Caballo de Piedra
The community of Caballo de Piedra is located two hours from El Progreso in the mountains bordering the Sula Valley. This isolated community is over an hour from the nearest town with electricity and supermarkets. Caballo de Piedra (CDP) has very little resources and was hit hard after the two back-to-back hurricanes in 2020, losing many personal belongings and employment.
Economy
The job opportunities in CDP are scarce and seasonal. Most men work part-time in agriculture, primarily with coffee, beans and corn. Women often do not have the opportunity to work at all. Through the start of a new cattle business, H&H is providing 18 jobs to the community for both men and women. We now have 45 cattle within the community, and men can both work directly with the cattle year-round, as well as work fields to create cattle feed.
Infrastructure
The majority of homes are made of wood and mud. Some have even been constructed out of plastic bottles filled with mud – while extremely resourceful, this wears away quickly especially in an area that receives a lot of rain. The community still lacks electricity, but our team did install solar panels in May 2023. Now, each family has 1-2 lightbulbs in their home and the ability to power small items like a phone.
Our goal is to install electricity by the end of 2023 - join us with the link here!
Health
Before the partnership of H&H, the community’s main source of water came from a nearby river. This caused lot of health issues, including parasites. To solve this issue, we installed a water tank to provide improved running water to the entire community.
Chronic illnesses have been very common in CDP and the nearest healthcare facility is very far away. Now, we are providing weekly medical consultations with our doctors on staff and have built a very small but functioning health clinic with some basic medications.
Education
Currently, students of all ages and grades are learning together in a one-room schoolhouse with just one teacher. Very few children complete 6th grade. To attend secondary school, students have to travel two hours (each way) by two different buses. The elevated cost of this secondary school makes the decision to send children even more difficult.
Community + Leadership
Despite all these hardships CDP faces, they are a very united community that has existed for around sixty years. They have a community fund where they come together to save money for community needs. Our team is partnering with their board of directors (Patronato Board) to support them in leadership.
Partnership
Our next step in partnering with CDP is installing electricity in the community. Future plans include improving the school and education, as well as increasing work opportunities for both men and women. Ensuring home and road improvements throughout the community is also a priority, along with developing healthcare access.
MEET THE FAMILIES IN CABALLO DE PIEDRA:
