project HOPE has provided more than 10,000 women in Honduras and their families with access to credit and health education. Today, Project HOPE has Village Health Banks in Tegucigalpa, Santa Barbara, La Paz, and Choluteca. In 2002, in response to the requests of participants, Project HOPE added anti-domestic violence education and support to the VHB program, coordinating with local specialized organizations.

HIV/AIDS  – Project HOPE’s HIV/AIDS activities focus on the city of San Pedro Sula and the surrounding areas.  The project seeks to combat rising HIV infection rates through education and to improve comprehensive HIV/AIDS care by providing technical assistance to the Ministry of Health and local organizations.  Project HOPE has worked to improve the infrastructure, management and quality of care offered by a hospital-based AIDS clinic, an effort now being replicated by the MOH in other clinic settings. 

Care & Support for People Living with HIV/AIDS (COMCAVI) –The goal of this program is to improve the level of home care received by PLWHA, reduce transmission of HIV/AIDS via education, reduce stigma and discrimination due to unfounded fears about the methods of transmission and care of patients.  HOPE is providing preventive, care, and support services to PLWHA, their families, and the communities in the cities of San Pedro Sula and El Progreso. Learn More....

Timeline

1982	–	Project HOPE works to strengthen medical and nursing training at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras (UNAH)
1987	–	Project HOPE begins a Child Health Training program for Health Professionals
1988	–	Project HOPE begins the first of three consecutive Child Survival programs, the last of which ends in 1999
1993	–	one of the original Village Health Bank (VHB) programs begins
1998	–	The VHB program successfully completes the transition into a self-funded program
1998	–	Project HOPE responds to Hurricane Mitch, shipping over $2 million worth of medicines and establishing some of the first temporary shelters
1999	–	A domestic violence and human rights component is added to the successful Village Health Bank program
2002	–	Project HOPE begins an HIV/AIDS clinic and Home-Based Care program in San Pedro Sula
2005	–	Communicating Change for Life program launches, an HIV/AIDS education initiative for people living with the disease
2006	–	Nearly $2 million in humanitarian assistance is sent in response to the hurricane season