Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere. And among the poorest of the poor in Honduras are the Lenca Indians.
During the Covid pandemic and lockdown, one of our directors, Luis Vega, made several trips to the Lenca villages of El Duraznal and Guajiquiro to bring them food parcels. The Society of the Good Shepherd also bought large quantities of blackberries and peaches from the people, which we resold in the cities. This helped the people of these Lenca villages to survive at a time when almost all markets were shut down.
During these trips, Luis brought his daughter Nancy with him, who helped pack and distribute the food parcels. While she was there, she began contemplating and praying about ways to help the people economically once the pandemic was over. She spoke with a missionary sister, Pascuala Martinez, and a local pastor, Jesus Corea, about the matter. They came up with the vision of providing the Lenca women with sewing machines and teaching them to sew. Both Pascuala and her husband, Alex Martinez, have worked as tailors to sustain themselves as missionaries. In fact, they were Society loan recipients back in 2003.
The Society furnished the ministry team with a heavy-duty sewing machine that they use for training the women, together with transportation funds and an initial supply of fabric. The team is working specifically with non-Christian Lenca women (and some men). This is so they can both teach them to sew and also share the gospel with them. Nancy has also received financial assistance from some churches in the U.S. and in Honduran cities, which has enabled the team to purchase used sewing machines in Honduras to use in this ministry. Some of the Lenca areas are so remote that they do not have reliable electricity, so ten of the machines are equipped with manual foot pedals. We do not give the trainees the sewing machines. Rather, the machines are kept at the local churches, and the trainees are given free access to the machines.
Since the project has started, Alex and Pascuala (and their two children), along with Nancy, have made numerous trips to these remote areas to deliver the sewing machines and to provide basic training. The group travels on the very bumpy, poorly maintained dirt roads to reach their destinations. They can usually combine two villages in one weekend.
In the villages of Guascotoro and Guajiquiro, they have now instructed a total of 16 women at the local churches. In El Duraznal, they have trained 15 men and women. The ministry team works in tandem with the churches in each town. Each person who comes for training receives a basic sewing kit and lessons on how to use the sewing machines. Some women walked two hours to receive the training. They are definitely eager to learn!
The trainees have been practicing making bed covers and pillowcases, for which there is a local market. They are also perfecting sewing in straight lines. In addition, they are using recycled used clothing to make feminine pads and other items that are hard to obtain at reasonable prices in such rural locations. With fabric, thread, and a sewing machine, the possibilities are endless.
The Society plans to continue to support this sewing project by providing more sewing machines and fabric, and by covering transportation costs. Please pray for this ministry and for Pascuala Martinez, who is presently battling cancer.
Julie Nyhoff de Valladares
The Society of the Good Shepherd, P. O. Box 122, Amberson, PA 17210 • (717) 349-7033
Click on the following link if you would care to make a donation to the work in Honduras: Honduras Donations