Honduras

The MSC process in Honduras collected stories from the La Paz and Valle regions, although stories were also sourced from other communities where iDE works. 

The criteria used to select stories included the participation and empowerment of the family, challenges and opportunities, strengthening skills, focus on sustainable development and innovations, access to markets, value chains, and the development of business. During the process, the Selection Committee chose one first place story, but also named second and third place stories. 

In first place was the story of a man who raised chickens and grew coffee using climate-smart techniques, and aspired to expand his business. The man’s family played a part in the story, helping him implement climate-smart techniques like making homemade fertilizer and other good agricultural and livestock practices. 

Across countries, the Honduras story selection process placed the most emphasis on the participation of the family. Relative to other countries, storytellers in Honduras were also most likely to discuss environmental themes and the importance of local and organic production, as detailed by this entrepreneur in Honduras, “In my community, it is necessary to have greater support regarding the consumption of the local products that we produce. It is essential to promote the consumption of quality products that are grown in our region instead of opting for lower quality imported products. This would help strengthen the local economy and create a greater sense of community.”

Data collection for this MSC process was done with both Lenca and Mestizo populations separately because of the cultural differences between these groups. The majority of the Honduran population is Mestizo (7), or people with a mixed ethnic background. The Lenca are an indigenous group that live in Honduras and parts of El Salvador. According to Minority Rights Group, the Lenca are the largest indigenous group in Honduras, and live mainly in La Paz, Lempira, Ocotepeque, Comayagua Francisco Morazán, and Intibucá (8).

The Honduras team recognized the majority group consulted (Mestizos) would likely have a distinct lived experience from the indigenous Lenca group, and that the two groups might perceive prosperity in different ways.

Table 2 shows the number of stories analyzed based on ethnicity. 

Given unique geographic and cultural differences, themes in stories varied between Mestizo and Lencan ethnic groups. Figures 15 a - d show differences in Agricultural, GESI, WASH &  Productive Water Use, and Environmental themes across ethnicities.   

For Agricultural themes, Mestizo farmers more frequently discussed animal husbandry, such as cattle, while the Lenca group discussed Horticulture more often. Two thirds of themes relating to GESI were from Lencan storytellers, and represented a broader diversity of gender themes, including Decision Making, Control of Resources, Empowerment, and Women’s Leadership. Relating to WASH &  Productive Water Use, Lenca storytellers were more likely to discuss issues of water quality. In Environmental themes, the Mestizo storytellers put greater emphasis on Climate & Weather Impacts, while the Lencan group more frequently discussed topics related to Natural Resource Management.

7. Honduras, Minority Rights Group, https://minorityrights.org/country/honduras/ 

8. Lenca in Honduras,  Minority Rights Group, https://minorityrights.org/communities/lenca/#:~:text=Lenca%2C%20who%20number%20more%20than,cent%20of%20the%20indigenous%20population.