Garifuna projects based on mutual cooperation

By SUZANNE SHENDE

Special to HTW(Last of two parts) TRUJILLO - The approach of the Comite de Emergencia Garifuna is not to simply donate: all the projects are designed so that the participants have to contribute back, and to foster cooperation, sustainable development and self-sufficiency. The people who lost houses, for instance, had to contribute an assistant and raw materials for the building of their house. 

Likewise, the participants in the agricultural program are not only on the receiving end: they too must give back to the program to make it perpetuate itself. When their plants are producing, each farmer must return a certain portion of the seeds they received, which will be redistributed to other farmers. Farmers and fishermen alike must give a part of their harvest, when there is abundance, back to the program. 

What is not donated to the sick or elderly can be used in another of the pioneering projects of the Comite, the children's breakfast program. According to an official in the province's educational office, the children's breakfast program run by the Comite in the Kindergarten America in Trujillo is the only free, complete daily meal program in the country. Whether or not it is one-of-a-kind, it has been a great success. In this public kindergarten, the Comite provides a hot, nutritious breakfast everyday. The Comite feeds the minds as well as the bodies of the children with regular workshops, ranging from hygiene and health issues to culture and land concerns.

Educational workshops take place outside the kindergarten, too, with seminars, from medicinal plants to human rights under Covenant 169 of the International Labor Organization. Along with the seeds, plants and tools, people in the towns requested training in improved farming methods. Workshops on several topics were provided. To help towns in their production of cassava, the bread made from manioc, the Comite has helped with mechanical grinders in three towns, whether in repair, or in construction of the building that house them. 

In the struggle to survive on their ancestral lands, the Garifuna have had to confront not only challenges of natural disasters, but also human threats even more dangerous. The Garifuna coastal lands are under threat by "invaders," whether they be large landowners, cattle ranchers, or indiscriminate tourist development without inclusion of the local population. The Comite has supported various communities in defending their human rights, including when the Congress attempted to change the Constitutional protection for coastal lands, articulated in Article 107, just one month after Mitch. The 1999 peaceful march in the capital expressing opposition to this Constitutional change was met by live bullets and teargas on the part of the police and authorities, leading to the hospitalization of 18 of the marchers. The government then filed a baseless criminal suit against Garifuna, indigenous and farmers' leaders, which was later dropped due to local and international pressure. 

Even in the face of teargas, bullets, and violent police, the Garifuna remain firm in protecting their ancestral lands, since it is often the only major material asset that many Garifuna towns have, the legacy one generation has to pass along to the next. The confrontations, however, are not only in the capital of Tegucigalpa. In 1999, the residents of Vallecito had already experienced attempts on their lives, and an invasions their legally titled lands by the tractors and bull dozers of Miguel Facusse, who is one of the largest landowners on the north coast and uncle to the President. 

In September of that year, the house of leader Lombardo Lacayo, with his companion and four children inside, was firebombed. It burned to the ground: thankfully no one was hurt. The residents of Vallecito, like those of other towns, continue to battle for their rights through the courts, the National Agrarian Institute and other legal avenues, with the support of the Comite. In a conflict that is still ongoing, the Comite is providing assistance to the residents of Iriona Viejo and surrounding communities, who are struggling to protect the environment, their water supply, and their agricultural fields from an illegal highway, built through mountainous communal lands, to Sico.

This highway, built without the legally required municipal and environmental permits, runs above the water reservoirs of 11 towns, deforested swaths of woods, and destroyed people's fields. Those that are building the highway have arrived armed, although they have failed to come to dialogues arranged by the mayor: he himself has received threats. These particular challenges are recent, but the Garifuna have long faced economic and political marginalization, perhaps since their arrival 204 years ago, when colonial wars forced them out of the Caribbean island of St. Vincent. Their towns are served by the poorest of roads, and the work of the Comite is made doubly difficult with the bridgeless rivers, the high tide where the beach is the only road, and mud so deep that even four wheel drive vehicles become trapped. However, no obstacle stops people like Sotera Martinez, 67, and Seferina Alvarez, 58, who get up before the sun, walk two hours to work in their fields, and carry the fruits of their labor back in a heavy bundle suspended around their foreheads, a heavy load of firewood on their heads. Like them, the Comite tries to let no obstacle stop their work, including the recent storms, #15 and Michelle.

In the future, the projects and the defense of the land will continue, and the Comite intends to expand its work with diverse crops that have been requested by the farmers, such as ginger, sweet manioc root, cocoa, bananas and other fruit trees. The Comite will carry out related training, including teaching people to graft trees themselves, so that they can become a source for grafted fruit trees. With the goal of advancing self-sufficiency, the Comite will assist in commercializing their crops, including the opening of a market in Trujillo where farmers will be able to sell products, like cassava, directly to consumers and to retailers. 

In addition to the very concrete accomplishments of the Comite, it is achieving more intangible goals as well. It serves as an example of a group trying to work in a democratic, participatory, open, transparent manner, supporting communities which are working collectively and cooperatively. It encourages direct participation (especially amongst women), self-organization, and people to speak up for themselves concerning development and defense of their rights. It focuses on the neediest people, and respects the richness of the Garifuna culture.

Seferina Alvarez, a farmer in the Trujillo tool bank explained, "The people in the Comite pay attention to people. I like their way of doing things, and how they treat people. The Comite does important things, works hard, and works well. They really mobilize people. They take everyone's opinion into consideration, and they listen to people like me. They know that communication is important. I feel proud because they take me into account. This project helps us prevent the loss of our culture, too. My granddaughter Zaida now goes with me to the fields on Saturdays, so that she learns from me. My other granddaughter, Karen, knows how to make cassava bread. Otherwise, we will lose our culture. "If you would like more information, contact the Comite de Emergencia Garifuna de Honduras at tel/fax 434- 4438 or e-mail: afro@hondutel.hn

pie de foto
htw3  Participants in the Comite's project in Barranco Blanco water coconut seeds, which will replace those lost to the Lethal Yellowing Disease.


htw4 The children of Ciriboya help to unload the grafted orange trees provided by the Comite de Emergencia Garifuna.

Intestinal parasite have natural cures 

By WENDY GRIFFIN

After disasters like Hurricane Michelle, the first thing people ask for is medicine because of the effects of contaminated water. Medical brigades come to help usually, although since September there have been almost none due to the travel scare after the attack on the World Trade Center.

When these brigades come I am ambivalent. It is wonderful that people are willing to take time off from their work, pay their own expenses, and come and help poor people. Much of what they do is de-worming. This lasts until the next glass of un-boiled water they drink. Does anyone ever ask what did people do before the foreigners came in to help in? Are medical brigades fostering dependence on foreign medicine when the cures grow here in Honduras?

I asked people what they did, and most people give the same answer. The Pech, the Garifunas, and the Bay Islanders say when they were young their parents gave them apazote (worm weed, in Bay Islands English) every three months. This was a good thing to do, because according to Common Medicinal Plants of Honduras published by the UNAH, apazote or epazote kills five out of six kinds of intestinal worms.

The only kind of intestinal worm it does not kill is tape worm. What you need to kill tape worm are pumpkin or squash seeds. Ladinos near the El Salvador border are used to using dried, mashed up pumpkin seeds in a dish called "atol chuco". You need to eat a lot of pumpkin seeds, half a pound to be sure the tape worm is dead.

I have tried boiling the squash/pumpkin or ayote that grows on the North Coast. After eating pumpkin and the seeds about 1 1/2 hour later it feels like there is a war going on in your intestines. To make sure you got rid of the tape worm and it does not grow back, it is recommended that about 4 hours after you eat the squash seeds you take something to clean out your insides like castor oil or aceite de castor. This is sold at medicinal plant stands.

You can mix this with something else like orange juice or ginger tea to get around the taste and texture of the castor oil.
Another common intestinal parasite in Honduras is the amoeba. I have been the at-home test for amoebas, you have to drink milk and if it immediately causes you to bloat up with gas, then it is amoebas. Worms are more likely to move around making it hard to go to sleep at night. Sometimes the movement feels like machine gun fire rat-tat-tat in one place. Then you know it is worms. Many people have both.

The traditional cure that is effective against amoebas is canafistula. This is a long black seed pod that is sold in medicinal plant stands and often grows in people's yards. The recipe in common Medicinal Plants of Honduras is to open it up and make a drink like horchata of the pulp. The Garífuna's way is simply to open up the canafistula and eat it.

Canafistula like castor oil, is a "purgante." This means you will want to be close to a bathroom as this medicine is proven to clean out your system.

The recommended "purgante" by midwives for babies is chichimora, a seed pod that is sold in medicinal plant stands. Grate half the seed until you have one teaspoon. Add to this one cup of warm water. This is put on a cloth and the baby sucks on it. Garifunas use honey with this, but the use of honey with very young babies is problematic. Whether chichimora kills everything or just washes the insides has not yet been tested.

While diarrhea can be caused by intestinal parasites, another common cause is bacteria. To control diarrhea, boil cinnamon sticks until you have a strong tea. Drink it. Pregnant women should avoid cinnamon tea as it can cause miscarriages.
Another common cure is guayaba leaves. Make a tea with leaves. Boil in a liter of milk. Drink half a cup a day for two days. This leaf kills the bacteria that causes dysentery.

Reportedly drinking the juice of two bitter oranges will also stop the diarrhea. I also recommend drinking the bitter orange leaf tea, a wide spectrum antibiotic, together with this.

CULTURAL EVENTS  

MUSEUMS & GARDENS

TEGUCIGALPA 

MUSEO DE HISTORIA REPUBLICANA

The Museum of Republican History is located at the Villa Roy building in Tegucigalpa's Barrio Buenos Aries.  It is open 8:30 to 3:30, Tuesdays through Sundays and features portraits, paraphernalia, and other interesting items from past presidents.  Admission is Lps. 20 for non-resident foreigners and Lps. 10 for Hondurans and Central Americans.  For more information, call 222-3470 or 222-1468. 

CENTRAL BANK MUSEUM

The Central Bank of Honduras located at the Comayaguela annex building is open from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday.  It has a permanent coin and painting exhibit.  For special presentations, call the Emision y Tesoreria department at 237-2270 (-78), ext. 2117 (-2120). [CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.] 

NATIONAL ART GALLERY

The Galeria Nacional de Arte features rock art, pre-Columbian ceramics, colonial paintings, religious art and a wide selection of 20th century Honduran painters.  The gallery is located at the Plaza de la Merced in downtown Tegucigalpa.  It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10-5 p.m. and Sunday from 10-2 p.m.  Admission is Lps. 10 for adults, Lps. 5 for senior citizens, Lps. 3 for students and Lps. 1 for children accompanied by adults. 

IGUANA FARM

The Biosfera Ecocentro Iguana Farm in Colonia La Joya invites the public to come and learn everything about iguanas.  Admission is Lps. 5 for adults, Lps. 3 for children.  The facility is open every day (except Wednesday) from 9 to 5.  For more information, call 230-6346.

COMAYAGUA, COMAYAGUA 

COMAYAGUA MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY

Located in the city of Comayagua, two hours north of Tegucigalpa, the Comayagua Museum of Archaeology is in the building that served as the seat of government in the 19th century.  Exhibits include prehistoric fossils, cave art, ceramics, and objects used by indigenous cultures during the pre-Colombian era.  The museum, which also has a small library, is open to the public Tuesdays through Sundays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

COMAYAGUA RELIGIOUS MUSEUM

Located in the Casa Cural in front of Comayagua's cathedral, this museum features religious paintings and objects dating back to the 16th century.  Hours are 8-12 and 2-4 p.m., Mondays through Fridays.  For more information, contact Leonardo Letona at 772-0348.

LA PAZ, LA PAZ 

LA PAZ HOUSE OF CULTURE

The La Paz Casa de la Cultura is located in downtown La Paz.  It features an attractive exhibit of the Lenca handicrafts and culture.  It is open Mondays through Sundays.

SAN PEDRO SULA, CORTES 

SPS MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY AND HISTORY

The Museo de Antropologia e Historia de San Pedro Sula features exhibits on the development of Sula Valley, from 1500 B.C. to the middle of this century.  The museum is open 10 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays.  Admission is Lps. 10 for adults, Lps. 5 for students and children under 12, and Lps. 2 for senior citizens.  For more information, call 557-1496/557-1798 or fax 557-1874. 

MUSEUM OF NATURE OF SAN PEDRO SULA

Sponsored and managed by the Fundacion Ecologista H.R. Pastor Fasquelle, this new museum was inaugurated last December in its current location at the Biocentro on 3 Avenida and 9 Calle Noroeste.  It has 24 exhibits on the environment, natural resources and biology of Honduras.  Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and 8 a.m. until noon on Saturdays.  Admission is Lps 5 for students from public schools and Lps. 10.00 for everyone else.

YUSCARAN, EL PARAISO 

YUSCARAN HOUSE OF CULTURE

Yuscaran's Casa de la Cultura is located at the former Casa Fortin in downtown Yuscaran, El Paraiso department, just 45 km from Tegucigalpa on the road to Danli.  It is open Mondays through Saturdays.

OLANCHO 

PECH CULTURAL CENTER

The Pech have built a small house in El Carbon, Olancho to display their modern handicrafts.  An exhibit of archaeological finds in the area is planned.  You can ask to see the collection and/or get a tour of a Post Classic era fortified site.  The Pech Cultural Center also offers medicinal plant tours, nature hikes, Pech dinners, etc.  There is no admission fee to the cultural center.  Hours: If you ask, they will open it.

COPAN 

COPAN ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

Located in the village of Copan Ruinas, Copan department, the museum exhibits a splendid assortment of Mayan pieces that have been found in the Copan Ruins Archaeological Park just 1 km away.  

LA PUENTE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

Featuring a sizeable collection of Mayan handicrafts and photographs as well as a room with Japanese antique ceramics, this museum is located at the El Puente Archaeological Site, about an hour's drive from Copan Ruinas. 

MAYAN SEPULTURAS MUSEUM

Inaugurated in 1996, this is the premier Mayan museum in the Mundo Maya, featuring the finest examples of Copan's tombs, sculptures and architecture.  Located at the Copan Ruins Archaeological Park, the museum is open Monday through Sunday.

TELA, ATLANTIDA 

LANCETILLA BOTANICAL GARDENS

Located 2 kilometers from Tela on the Atlantic coast highway, the gardens feature one of the largest collections of tropical and subtropical plants, shrubs and trees in all Latin America.  It is open from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Mondays through Sundays.  There is an admission charge.

LA CEIBA, ATLANTIDA 

TROPICAL BUTTERFLY FARM

The Tropical Butterfly Farm & Gardens of La Ceiba is open to the public Wednesday to Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  The farm is located at The Lodge at Pico Bonito in the village of El Pino, about 25 minutes west of La Ceiba.  Admission is Lps. 30 for adults, Lps. 15 for children and $6 for international visitors. 

BUTTERFLY AND INSECT MUSEUM

Thousands of butterflies and insects from Honduras and 18 other countries are on display in La Ceiba' private Butterfly and Insect Museum.  It is located in Colonia El Sauce, 2nd etapa, casa G-12.  Visiting hours are 8-12 and 2-5, Monday through Saturday.  The museum is closed Wednesday afternoon.  Fees are Lps. 15 for adults and Lps. 10 for students.  Tel. 442-2874, e-mail: rlehman@ns.gbm.hn

TRUJILLO 

TRUJILLO RUFINO GALAN MUSEUM

A private museum which has a memorabilia section, old chairs, anchors, silverware, beds of famous people locally.  There is an industrial archaeology section on how lights, axes, stoves, sewing machines, typewriters have changed over time.  They have a good collection of Garifuna handicrafts and the best collection of NE Honduras archaeological pieces -- all unmarked.  A written guide to the museum is available at the Trujillo Tourism Office in English and Spanish.  The museum is open 8 to 4, closing for lunch.  Adults Lps. 20, children Lps. 10.  Located on Calle 18 de Mayo, next to the Crystales River and the famous "piscina" or pool, about a 15-minute walk out of town.

ROATAN, THE BAY ISLANDS 

CARAMBOLA BOTANICAL GARDENS

The private Carambola Botanical Gardens and Nature Trails is located in Sandy Bay, Roatan, Bay Islands.  A wide variety of exotic plants is featured here, including "Roatan's most extensive orchid collection."  It is open daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.  For more information, call 445-1117 and ask for Bill or Irma Brady. 

BAY ISLANDS MUSEUM

A private museum at Anthony's Key Resort, Sandy Bay, Roatan, Bay Islands, it mostly includes archaeological pieces, but there is a small section on the modern Bay Islanders.  Museum admission is included in the cost of the dolphin show at Anthony Key's Institute of Marine Sciences.  Small buses or taxis will take you to Sandy Bay from most Roatan towns.

The Maya Calendar is a public service for our readers.  If you would like to announce an event taking place in Honduras, please send the information to: Calendar Editor, Honduras This Week, Fax 232-2300, e-mail: hontweek@hondutel.hn

Good-bye World Cup

Honduran Tyson Nunez and Claudio Suarez of Mexico fight for control of the ball In Honduras' last chance game of qualifying for the World Cup.

By C.F. AGURCIA 

MEXICO, D.F. -- Honduran hopes and dreams of seeing the nation's soccer team qualify for the World Cup finals were crushed last Sunday. Only one slot remained in the division, only one team could make it: Mexico or Honduras. 

In preparation for the game, all of the country's best players were called back from the professional European and Mexican teams they have contracts with. Coach Ramon "Primitivo" Maradiaga kept the team secluded for days before the match. They underwent rigorous training and practice sessions. Maradiaga told the national press that hopes were high, that Honduras had good chances of beating Mexico on their own turf. 

Public opinion was vaguely hopeful. Fans had not yet forgotten the at-home loss against Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean countries only victory in the playoffs. If Honduras had beaten T & T, their spot in the finals would have been assured. 

Finally, November 11th arrived, and all Honduran attention was focused on the important match. Some 5,000 nationals traveled to Mexico City to root for the team. Their cheers were drowned by the 100,000 plus voices of Mexican fans in the Azteca Stadium. 
Despite the odds, team Honduras held their own in the first half. the players were coordinated, leading offensive attacks that came close to scoring a couple of times. Mexican fans were worried, Honduran fans were excited. 

Perhaps it was the high altitude and the thin atmosphere that caused the players to tire. Perhaps they did not have a balanced breakfast. Perhaps the Honduran team was intimidated by so many people rooting against them. Whatever the reason, the second half was a huge disappointment. Honduras was unable to execute any tangible attacks and turned to play a purely defensive game. 

Noel Valladares, sometimes known as "The Wall", did his best to stop the many shots the Mexicans aimed at his goal. But, Valladares was unaided by his defensive team. The shots were too many and one finally got through. When Mexico scored their first goal, the crowd at Azteca went wild, and Honduran hearts, previously beating wildly with hope, sunk to the pits of their stomachs. One goal turned into another and then a third. After the third goal everyone was, as Mexican commentators said, "waiting for the game to end." 

Alex Fraño, a Honduran fan at the stadium was disheartened. "I was sitting right behind the Honduran goal," he said. "I saw all three goals and felt each of them painfully." 

So, Honduras is not going to the World Cup, despite possibilities, hopes and dreams. The country has gone to the finals only once, in the eighties. Now, two decades later, Hondurans must turn away from the soccer scene and once again focus their attentions on their daily lives. The countries incurable World Cup fever will have to be ignored until a new opportunity arises in another four years.



BANZAI: The outburst of comics' art in Honduras

The splash page of Luis Carlos' story titled Cicatriz (Scar).

By SUYAPA CARIAS

They are young, talented, creative and share a common passion: comics. They are the members of the new Banzai group, created with the purpose of developing the art of comics in Honduras.

A sample of the excellent work that these and other local artists do in the yet unexplored world of comics, was recently shown in an original exhibit held in the French Alliance in Tegucigalpa. Because of its unusual nature, the event caught the attention of thousands of youngsters and adults drawn to the action, ecology and fantasy stories in comic book style, displayed on large panels hanging from the walls.Those responsible for this enlightening activity were Luis Carlos Chavarria, Mauricio Rueda, Gianni Rivera Osorio, Cesar Paredes, Wilmer Martinez and group instructor, Abraham Quioto.

SUCESSFUL EXPERIMENT 
Born in Tegucigalpa in 1979, Quioto always loved to collect comic books, especially from the United States. In 1996, he along with some friends formed a group they called Tza, which means to "those from the war" in Quiche language. 

Members of the Banzai comic art group formed in Tegucigalpa.

Together, they learned some techniques, sat down to draw and then set up an exhibit at the Honduran Institute of Interamerican Culture (IHCI). Later, in June 2000, the Women in Arts (Mujeres en las Artes) cultural organization called Quioto and asked him to offer a three-month long comic art workshop, leading to the creation of a new group, called Banzai. 

"We insisted in extending the workshop for a longer period, until it became permanent," recalls Luis Carlos, who participated in the exhibit with 35 panels drawn with Chinese ink through a story called Cicatriz (Scar). 

After explaining that Banzai is a Japanese cry of war, Quioto said that "the outcome will depend on the artist's expectations combined with his or her personal taste."

According to the expert, the first step in making a comics' story is to come up with a general idea of its content; this will allow the artist to create and design his characters. "Their personalities and physical traits must be very well defined, because they are the ones who support the story."

Drawings may be made in color, chinese ink or charcoal. The story is developed through panels, where characters come to life with movements and dialogues. In general, one page has no more than eight panels. 

NO LIMITS
There are several different styles within comics, and contrary to what many may think, this concept is not only reserved for teenagers or children.

"Each style is addressed to specific social groups; that is how we find the underground, the comic-strip, the fantastic and the gothic types. There are many comic books for adults loaded with sexual contents, others deal with topics like drug addiction, family problems or violence," continued Quioto. Moreover, this kind of art has received different names depending on the region: they have been known as fummetto in Italy, bande-dessinee in France, mangas in Asia, historietas in the Hispanic world and just comics, in North America. 

"Each one of them, with their own representation and folkloric traits and topics, used to be inseparable. Nowadays, comic art has become a unity that has left its regular isolation behind," said Quioto, who presented the work titled Sortilegios, based he said, on personal experiences. 

IN THE VIEWER'S EYE
In any case, all comic artists know that the name of the game is... action. Here, achieving the desired levels of movement, precision, perspective and drama are basic aspects to consider. The author must remember that the camera is in fact the viewer's eye. 
For Luis Carlos, "it is also very important for us to know that we don't have any limitations to give free reign to our imagination. For the exhibit, I worked from last December to August in making my dinosaur story. Before I began drawing, I did some bibliographic research on the topic of paleontology." 

"After I visualized the argument of my story, I decided to use the American comic technique, but I combined it with Chinese landscaping, to illustrate the panel's backgrounds," said the 27 year-old, bilingual, law professional.

Cicatriz tells the story of a female dinosaur who loses her mother, and how she manages to survive. "I tried to create my characters and leave a message so that anyone can relate to them."

After the receptive reaction of the public to their first exhibit, the members of Banzai hope new members will join them. They also intend to catch the attention of editorial companies that might be interested in publishing their works. For more information, call Mujeres en las Artes, tel. 221-0697.

III Science and Tech competition, "Technology and human development" 

Angelo Galdo Paya participated In the Youth Category, and presented his projec "Personal Electricity Generator."

By ROSIBEL PACHECHO DE GUTIERREZ

TEGUCIGALPA - November 5th marked the inauguration of the III Science and Technology Competition by the National Secretary Commissioner Analyda Melara.

The competition was well responded to by community, and on October 19, 20 projects, in the diverse categories established by the institution, had already been received. These categories include professional, student, youth, and free. Of the received proposals, ten were pre-selected by the certifying judge. Those in the professional category included: Programmable Automation Circuit, Reducing the Phone Bill, the Pulse, the Great Doings of Water in the 21st Century, and Third Millennium 2001. In the free category the projects entitled System of Highway Automation, and Digital Election Module were chosen.

Manual Godoy, an instructor at the National Institute of Professional Formation (INFOP), presented the work entitled "Programmable Automation Circuit," (professional category). He expressed that one of his ideas is that his project strengthen the teaching of the principles of microelectronics. He explained to us that the circuit is a computer, that it has all of the elements necessary to be one (it can manage both hardware and software). In the exposition he presented an application of his circuit by controlling the functioning of a traffic signal. Godoy expressed that "with this circuit one can control a small industry, already some exist that have logically programmable controls." Godoy had to use a machine language to make his invention a reality; and he hopes to put his project to use to handle various necessities and concrete situations, disseminating knowledge of it and decreasing the dependency that exists on foreign technology.

In the student category, "Computerized Tractor" was presented. This project uses a computer to control an electronic object. The computer sends a signal via the printer port, and this signal travels to an integrated circuit call transducer which converts the digital signal into one that can be interpreted by a car and which can then produce movements, going backward, forward, lifting a crane and lowering a crane. The young men explained how they looked for information and their task of completing the project was arduous. Fortunately, however, they worked through the difficulties, and noted that these were only first steps, as this is just the beginning of their future investigative and inventive labors. They feel that their invention has great applications in the control of machinery, machinery managed by remote control can carry out high risk tasks, increasing industrial safety.

Angelo Gaido Paya, in the youth category, presented his project "Personal Electricity Generator." This uses body movement to produce energy for such purposes as listening to music or lighting a flashlight. "My father uses motors, and I asked him to give me some to make a fan." Thanks to this youthful curiosity, Paya was able to produce his generator.

The young Victor A. Andino presented the System of Highway Automation and Digital Election Module project in the free category. The first of these is a system of traffic lights that uses integrated digital circuits. With electrical pulses, the system use sensors to detect automobiles. These sensors can be located overhead to have the total area in focus, or they can be located on the edge of the highway or thereabouts. Another aspect of the system is that all of the parts are made in this country, making it easy and inexpensive to maintain the equipment.

Victor told us that prior to hurricane Mitch he presented a project entitled "Taking Maximum Advantage of Water Resources." He went on to say that the project could have avoided much of the losses that were suffered with the hurricane. In his proposal, Victor suggests the construction of dams near mountain areas, strategically located on principle river basins of the country. These dams could collect rainwater as it falls in the deforested mountains, preventing the overflowing of the rivers and providing water for dry times. This is a very ambitious project as it encompasses sustainable reforestation, the regeneration of ecosystems, the re-establishment of fertile top soil, the creation of healthy sources of fuel, the creation of areas that will be of value as tourist attractions, and an overall regeneration of the conditions needed for life.

Attending the competition, one can feel the need to fortify a working commitment to science and investigation, through well-structured politics, in both the government and the private sector. There is much talent here, but as well there is the risk of losing a great deal due to the lack of incentives and good guidance.

Folk diseases have medicinal plant cures

By WENDY GRIFFIN
(First of four parts)

I went to visit a friend last week. He was sick with chills and a fever. He told me he was taking medication-rosemary, anise, "flor de muerto", lemon leaves. His illness was caused by "baho" which he was very sensitive to. The illness caused by baho is called "hijillo".
Hijillo is one of several diseases that people do not go to doctors for, because only traditional healers (curanderos) treat these illnesses. Most university trained doctors do not even treat diseases such as puho, empacho, hundida de la mollera (a fallen soft spot), mala vista, and aire.

Baho is the vapor put off by dead people's bodies. People who go to a wake wash with orange and lemon afterwards to get rid of possible problems with baho. However, sometimes even people who did not go to the wake get sick. The medicine with rosemary and other leaves is made to be used as a bath and drunk as tea. Anyone can prepare it.
Sometimes beliefs in baho get crossed with other illnesses. For example in the Municipality of Colon, the people who die of AIDS are buried almost immediately, which does not give time for distant relatives to arrive. But AIDS is such a problem there is a concern among the people that AIDS is spread by baho.

Empacho is an illness that affect anyone. People have died of empacho if they do not get treatment. Usually people go to a "sobadora" or traditional masseuse to treat empacho. The symptoms can include diarrhea or constipation. The belly swells up hard. The sobadora massages the person everywhere-arms, legs, especially the stomach region.

One treatment is to put salt and sugar in water, so that there is more salty than sweet. Pass the salt over the stomach. Drink the salty water. Other herbs can be used that are "purgantes", that clean out the insides of the affected person. 

Both midwives and masseuses know how to cure "hundida de la mollera" (falling of the soft spot). I have felt the baby's head. Its soft spot really is sunken in. The baby is massaged. Then the midwife pulls the soft spot until it is up. She puts the baby upside down and touches its feet. Different midwives use different cures, such as blowing tobacco on its feet. Medical doctors think the falling of the soft spot may be caused by dehydration, which would explain why empacho and a fallen soft spot can occur together.

When babies have "puho" they cry. They do not go to the bathroom. Their belly button starts to bleed again. There are several causes of puho. The father could be working very hard. Or the father could be cheating on the mother with another woman. Also a pregnant woman could have passed by the baby.

If it is caused by the father, one of the father's clothes is put over the baby's belly button. If the problem was a pregnant woman, she should make the sign of the cross with her saliva over the baby. Then heat up a tobacco leaf or a guarumo leaf and put it on the belly button of the child to warm it up.

When women travel on buses with new babies, the baby is all bundled in clothes, even covering its face. It is 95 degrees outside and hotter on the bus. Why is this baby all covered up? To protect people with strong sight.

When a child is affected by someone with strong sight, it can not defecate. It cries. To avoid being hurt by the person with strong sight, the woman should hold her. All the people who go to visit a new baby should hold it to avoid this problem. But if the child does get sick, a traditional healer and sometimes a midwife will know how to heal it.

For the Garífuna cure, take the hot coals from a wood fire, and burn a cigar (one of those Lps. 2.00 cigars from the market is fine) and a hot pepper called "chitepe". This will give off smoke. Pass the baby through the smoke in the sign of the cross. Turn the baby over on its stomach and do this again. Turn the baby on its back again and again make the sign of the cross. Get some tobacco leaves wet, get them wet, and wet the baby all over with the wet tobacco leaves. Other ethnic groups use other cures.

Aire is cured with plants. In most cases, it can be cured by drinking lemon juice. Aire can be in any part of the body. When there is air in the stomach, teas of basil (albahaca del monte) leaves, or peppermint (yerba buena) leaves can be used. A tea of allspice (pimineta gorda) and cloves (clavos de olor) is also good.

An encounter with the past...of Danli

An assortment of kitchen utensils provide a closer approach to the city’s lifestyle in the 18th and 19th centuries.

By SUYAPA CARIAS

In the Southeastern region of Honduras, there is a flourishing city which name evokes the beauty of this country’s hills, as well as the importance of corn in the daily life of our population, since pre-colonial times. 

In most recent years, it has been also linked to the development of the tobacco industry. We are talking about Danli, in El Paraiso department, a unique place that has more to tell than most people may suspect. Last April, Danli opened a cultural attraction for anyone with a genuine desire in learning more about the history of Honduras, and specifically about this rich area: the Museo Municipal.

Located in a strategic corner in Barrio El Centro, right in front of Parque Centenario, the museum was set up in one of the city’s most representatives buildings, a two-floor colonial style house built by the Spanish in 1857.

Former prison get new lease on life Between the late 1800’s and 1948, it served as the local prison, after which it hosted the Mayor’s Office, until 1974.  In 1996, a group of volunteers gathered at the Comite Danlinense de Desarrollo (Danli Development Committee), with the support of the Honduran Institute of History and Anthropology (IHAH) undertook the project of restoring the building and converting it into a museum.  Guided by journalist Luis Alonso Gomez, a dynamic member of this committee, we began our encounter with the past of Danli at the second floor, which hosts the room identified as Politica Municipal (Municipal Policies).

Here, we viewed part of the collection of antique items that enlighten the entire museum, including the elegant wooden furniture previously used by local authorities.  One of the walls is adorned with the only conserved original Coat of Arms of Honduras, still in use today.

It is interesting to see objects and information relating to the past trade activity, much of it relating to the work of German companies in the area.   These companies imported their products in the port of Amapala, in the Southern Gulf of Fonseca in the early 1900’s.  Names like Sierke, Doborow and Kossner, which represented the businesses involved, are mentioned in this section.

One of the room’s corners is dedicated to one the country’s greatest educators and intellectuals of Honduras, Pedro Nufio (1863-1916).

Music and literature

Moving on to the Sala de Religion (Religion Room), we enjoyed a display containing an old German clock with its pendulum, a friar chair, silk handkerchiefs used by local women to go to church and priest clothes weaved with golden thread.As we continued to the Salon de Hogar y Cultura Popular (Home and Popular Culture Room), we discovered a phonograph and several 78 revolutions disks with the music of Danli native song writer Don Manuel de Adalid Gamero.  They were manufactured from 1903 to 1908.   An edition of the first newspaper founded in Danli by Nufio in 1899, called El Piloto, is on display in this area, along with a few books by national novel writer Lucila Gamero de Medina.  An old printer stands a few steps away.

Others may be attracted by the set of kitchen utensils that were gathered over a charming wooden table, next to a typical white stove.  Right in front, the museum’s designers set up almost an entire bedroom, to give visitors a more intimate approach of Danli’s old, enchanting lifestyle.                             

The biggest historic file     

Down to the first floor, we found two interesting rooms dedicated to the topics of Produccion Artesanal (Handicrafts Production) and Economia Agropecuaria (Agricultural Economy).  It includes an interesting collection of tools used for a variety of productive chores, from cattle ranching and cigar production to home bread making and mining activities.  Until 1935, a considerable amount of gold and silver was extracted from the site known as Mineral de Agua Fria.  Knives, casks, molds, those famous wooden boxes used to make dynamite explode and other useful objects are jealously kept in this part of the colonial structure. Not too far off, a thick chain with a round weight of steel in one of its ends reminds us how prisoners just didn’t have a chance to get out of there.  

Currently, the museum’s personnel is working on the organization of its historic file, considered the largest one known so far in the entire country.  A single, fresh, wide room hosts thousands of documents dating from 1830 to present time.  Information about Danli’s aviation history, commercial trials, military files, as well as issues of La Gaceta (the government’s official daily) from 1901 to 1961, are well conserved here.  Danli is located 93 km southeast from Tegucigalpa, and 30 km away from the Nicaraguan border.  So the next time you have an opportunity, come to the “City of the Hills,” and take your time to see and learn from the many historic jewels gathered at it’s delighting Museo Municipal.  It is one of the reasons your trip will have been worthwhile.

Pizza House: a family owned restaurant in the land of franchises 

By ERIC TIMAR

Special to HTW

If you’re alarmed that U.S. chains seem to be taking over the Tegucigalpa pizza scene, don’t despair: Pizza House, founded by a Honduran, is still in business on Morazan Boulevard. They make wood-fire pizzas that are as good as any from the monster chains, they deliver, and they even offer a stuffed-crust pizza for people who suffer from dangerously low cholesterol levels.

Pizza House is located on the north side of Morazan near the El Dorado mall, which happens to be quite close to a new Pizza Hut under construction.

Pizza Hut is owned by Tricon: Global Restaurants, Inc., based in Louisville, Kentucky. Tricon also owns Taco Bell and KFC. These three chains belonged to PepsiCo until two years ago, when the cola giant set them free, but even on its own Tricon is enormous. The Tricon website boasts that there are over 29,000 of its restaurants in 95 nations, making it the world’s largest restaurant company in terms of number of locations. Tricon is the second-largest restaurant company in the world, financially, sales stand at $20 billion a year, with 2000 operating earnings of $444 million. Tricon trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol YUM; clever, eh?

Pizza House, on the other hand, was founded by a Honduran woman named Graciela Salman in 1956. She is a member of the same Salman’s family that established the chain of bakeries, but the family is no longer involved in those even though the new owners kept the old name. Coincidentally, the new owners of those bakeries happen to hold the franchise for Papa John’s in Honduras! That explains the synergy of those plastic bags you get at Salman’s that advertise the bakery on one side and Papa John’s on the other. (The Papa John’s website, incidentally, mentions system-wide sales of $1.7 billion last year.)

Does Tricon own the Pizza Hut locations in Honduras and manage them directly, thereby keeping all the profits? No, it turns out; they are franchises. I spoke to a Pizza Hut manager on the peatonal who told me the franchise for all twenty-or-so restaurants in Honduras is owned by members of the Larach family. Nevertheless, Pizza Hut obviously does not give away its franchises for free, so a percentage of the money that Hondurans spend in Pizza Hut winds up in Louisville, Kentucky. This bothers me, because the Kentuckians I have known don’t need to be importing money from Honduras.

I spoke with the general manager of Pizza House, Jackelin Salman, the daughter of Graciela, about the Tegucigalpa pizza market. She said that she is indeed pressured by the competition. Real estate owners, for example, are more likely to rent to a U.S. chain than to Pizza House because the northerners have better name recognition. Pizza House recently lost its location in Plaza Miraflores because the space was given to the group that owns Papa John’s.
Pizza House offers warm customer service, the prices are reasonable, and they have high chairs. Their phone number is 236 5184. If they can’t hold the line against the big chains, we might soon see Starbucks move in to try to crush Espresso Americano, and then Borders might try to rub out MetroMedia. If Honduras must imitate the United States, can’t it start with, say, pouring downtown sidewalks that are more than 18 inches wide instead of killing off its homegrown businesses?

Helloooo Jack!

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Jack Frost nipping at your nose...
All right, enough with the Christmas Carols and on with the show. Halloween had not even passed when Santa Claus and reindeer decorations started to go up in The Goose’s department stores and malls. As if responding to the early call of the holiday season, Mother Nature sent down a cold front to keep us company this past week.

Brrrrr. I love the cold, and we see so little of it in the tropics that we really do have to appreciate it. Think about waking up on a chilly morning and snuggling under the covers. Then think about pouring yourself a hot cup of coffee or hot chocolate and going to the window to enjoy the shadowed sights of your favorite city.
When walking around, everyone’s pace seems a little brisker, their smiles a little perkier. For people living in tropical paradise, cold weather appears to return a lot of the energy the hot sun tries to sap away. With the extra energy, moods brighten up and cheer fills the streets that glisten in post-rain cleanliness.
Another awesome sight is Mount Picacho in the cold. Grey and white clouds surround the green mountain top, leaving its heights hidden like in old tales of the Alps or the Pyrenees Mountains in Europe. Taking a drive through those cloudy tops is fun, though not very safe at high speeds.

So, break out the long sleeves and the jackets. Bundle up and get ready for the sixties and high fifties (Fahrenheit of course), winter is here.

Take note that, with the beginning of November, the rest of the year is going to slide by. Thanksgiving is right around the corner (Turkey! Turkey!). We have been told that several places will be hosting special dinners for those Americans that feel homesick. For those of you stuck outside the city on the holiday, try stopping by Posada las Nubes in Santa Lucia. They’re promising a big bash. Another big Thanksgiving Dinner that has become a Goose tradition for American residents is at Plaza Garibaldi, conveniently located right across Morazan Boulevard from our offices. 

Elections will be held a few days after that. Who are you voting for? Maduro? Pineda Ponce? A non-traditional vote? Are you prepared to deal with the consequences of your decision? The pressure will only be building from now until November 25th. The campaigns will only get bigger and tougher and more aggressive. Has anyone gotten a phone call from a Goose mayoral candidate? I was told one of them has picked up telemarketing, which proves that not all of globalization is good.

Once the election frenzy (and calling it a frenzy is putting it nicely) is over, Papa Noel (a Menorah for others) will be right there to greet us. Who doesn’t love the holidays? The Goose always gets ready for a good party then.

Oh, wait. I skipped ahead too far and failed to mention the best part. November sunsets are The Goose’s absolute best. Painters have tried to capture the myriad colors that light up the sky but always seem to miss a couple in their works. So, now more than ever, take the time to stop, breathe in the cool air, and enjoy the view.