The challenge

Poverty hangs over Honduras, affecting over 70 per cent of the population—with more than 45 per cent of people living in extreme poverty. Rural areas in the western, eastern and central regions of Honduras are more drastically affected, with households earning less than the absolute poverty line of $1.90 per day per person.

A significantly high unemployment rate, compounded by limited employment opportunities, a lack of affordable financial services for small farmers and business owners, and shocks related to climate change, like drought and natural disasters, are pushing Hondurans to leave the country in droves.

The solution

Despite a global slowdown in the supply chain, increased costs of production and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, farmers—especially women—played a vital role in transforming their communities with help from World Vision’s Transforming Household Resilience in Vulnerable Environments (THRIVE) project. 

The project was implemented between 2020 and 2022, with a goal to help 14,000 vulnerable rural families living in the western and eastern regions of Honduras provide for 40,000 children. We focused on helping people dramatically increase their household incomes, equipping them to sustainably progress out of poverty and into prosperity. 

We addressed underlying causes of vulnerability and helped improve household and community resilience to external factors like fluctuating market prices and climate change.

We also worked with partners and savings groups to stockpile agricultural supplies and tools. We helped farmers increase their coffee crop yields to unprecedented numbers. And empowered women to take a more significant role in coffee growing and selling—a typically male-dominated field.

The impact

Thanks to THRIVE interventions:

• Farmers sold 1,123 tons of coffee to earn $79,042—with women producers accounting for 61 per cent of the earnings.
• Women made up nearly 59 per cent of the coffee producers who sold their products in the local market.
• 776 farmers received technical assistance, including 314 who learned about topics such as climate-smart farming; soil, pest and disease management; and crop spacing.
• More than 377 producers used seeds that were tolerant of climate variability.
• Program participants prepared 49,300 seedlings for reforestation and set aside $27,393 in savings to manage emergencies.