Hello everyone! Today we are focusing on the at-risk youth of Honduras.
The last few days have been a bit hectic and there have been a few roadblocks along the way, but the newsletter is finally here! To make up for the delay, I have prepared a long and full newsletter for all of you. I'm also happy to introduce Amy aka Motyko to the team! The art featured in the story is by her, and hopefully, you'll be reading more from Amy in the coming issues.
Thanks everyone and happy reading!
Jorge Paz Reyes
English Content Editor
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🗞️Keren and the holes in the safety net
📽️With the light | A conversation with the Director, Laura Bermudez
🗞 Recommended Articles: Child Labor in the U.S
🌟Modyko: our newest volunteer and featured artist!
🗞 Other translated articles from ContraCorriente English
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Art by: Motyko
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September: El Dia del Niño 🤖
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This month, on September 10th, Honduras celebrated el Dia del Niño, Children’s Day, a holiday that is heavily emphasized throughout Latin America.
At my school in Honduras, it was a senior project to make piñatas for the lower grades to celebrate Children's Day. I vividly remember going to bed excited for the holiday, while my sister stayed up all night making a piñata, which I happily destroyed the next morning.
The date varies from country to country -in Mexico, it's celebrated on April 30, and in Argentina on August 18 -but throughout the region, communities come together to celebrate with piñatas, toy giveaways, and school activities. The social value placed on youth is enormous, or at least that is what the holiday tries to achieve.
In Honduras, the value societal and cultural value of children is even ingrained in the constitution, and there is Child Protection Laws that are in place to ensure that “our” children are protected. Sadly as we dig deeper into the lives of children at the hands of the government the reality is that many of them do not receive the proper assistance to live a happy and dignified life.
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Keren and the holes in the safety net
Last July, the problems of the Honduran Institute of Infants, Adolescents and Families (DINAF) came to light after the death of Keren, a one-year-old girl who was taken from her parents due to signs of malnutrition. Three months later, while in State custody, Keren died. In an interview, Keren's mother said there were signs of sexual abuse, and the case became a national scandal.
Later, the forensic doctors ruled out sexual abuse and said that the cause of death was malnutrition. Keren's family and the public still wonder how the state allowed Keren to die after three months in their custody.
Well, the problem lies in the fact that Honduras does not have a functioning child protection system, or at least not anymore.
In Honduras, the government's version of child welfare, DINAF, works in conjunction with charitable organizations and outsources responsibility centers known as IRCA (Instituciones Residenciales de Cuidado Alternativo). However, these centers receive minimal support and oversight from the state. The center that received Keren was not even on the official list of IRCAs working with DINAF.
According to Suyapa Sabillon, a lawyer specializing in family law, in 2014 former President Orlando Hernandez changed the system so that NGOs could provide special protection services with government funds. However, Sabillon explained that not all child protection centers have an agreement with the state, so not all centers receive funding. One of the centers that did not receive funding was the one Keren was taken into.
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Maria Iris Rios, director of "Hogar Amor y Vida," an NGO that does receive government funding, explained that government aid is not enough. The only way to keep such centers open is with international support, Rios stressed.
“The worst thing that could happen to a child in this country is to fall into the hands of the government”,
María Iris Ríos, Director at Hogar Amor y Vida
The situation in Honduras is dire, the future of the nation seems to be in the hands of a broken system.
According to UNICEF, 500,000 children are forced to work because of poverty. A 2022 study conducted by UNICEF found that 42 percent of young respondents said they were planning to leave the country to find opportunities; 19.4 percent thought they would have opportunities but didn't find them attractive; and 17.8 percent would have to do some kind of work to survive. Only 11.4 percent of the youth surveyed believe they will be able to realize their dreams.
In addition, according to the Ministry of Health, 71,622 girls and adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 will give birth between 2020 and 2022. Many of these pregnancies are the result of sexual abuse. It is estimated that 7 out of 10 girls will become pregnant. In light of this, President Xiomara Castro vetoed a bill that proposed sex education in schools to prevent pregnancies, the veto was made public after mass protests by pro-life movements.
The reality is that children are not a priority in Honduras. Like many other aspects of society, the symbolic value is there, but the institutional support and systems are not. The story of Keren is one that can be found throughout Honduras and will continue to exist if the government does not properly support the centers that care for these children.
🌎 Read the full story of Keren here
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The reality is that in Honduras, the government has never played a major role in protecting children.
The efforts for the protection of children and their rights were initiated in the 1960s by a legendary nun, a woman who dedicated 70 years of her life to the protection of Honduran children. This woman was Sister Maria Rosa Leggol.
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With This Light is a documentary that follows the impact of her efforts and highlights the contribution that Sister Maria Rosa Leggol has made to the youth of Honduras.
The film follows the story of two teenagers, Rosa and Maria, who live in one of Sister Maria Rosa's homes. These two adolescents exemplify the reality of the challenges they face in Honduras. Throughout the film, Rosa deals with her violent childhood and her journey as she prepares to take her college entrance exam. Meanwhile, we follow Maria (14) as she tries to escape the cycle of poverty and violence by completing her high school education and balancing her role as a "wife" with her newly found boyfriend.
The film premiered in Honduras in May and then traveled to the United States. The film made it to select screens in major cities across the U.S.
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A Conversation with Co-Director Laura Bermudez
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I had the opportunity to go to a screening in NYC and connect with one of the directors, Laura Bermúdez, a born and raised Honduran, filmmaker, and cultural activist. Laura has been in the film and production world for more than five years and has several awards for her amazing documentaries and short films multiple times.
The With This Light U.S. Tour took Laura across the country, visiting 5 different cities: Houston, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, and New Orleans. I was curious to learn more about her overall impressions and experiences interacting with the Honduran diaspora.
Luckily, I was able to get in touch with Laura, and last week we zoomed in to talk about her month-long tour.
On her tour, Laura met with a variety of people, many of them academics, people involved in the film industry, community organizers, and more. However, I was interested in her interaction with the Honduran diaspora.
At my request, Laura took me through her encounters with various Honduran personalities, some of them famous and wealthy, others established hard-working migrants, and recently arrived migrants.
In Houston, for example, Laura told me how this woman came up to her after the premiere and told her that this was her story. She was an orphan in Honduras and went through similar things to the protagonists of the documentary. She immigrated to Houston and became an immigration lawyer. She now helps migrants seeking asylum because of domestic violence.
In New Orleans, she also met many first-generation Honduran migrants, and scholars, who she said were the ones pushing for more recognition. In particular, she talked about how a group of students at Tulane University pushed for a community screening of the documentary.
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Co-Directors Nicole Bernadi-Reis (left) and Laura Bermudez (right) with Sor Maria Rosa. Photo | With This Light
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Then Laura introduced me to famous Honduran personalities that I did not know existed.
At the Los Angeles premiere (of course), Laura said she met a number of prominent Hondurans. Among them was Jeffrey Peñalva, a.k.a. "Trooko," a Honduran-born, LA-based music producer with several Latin GRAMMYs under his belt. He has worked with artists and projects such as Residente, Hamilton the Musical, and Bad Bunny. Honduran actress Francia Raisa was also there (I must have known she was Honduran because of Grownish, not because she gave her kidney to Selena Gomez).
In New York, Laura met other Honduran personalities such as renowned music producer and content creator, Marco Matute and music composer and artist, Jose Giddel Alvarado. I have to admit that I was fangirling hard when I learned about all these super-talented Honduran personalities.
After going from city to city and personality to personality, Laura circled back to the main point of the film.
With this Light was produced by a “Latina Powerhouse” as Laura described her, Jessica Sarowitz, a Honduran migrant, businesswoman, and philanthropist dedicated to advancing BIPOC leadership and helping vulnerable groups in Honduras.
The central idea of the film was to highlight the initiatives of an iconic Honduran nun who went above and beyond to help the most vulnerable in her community. A Honduran with a persistent spirit that changed the way things worked despite the odds.
Talking to Laura was refreshing. There are many things that need to be fixed in and outside of Honduras, especially things related to our future and the youth. But seeing the diaspora growing and following the example of figures like Sor Maria reassures me that our future is not as doomed as it seems.
🌎Interested in learning more With This Light, perhaps watching or doing a community screening? Check out their website here.
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Recommended Articles 🗞: Central American Migrant Children in the US
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The situation in Honduras and the Central American region has forced many young people to migrate to the United States. But are their lives better in the United States? A New York Times investigation found that migrant children, most of them from Central America, work long hours in factories to support their families back home and pay their rent.
Check out the investigation and related articles here:
🌎 Alone and Exploited, Migrant Children Work Brutal Jobs Across the U.S
🌎 As Migrant Children Were Put to Work, U.S. Ignored Warnings
🌎 Tyson and Perdue Are Facing Child Labor Investigations
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In other news 🌟: Our Newest and Coolest Team Member!
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I'm excited to announce our newest and coolest team member, Amy, aka Motyko 🎉🥳!
Here is her bio!
Motyko is a Honduran-Cuban American multidisciplinary artist from Miami, FL. Motyko’s artistic process is rooted in her personal experiences growing up in a mixed-status family. She utilizes collage, zines, poetry and film to call out injustices endured by immigrant and racialized communities. Motyko’s work explores diasporic identity, transnational migration, and historical memory. Through her multidisciplinary practice, Motyko calls on us to dream/build with her, a world better and more just than our current one. Motyko's work is guided by the belief in building with, not for her people.
Motyko will be contributing to the newsletter from now on, so you can appreciate her art! But feel free to check out her individual projects here
Here is some of her amazing art:
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🗞 Check out the latest articles from CC English!
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Message from the editor!
Interested in collaborating or participating in El Boletin/CC English?
Feel free to contact us at CCenglish@contracorriente.red
Abrazos,
Jorge Paz Reyes
English Content Editor
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