by the Journey to Asylum team
Honduras
What do you know about Honduras, the country of origin of Stefany, Mike and Allesandra, the family in our JTA program?
Honduras is a country in Central America with a coastline along the Atlantic Ocean.
Tegucigalpa is the capital of Honduras. The country is slightly larger than Virginia. The lempira is its currency and has an exchange rate of 1 HNL to 0.04 cents of a dollar. Its population, according to the last census, is 9.905 million people. Honduras has some paradisiac beaches, islands, mountains, green valleys, and in general, a beautiful geography that once was the home of the Mayan civilization.
Xiomara Castro is the newly elected president in Honduras, and the first woman president in the country from the left wing party.
She is committed to fighting corruption and poverty, one of the main reasons for the migration of the Hondurans.
Some facts about Honduras:
- Honduras is world famous for its 3,000-year-old archeological Mayan site – Copán.
- 66% of the population lives in poverty, with less than $3.45/day. 22% live in extreme poverty with less than $1.90/day.
- Baleadas (flour tortillas filled with refried beans, cheese, avocado, crema or meat), carne asada (roasted thin steak), and ceviche are some of the typical foods in Honduras.
- Coffee, bananas, seafood, sugar, and tropical fruits are the main agricultural products.
- 76.2% of the population is literate.
- 88% of the population attended school, 31% reached junior high level.
- Honduras is the second poorest country in Latin America, after Haiti.
- This area inspired the book, The Mosquito Coast, written by Paul Theroux. Later the book was made into a film starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren.
- The Mosquito Coast in Honduras takes its name, not from the insect, but from the Indigenous people, the Miskito, that live in the region.
- Honduras was the first country to ban smoking in your own home.
An Interview with Mike and Stefany
Alinson and Stefany
Honduras
Mike and Stefany are from San Pedro Sula, a city in the northern part of Honduras. Stefany has an older daughter, Alinson, age 12, who is in the care of her maternal grandmother. They miss her very much and hope to bring her over soon, so they can all be together. Stefany has some relatives living in Maryland and NY, and they are very happy they are able to spend time with them once in a while. Both of them love their country and its beautiful geography. They miss their friends and delicious food, but what they miss the most is their families and spending weekends with them. A typical weekend in Honduras was getting together with the extended family, preparing some delicious food, like sopa de res, montucas (a special kind of tamales) or roasted chicken and going on a picnic to the river or the beach.
“Honduras is a beautiful country, and you can find beaches and green spaces to relax and spend time with family and friends. A little bit before coming, I went to visit Santa Rosa de Copán. I knew it was a goodbye trip for me,” Stefany said.
“My family also likes to get together, eat good food, and drink beer. They don’t like to dance, but at Stefany’s house, they don’t drink much, but they like to dance. There is always music. We both love music,” said Mike.
Mike, Stefany & Allesandra
Williamsburg, VA
On a typical day in Williamsburg, Stefany and Mike cook lunch, clean the house, and play with Alessandra. Their days are filled with classes and appointments. They are looking forward to some independence and warmer weather so they can be outside, maybe at a beach having a picnic.
“We are hoping for better days for us, where Mike can work, hopefully in construction which pays well, and I can also have a job. Thank you again for all your help and support. You have been our guardian angels,” said Stefany.
Mike and Stefany hope to stay in the area and continue to be in touch with their WUU friends even once they graduate from the Journey to Asylum program next year.