March 2025 newsletter

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 We Build Smiles for a Healthier Future

As we approach World Oral Health Day, celebrated every March 20, FUNDESUR reaffirms its commitment to promoting healthy habits from early childhood. Through our program "Building Smiles", we carry out community-based initiatives aimed at educating, preventing, and empowering children with the tools they need to take care of their oral health in a practical and sustainable way.

This March, we launched our new cycle of activities at Miguel Paz Barahona Elementary School in Azacualpa, El Triunfo, where 86 children from grades one through three enthusiastically took part in a dynamic and educational session focused on oral hygiene. The children learned about proper brushing techniques, how often to brush, the correct use of a toothbrush, and how to prevent common issues such as cavities and gum disease.

In addition to educational talks, the children engaged in hands-on activities, allowing them to put into practice what they learned and strengthen their personal hygiene skills. Each child received a dental hygiene kit containing a toothbrush, toothpaste, and an educational brochure to take home and continue practicing good habits with their families.

Oral health remains one of the most overlooked areas in underserved communities, yet it is essential for a child’s overall well-being. Untreated dental issues can lead to school absenteeism, chronic pain, difficulty eating, and even low self-esteem.

Through the "Building Smiles" program, we aim to address these issues at the root by instilling lifelong habits at an early age and fostering a culture of self-care. This session in Azacualpa is just the first of many planned visits to rural schools throughout the year, with the goal of delivering health, knowledge, and joy to hundreds of children in southern Honduras.

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Water for Llano Grande, Hope for Everyone

Access to clean water is a basic human need and a fundamental human right. Yet for many rural communities in Honduras, clean, reliable water remains out of reach. One such community is Llano Grande, located in the municipality of El Triunfo, where families have struggled for years with limited or nonexistent access to this essential resource.

In March, FUNDESUR, in collaboration with ADETRIUNF, the local community, and with the participation of the Municipal Mayor, held a community meeting to present the water access project, as part of a transparent and inclusive process to ensure the project's success and sustainability.

During the session, we shared the project’s goals: to guarantee a safe, affordable, sustainable, and non-discriminatory water supply, prioritizing people in vulnerable conditions. The initiative will directly benefit 182 residents who have long endured the daily hardship of living without safe water for drinking, cooking, hygiene, or even small-scale farming.

A key aspect of the meeting was emphasizing the active role of the community in the project’s implementation. At FUNDESUR, we believe that long-term success is only possible when beneficiaries are involved from the start—understanding their responsibilities and becoming agents of their own development. Community members agreed to participate in volunteer work days, oversee the system’s integrity, and promote responsible water usage.

This project is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha and the Humanitarian Foundation of Spanish Rotarians, two long-standing allies who share our belief that access to water is the cornerstone of human dignity and rural development.

This meeting in Llano Grande not only moves us closer to delivering clean water—it brings hope, empowerment, health, and justice to the people who need it most. We will keep working until every family in southern Honduras has access to the safe, reliable water they deserve.