Honduras is the largest country in Central America. Honduras is a rural country with well over half of the population living in the sparsely populated rural regions. Ranking next to Haiti and Nicaragua, Honduras is the third poorest country in the region. About 75% of Honduras’ 8 million citizens live in poverty, meaning they are unable to meet their most basic needs. Of this percentage, 56% of those poverty stricken people live in rural towns. As in Guatemala, education is, in theory, free of charge. However, the quality of public education is appalling and constant labor and political strife has left the normal school year with only 100 days of the required 200 days of classroom studies. Private education alternatives are far beyond most of the population’s reach.
This of course has a drastic effect on the future for the over 4 million Hondurans that are under 19 years of age. Malnutrition rates for children in Honduras exceed 26%. There are over 300,000 children suffering from extreme malnutrition. The Riecken community libraries offer a community center in 53 rural Honduran communities. The library featured in the sidebar is just one example of how Riecken’s work can bring about change in a community.
Sulaco, Yoro
Las Pilas, Sulaco, Yoro
San Antonio, Yoro
Concepción de María, Choluteca
Yuscarán, El Paraíso
La Libertad, Comayagua
Esquías, Comayagua
Minas de Oro, Comayagua
San Luis, Comayagua
El Guante, Francisco Morazán
Sta. María de La Paz, La Paz
Lejamaní, Comayagua
Llano de la Virgen, Intibucá
San José del Potrero, Comayagua
El Porvenir, Francisco Morazán
Nueva Morolica, Choluteca
San Lucas, El Paraíso
San Antonio de Flores, El Paraíso
El Tular, Valle
Jacaleapa, El Paraíso
Yorito, Yoro
Guatemalita, Francisco Morazán
Tatumbla, Francisco Morazán
Cedros, Francisco Morazán
San Jerónimo, Comayagua
San José de La Paz, La Paz
Florida, Opatora, La Paz
San Antonio del Playón, Ajuterique, Comayagua
Santa Cruz de Yojoa, Cortés
Santa Ana, La Paz
Guajiquiro, La Paz
Rancho Grande, Comayagua
Guacamaya, Progreso, Yoro
Namasigue, Choluteca
Cuyalí, El Paraíso
San Matías, El Paraíso
Duyure, Choluteca
Hoya Grande, Morocelí, El Paraíso
Maraita, Francisco Morazán
San Francisco de Cones, Sensenti, Ocotepeque
Nueva Ocotepeque, Ocotepeque
San Pedro, Copán
San Juan Planes, Copán
Dulce Nombre, Copán
Naranjito, Santa Bárbara
Flor del Campo, Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán
Gualala, Santa Bárbara
Santa Cruz Cuchilla, Santa Bárbara
Santa Cruz, El Níspero, Santa Bárbara
San Vicente, Centenario, Santa Bárbara
Atima, Santa Bárbara
La Alianza, San José de Colinas, Santa Bárbara
Copán Ruinas, Copán Ruinas