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By FARRAH LITTLE

The Honduran interpretation of a 19 century Japanese legend on frugality for the sake of the future as a guiding principle to build public support for putting resources into education debuted Tuesday night in a special show that included President Ricardo Maduro among the invited dignitaries.

After the Japanese Civil War in 1868, 100 sacks of rice were sent as emergency relief for the citizens of Nagaoka, left impoverished by the war. However, instead of being distributed, the rice was sold to gather funds to construct a school, with the purpose of educating the future generation of promising children. Many people graduated from this school and dedicated themselves to the development of the nation.

The spirit of the story “One Hundred Sacks of Rice” found its way into a policy speech delivered by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in 2001, and in outlining his reform initiatives he urged the nation to “endure the pain of today for a better tomorrow.”

When told of that story, Honduran Minister of Culture, Arts and Sports, Mireya Batres decided that Honduras could make use of the tale, which has been turned into a play by playwright Yuzo Yamamoto, translated into Spanish by Mireya Batres, and performed by Honduras’ National Theater Academy.

The Hondurans got technical help from Swa-raj Gekien, a Kyoto-based theater group that produced the play “Kome Hyappo” (One Hundred Sacks of Rice) in Japan.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry sent Shinji Kimura, head of Swa-raj Gekien, to Honduras earlier this year to supervise the production. “We hope to convey the importance of enduring the hardship of today by setting our sights on the future,” said 70-year old Kimura.

According to Tamio Mori, mayor of the city of Nagaoka, “our ancestors believed in the growth and prosperity of a nation and of a city greatly dependent on the existence of prominent people with a clear vision of the future. This principle is the origin of Nagaoka’s continuos compromise to education, where we believe that an educated population is fundamental for a modern society.”
In his pre-performance speech President Maduro seemed to be in agreement, as in response to the question, “What do we do with the country?” he urged that “the value of knowing the importance of education is fundamental.”

“One Hundred Sacks of Rice” is a drama especially relevant to Honduran society, a nation of 6.5 million with a per capita income of $850 in 2000, among the lowest-income countries in the world, according to the World Bank. The lack of quality education directly affects the health, productivity, and standard of living of Hondurans. As Mireya Batres points out, “only properly trained people with the will to work will bring us forward as a country.”

If Tuesday night’s standing ovation at the National Theater Manuel Bonilla is any indication, the show should be a success in its two subsequent shows in the capital and in its nationwide tour. Hopefully the play’s intention to wake up national conscience to the importance of education will be taken to heart by the Honduran population.

Food for thought: WFP carries out school lunch program

By KATHRYN CHARLES AND
FARRAH LITTLE

Today in Honduras 573,000 out of 1.3 million children suffer from severe malnutrition. Ninety-six municipalities endure greater than 52 percent malnutrition in children ages three to eight years - the poorest of the poor include the Southern departments of Choluteca and Valle, 29 to 45 percent malnutrition, and Intibuca in the West, 62 percent, with some municipalities plagued with as high as 88 percent malnutrition.

Since 1996, the United Nations’ World Food Program (WFP), has been actively participating in the reduction of these strikingly sad facts of life in modern day Honduras. WFP is the largest supplier of food aid in the world, donating US $400 million to help 82 million malnourished people each year. It also runs the nationwide School Feeding Program (SFP) in partnership with the Honduran government.

Unfortunately it was not until last year that significant progress was made with regards to greater governmental support for SFP, as the latter’s donations reached US$900,000 to help bring an additional 100,000 Honduran children out of extreme hunger.

SFP aims to fight back against starvation by using food as an incentive to persuade children to attend and stay in school, as well as to improve health levels and concentration. Since its initiation in 1996, attendance has increased by 100 percent in certain schools, such as the primary school Ramon Rosa in the tiny parched town of Jicaro Galan, Valle.

Here five dedicated mothers work each day to prepare fresh tortillas, beans, rice, corn, and a corn-soya drink for the schools’ 272 students, aged six to twelve years. The food is consistent with the local diet and provides 47 percent of the daily protein requirements and 33 percent of each child’s total calorie requirements. Without this extra energy boost, served between 8 and 10am, children find themselves drifting off in class or not even bothering to wake up and walk the few miles to school. Their families are too poor to provide a daily breakfast, the majority living off less than one dollar a day.

A close eye is kept on all the produce received to prevent famous “leakage” problems that often crop up during international aid programs. So far there have been no cases of disappeared or un-arrived food packages. Everything delivered to the schools from the WFP warehouses is carefully recorded and monitored.

Despite the hope to expand funding to US$2.5 million this year, much progress still remains. Honduras still finds itself one of the poorest of Central American countries with 69 percent of the population illiterate and 130,000 children not attending or abandoning school. The fact that basic education is critical for the long-term economic development of the country is inarguable.

A three hour car journey west of Tegucigalpa, followed by 50km of winding dirt roads would bring you to the municipality of Yamaranguila, nestled within the department of Intibuca.

The dusty roads and deserted, undulating landscape of Intibuca are indicative of the lack of human development that characterizes Western Honduras, and contributes to some of the most alarming levels of poverty in the country.

Coupled with Lempira, the department of Intibuca endures the highest levels of malnutrition in the country, with 62 percent of children between the ages of three and eight suffering from malnutrition.

These statistics become even more distressing in certain municipalities, such as San Marcos de la Sierra and San Francisco de Opalaca in Intibuca, where this statistic climbs to a devastating 88%.

In a region where malnutrition is chronic and families struggle to survive on less than US$1 every day, the SFP provides a much needed glimmer of hope to 44,069 children in Intibuca alone.

The enthusiasm with which the program has been received in Intibuca is truly inspirational. Upon entering the school of Patria in Yamaranguila it is apparent that this area is poor. There is no school uniform, as families cannot afford the expense. The clothes of the pupils are mud-stained and many children are barefoot. But this school is a very special place, where people have chosen to help themselves, and community involvement and determination has extended the SFP beyond it’s original limitations.

Despite the financial constraints battled here, families manage to contribute L20 every month to supplement the SFP. The school has opened a bank account for these donations, which are used to buy additional foods for the children such as salt, sugar, meat and vegetables. Families also contribute L2 every month to pay for the transportation of the WFP food supplies from the government warehouse in La Esperanza. The pupils themselves also play a part, making hats and mitts in school to sell in order to further fund the program.

This school was one of the first to receive school feeding under a pilot scheme independent of the WFP in 1996, and was later integrated into the WFP in the year 2000. Since the introduction of the scheme the school has experienced a 100 percent increase in pupil enrolment, from 68 pupils in 1996, to 137 at present day.

The work of the WFP is clearly instrumental in improving the lives of many thousands of people in Honduras alone. The successes experienced in Yamaranguila indicate an optimistic future for the SFP, however, the reality of the situation is that whilst malnutrition is being tackled successfully, improving educational standards remains another challenge.

It is a sad fact that a large number of children in Honduras terminate their education at the age of eight or nine, choosing to seek employment or being required at home by their families for work. Whereas, additional years of schooling would equate to greater earnings in later life and a greater chance for a life free of poverty.
 

Feed the future

July 25 will soon be declared by the President of Congress as National School Feeding Day in Honduras. On this day, eighty percent of Honduran radio stations will be tuned into the World Food Programs’ second nationwide Radio Marathon “Nourishing the Future” to promote financial support for the School Feeding Program. All sectors of society are encouraged to drop by the Mall Multiplaza from 9am to 6pm to enjoy the festivities and leave donations.

Hopefully we can exceed last year’s total private donations of 1.5 million lempiras to help the future generation of severely malnourished Honduran children.

Food distribution: Day One

Tuesday afternoon in the arid community of Orocuina, Choluteca, the first day of food distribution promised by the recently signed contract between the Honduran government and WFP in benefit of 18,000 Cholutecan families in six municipalities, came to fruition.

Skinny mothers and shy, expectant daughters protectively cradling younger big-eyed siblings, stood about patiently with their monthly sack of food rations close at hand, fanning themselves in the shade of a few comforting trees. Ragged, yet strong looking men hung back in the distance, leaning anxiously against their pickup trucks to bring home the goods, as WFP officers efficiently worked to distribute the big, healthy sacks of corn, beans, oil, and corn soya blend, provided from the United States, Italy, and Holland respectively.

Almost four out of ten children in Orocuina suffer from severe malnutrition and as such, the arrival of the food was received with eagerness and silent relief.

A total of 2500 people in the 29 communities of Orocuina will benefit from the food distributed. Each family, considered to be five persons, will receive a total of 2035kg of food each day until the year 2007, when the contract expires.

Artists struggle to make it in Honduras

Surrealist images of women are a central theme in Rene´s work

By STEVE McGOVERN

TEGUCIGALPA — The life of an artist trying to make a living in Honduras is not an easy one, according to Dario Rivera and Rene Oviedo, two talented young artists living and working in Tegucigalpa.

Dario is a sculptor who works with a variety of materials ranging from wood and bronze to marble and terracotta and Rene produces paintings using acrylics. Both artists studied at the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes and have since gone on to be prolific artists, despite finding it difficult to find a market for their work in their native country.

Both Rene and Dario have exhibited their work abroad and sold pieces overseas although they have had few opportunities to travel with their work abroad.

Dario would relish the opportunity to travel overseas to display his pieces. “I took part in the 16th International Sculpting Symposium in Carrara, Italy in 1999 and it was a fantastic chance to make new contacts with galleries abroad. However, it’s impossible to go to these events on a regular basis due to the cost involved,” he said.

Rene also laments the fact that he is unable to see works of art from other countries and cultures. “We only see famous works of art in pictures and I would jump at the chance to see these pieces for myself,” said Rene.

The creativity of the art turned out by Rene and Dario is all the more remarkable when you consider that both these young artists have had limited exposure to outside influences. Their art is dynamic and striking and their talent is obvious and they crave the chance for further self- development.

Dario feels that there is a lack of commitment both financially and educationally to the development of art in Honduras. “There is almost no art education until the later stages of schooling in this country,” says Dario. “This results in a general lack of appreciation of art, apart from those in the upper echelons of society,” he went on.

Dario fervently believes that for art to develop in Honduras there has to be a complete overhaul in attitudes towards art education. If we could get people interested in art at an early age then perhaps they would take it more seriously when they are older, he said.
This is a sentiment echoed by Rene, who also adds that he would love to continue to learn more about his work. “It’s impossible for me to continue my studies because I have to work continually to make ends meet,” says Rene.

Both artists regularly receive commissions to produce works and they also create pieces that they hope to sell on later. Dario displays his creations in Galeria Trios in Colonia Matamoros and Rene has his paintings on display in Galeria Botticelli’s off Boulevard Morazan, in the capital.

Hopefully, these young artists who are passionate about their art, will find an appreciative public for their work and will be successful in the future.

Congressman launches new scholarship program

By STEPHEN McGOVERN

Students at State Technical Institutes are set to benefit from a new scholarship program. The liberal congressman Eduardo Kafati this week delivered the first of these scholarships that are designed to assist students with excellent grades but limited financial resources at their disposal.

Congressman Kafati launched the program, named ‘Project for Enterprising Students’ (Proyecto Jovenes Emprendedores) when he handed over a scholarship to Felipe Alexander Escobar, a pupil at the Institute of Popular Culture (Instituto Cultura Popular).

It is hoped that the availability of the scholarships will encourage prospective students to take up the study of technical subjects. Congressman Kafati said he believed this was essential for the future development of Honduras.

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Congressman Kafati hands over the first of the new scholarships.

New technology center opens in San Pedro Tutule

The students of Escuela Urbana Mixta Mariano Vasquez get to grips with the new information technology
 

By STEPHEN McGOVERN

The people of San Pedro Tutule, in the department of La Paz, are set to benefit from a new community initiative that will give them access to new communications and information technology. As part of the Government sponsored Project for the Extension of Technological Capacity in Poor Communities, a new Community Center for Knowledge and Communications (CCCC) will soon be opened that will offer access to some of the latest information technology available. The center has been constructed with assistance from the Honduran Council of Science and Technology (COHCIT) who are running the project on behalf of the Honduran government.

Prior to the opening of the center, COHCIT personnel will be running a comprehensive series of training workshops for primary and secondary school students, teachers and local business people. The aim of the workshops will be to familiarize people with technology that, for many of them, will be a completely new experience.

The 5000 plus residents of Tutule have embraced the idea of the new center with open arms in the knowledge that they will benefit from exposure to the new technology on offer. The CCCC will offer services such as Internet access, telephony, secretarial services, electronic commerce, computer based training and printing. This, together with a variety of other services on offer, should guarantee the future sustainability of the center.

The children of Tutule and surrounding villages are increasing their awareness of new communications and information technology on a daily basis in the community centre.

The construction and running costs of the center are being funded by a massive US$8.5 million loan to the Project for the Extension of Technological Capacity in Poor Communities. The cash injection has come from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), an international organization that is working in partnership with the COHCIT and the Municipal Mayor´s Office.

The diverse services that this new center for community development will provide should help local residents to access the latest communications and information technology. It is hoped that some of the long-term benefits from the exposure to this new technology will be an improvement in the overall quality of life of the residents of Tutule and the stimulation and the development of the local economy.

“A-B-Sudario” and “Sombras nada mas”:

The latest hits in Central American literature

Sergio Ramirez

By SUPAYA CARIAS

Through the recent publication of the books “A-B-Sudario” by Salvadoran female author Jacinta Escudos and “Sombras nada mas,” by former Nicaraguan government official Sergio Ramirez, Alfaguara editorial company offers two new, honest and enlightening literary works.

In the novel titled “A-B-Sudario,” Escudos takes readers on a trip of the human condition, from a voice that is actually many voices, but over all is the voice of Cayetana, the main character. Cayetana is the one to knit all the threads, in order to guide herself within her own labyrinth. Cayetana segregates the threads of her spider web in order to catch, in her own solitude, everything that moves around her. It is a psychological, candid, ingenious narrative that brings out traits of the main character’s socio-cultural environment. This book earned the first Mario Monteforte Toledo Novel Central American Prize.

Jacinta Escudos

Born in 1961, Escudos began her writing at 13. A self-taught author, she has become an outstanding novelist, poet, short story and column writer. Her works have been published in newspapers, magazines and anthologies in Central America, the United States, Mexico, France and Germany. In the year 2000, she was resident writer of the Heinrich Boll Stiftung of Germany as well as of La Maison des ecrivains etrangers et des traducteurs in Saint-Nazaire, in France.

Meanwhile, “Sombras nada mas” takes us back to the 1979 Nicaraguan revolution, when members of the “Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional” capture Alirio Martinica, private secretary to the Somoza family. Martinica is found with a suitcase full of high dollar bills, expensive jewelry and titles of dozens of land properties he owned throughout the country.
He is taken to a small town, where inhabitants will decide his destiny.

Sergio Ramirez, winner of the International Alfaguara Prize for his novel “Margarita, esta linda la mar,” is a lawyer born in 1942 who fought against “Somocismo” . He fled in exile to Costa Rica and Germany and came back in 1975 to join to Sandinista movement. He was part of the revolutionary government and became vice-president in 1985. His works include, “Cuentos completes,” “Castigo divino,” and “Mentiras verdaderas.”

Robert Funk and his healing mission in Honduras

Robert Funk with patient

By SUYAPA CARIAS

While growing up, Robert Funk never imagined that his own health problem would be the key for helping the lives of an increasing amount of people, in a country far from his own home at St. Catharines, Ontario.

Having been a four-season Canuck, the heat he faced upon his arrival to tropical Honduras, in 1999, was a personal issue to deal with. Today he feels proud of the work he has been able to perform as chiropractor, and seems to prefer living here, after all.

His relationship with the medical world began when he was only a child, as he suffered from many knee and leg pains, erroneously referred to as “growing pains.” Headaches were a common feature and medication to relieve these pains as well as orthopedic injections were only for relief. However, no long lasting benefit was found until he was 19.

“An older church acquaintance had recently graduated as a chiropractor, and he sought to interest me in his new profession. After only two weeks of care, practically all my symptoms disappeared.” This was the starting point of a career Funk never thought to undertake. After investigation and visits to several Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs), he decided to apply to the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto. The decision was not taken as a good news by Funk`s family, especially his brother, a doctor of biochemistry, nor by other physician friends.

“It was actually one of the greatest choices I ever made,” says Funk, whose new interest marked the end of his eight-year period of work in taxidermy. After going through the different provincial, state and national exams, Funk was ready to put his knowledge into practice.

“I began practicing in a small town in northern Ontario. After almost three years, I had seen over 650 patients. It was very refreshing to help so many people.”

In 1999, Funk came to the city of Siguatepeque, in central Honduras, at the request of another chiropractor who was leaving the country. He started working here as part of a medical brigade, and then traveled to Choluteca, Tegucigalpa and Tela.

By the year 2000, he had set up his main clinic in the city of San Pedro Sula, in northern Honduras, where he met his wife Sandra. Currently, he shifts his time between San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa. In the capital city, he sees private patients to take care of varied problems such neck and arm pain, lower back spasm with or without leg pain and numbness, inter-coastal neuralgia (rib pain), headaches of spinal tension related origin and migrane.

Meanwhile, he also works on a semi-volunteer basis with handicapped children from Arca La Esperanza, which involves the treatment of children with cerebral palsy, post meningitis syndromes and other spastic conditions. Parents lacking economic resources to pay for treatment are only charged according to their possibilities or are not charged at all.

“The children and their parents seem to notice strengthening of spinal muscles, and some improved ability to move. It is one of the most rewarding aspects of my job,” he says. To date, Dr. Funk has treated approximately 1000 people in Honduras. The truth is that many of his patients have never received this kind of therapy before, but so far, results have been mostly satisfactory.

Recently, U.S. Dr. James Cox, from Ft. Wayne, Indiana, donated a special traction table to Honduras, used primarily for herniated lumbar discs. Cox, who has been Funk`s mentor, developed what he called the Coxflexion-distraction technique, aimed at treating low back, sciatica and herniated spinal discs.

Chiropractic in its modern former came into being 108 years ago in Iowa, USA. “The basic premise is that mechanical misalignment or derangements can lead to immediate of delayed nerve interference or interrupted nerve stimulation. By analyzing the patients spine, often with the aid of X ray, the proper diagnosis can be made. Once a patient is accepted, chiropractic care results are often positive.”

Chiropractic emphasizes on structural, biomechanical body relationship. Dr. Funk uses feet examinations as part of his regime, and prescribes patients orthotics, supporting devices that provide great spinal stability. Nutrition also forms a large part of his care.

“The body works an internal connected system, requiring good nutrition, exercise and spinal chiropractic care when indicated,” points out Robert Funk. If you would like to contact Dr. Funk or get more information, call 231-0383.

First Honduran bird guide published

Birding Honduras: A guide to Honduras´ native species

By FARRAH LITTLE

TEGUCIGALPA — The Government of the Republic, by way of the Secretaries of Tourism and Natural Resources, launched last week the official presentation of the first “Bird Guide to Honduras” with the objective of examining and rescuing recopied information on the various bird species that inhabit the country.

Peace Corps volunteers Mark Bonta and David Anderson joined forces to complete the 186-page text inspired by their passion for birds and by national researchers such as Jorge Betancourth, Gustavo Cruz and Pilar Thorn.

The event was lead by the Directors of Tourism and Natural Resources, Thierry de Pierrefeu and Patricia Panting, respectively. They emphasized aspects of the work which showed the beauty, strength, and agility of some of the most magnificent species that form part of the impressive array of 701 birds that can be found throughout national protected zones, such as the Macaw, Harpy Eagle, Emerald Hummingbird, Quetzal, and Toucan.

The book is a gift for all the citizens, researchers, students and bird enthusiasts that wish to know about the fascinating universe of tropical Honduran ecosystems, where huge flocks of unique migratory birds, from both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, gather in the cold of winter every year.

Despite possessing only 0.08 percent of the world’s territory, our country has seven percent of its biological diversity, said the Director of Tourism, which makes Honduras a privileged place. “With the raw materials already here, the only thing necessary are knowledgeable guides that will allow tourists to experience a completely new and enjoyable aspect of the country, thereby giving it an efficient set of tools to promote this type of tourism.”

The Ambassador to Honduras in Washington, D.C. has already officially presented the guide in that country, and starting today we will be promoting this guide on the international level.
 

Conference on Honduras 2003 to be held in Copan Ruins

WASHINGTON, D.C. — projecthonduras.com announced today that last week its fourth annual Conference on Honduras will take place in Copan Ruins, Honduras, on October 24-26, 2003. The event will bring together individuals representing non-governmental organizations (NGOs), companies, churches, universities, and governments to exchange information on education, healthcare, and community building projects designed to help the people of Honduras.

“The Conference on Honduras has reached a new level of maturity now”, said Marco Caceres, cofounder of projecthonduras.com. “We have successfully completed three of these conferences in Washington, DC and have developed a significant following, a workable format, and a philosophical purpose for the event. We are averaging 110 representatives from more than 60 organizations per year,” he said.

The growth of the conference has convinced planners that it is time to stage the event in Honduras and try to attract more of a following within the Honduran community. The town of Copan Ruins was selected as this year’s site because of its charm, its cultural history, its relative proximity to the international airport in San Pedro Sula, and its excellent conference center and lodging facilities.

“We want to establish a physical presence in Honduras, plant a seed there and see how things take shape,” said Caceres. “We need to include more Hondurans in the conference to balance out the many North Americans that are active in the movement, and Copan Ruins just seems like a nice small place to start the process.”

The Conference on Honduras series is the third part of projecthonduras.com’s three-step strategic plan to build an Internet-based model of development for Honduras. During the past five years, the volunteer group has created an online portal at http://www.projecthonduras.com which serves as a clearinghouse of information on Honduras and has established a growing international network of people communicating via listserv forums on ways to help the country.

“We have more than 2,200 individuals in our Worldwide Honduras Network, and it’s incredible to see the impact many of these private citizens are quietly making on Honduras,” said Caceres. “What we are trying to do with the Conference is simply give people the chance to meet face-to-face, exchange business cards and information, and perhaps discover ways to complement each other’s efforts.”

The concept behind projecthonduras.com and the Conference on Honduras is based on the belief that developing countries like Honduras need to tap all of their “human capital” around the world in order to break their cycles of poverty and find ways to implement solutions to persistent problems. The Internet now provides the ability to quickly and cost-effectively organize masses of people and channel their experience, talents, and expertise into specific areas of need in a country.

For further information on the Conference on Honduras 2003, e-mail hondopost@yahoo.com or go to http://www.projecthonduras.com/
conference
 

In Cantarranas IX Festival of Traditional Foods

By SARAH DAVIES

SAN JUAN DE FLORES — On Sunday April 27 hundreds of Hondurans from around the country descended into the small and normally quiet town of Cantarranas for the ninth festival of traditional foods . The festival has been organized in an attempt to teach traditional cooking and artistic practices to today’s increasingly busy generation.

Women of the elder generations from small towns and villages, largely in the central and western regions of Honduras, gather to share their knowledge and expertise in cooking typical regional dishes that today’s younger generations seem to no longer have the time or the skills to prepare. Dishes are often so time consuming that one ingredient can take a whole morning to prepare.

Dishes include Picadillo, a dry beef and vegetable dish with cheese flour balls, that has a particularly slow and careful preparation process. Tapado, a beef and vegetable soup dish, native to Olancho that is cooked for a number of hours covered at the top and bottom with plantain leaves. Other main dishes include Pastelitos de Perro, Nicarigue (chicken, achiote, beef and masa) along with various types of sausage and salted meats, typical of pre-refrigeration transportation, and specialized breads from La Paz.

There are also a number of local desserts to be found in the fair including the very sweet Coyoles en miel, a great favorite with children and Pan de Rosa. Meals are accompanied by traditional beverages including the, almost fermented, Chicha de Piña, made from maize and pineapple, and the unsurprisingly sugary Jugo de Cana. Drinks are purchased in traditional drinking vessels made of bamboo or coconut shells, adding to the rustic and exotic feel of the festival.

To accompany the traditional aura of the festival the Town Square hosts a small stage exhibiting local entertainment. Included was folk music from Yuscaran and Suyapa along with other small local bands, traditional village dances, as well as plays from the theatre group of Cantarranas and a mime show by the ´Grupo Teatral Walabis´. There was also a spectacular display of the ´Gigantonas and Enanos´ from Yuscaran, a display of giant puppets and dwarfs, in traditional dress, accompanied by Mojigangas, dancing ladies in elaborate costume and masks.

This year’s festival of Cantarranas was a great success. The buses from Tegucigalpa were filled to, and over, capacity and the small town was crowded with people. The stalls, small bars and restaurants were heaving and the shows were met by a receptive and lively audience.

All in all it was a fantastic opportunity to revel in some of the history and culture of Honduras and to discover the flavor and essence of our Central and Western regions.





A look at Japanese culture through contemporary posters

Poster by Tatahisa Kamijyo

By SUYAPA CARÌAS

TEGUCIGALPA — Bright colors, suggestive images and catchy slogans are some of the elements that bring viewers to take an interested look at Japanese society, through the touring exhibit “Discover Japan through Contemporary Posters.”

The exhibit includes more than 70 poster works of current Japanese graphic designers who have conceived this form of social art to express themselves, instead of solely using it for commercial purposes. Masutero Aoba, Kaoru Kasai, Shigeo Fukuda, Kenya Hara, Shin Matsunaga, and Ikko Tanaka are some of the artists involved.

This is the latest project set up by the Japan Foundation in Tegucigalpa, since its creation in 1972, with the purpose of introducing Japanese culture overseas and enhancing mutual understanding with other countries.

Through the foundation’s exhibition division, it is possible for Japan to participate in many international exhibitions, such as the Venice Biennial and the Sao Paulo Biennial. The department also works with overseas museums in the organization of larger-scale projects.

The traveling exhibition program displays an extremely diverse array of objects, from prints and photographs to traditional crafts and Japanese dolls. Currently, approximately 20 different kinds of exhibitions are being held year-round throughout the world, all of them being warmly received.



Motagua - a walk in the park for Marathon

BY EMMA BOYLE

TEGUCIGALPA – An obscure, cold and desolate night last Tuesday was the setting for the dismal cup match between Motagua and Marathon. Fighting it out for a place in the Quarter-finals, Marathon edged ahead after winning 0-1. A cheerful, musical, though sparse crowd of fans braved the rain, which stopped just before the starting whistle.

The game, while at times good, was marred by foul, or at least clumsy, play from both sides. The “Eagles” lacked creativity and luck during the game and instead played in a risky manner that cast a dark shadow over their hopes of appearing in the Quarter-finals. The Sampedranos had come to the capital in order to win their three points and gain a place in the next round, and have returned home with both in the bag. This defeat for Motagua has also given hope to other teams such as Vida, University and Platense who now have revived confidence in their chances.

At the beginning of the first half Motagua showed promise with plenty of enthusiasm. Francisco Pavon in mid-field, Jorge Lozano in defense and Jairo Martinez in attack demonstrated some good quality ball play, but it could not be sustained. Many bad tackles by the blues and careless passes gave away free shots, which fueled Marathon and contributed to Motagua’s loss of overall attacking ability and poor teamwork that failed to impress upon the Marathon defense.

And it was Marathon’s good defense and equally methodical striking ability, along with Motagua’s mistakes that opened up the game for them and gave them far more chances and shots on goal. It is down to Noel Valladares, playing well in goal for Motagua, that Marathon didn’t get any more goals.

After 20 minutes, the greens had seized upon Motagua’s lapse of the game, gained confidence and had taken control of the match. Denilson Costa proved to be a constant danger for Motagua, and Victor Bernandez could not be contained by them. At 27 minutes Marathon, sweeping in to the goal area, won a corner kick which, through Motagua’s befuddled efforts at a clearance, resulted in Marathon scoring, done so easily by Darwin Pacheco, to make the score-line 0-1.

After half-time it seemed that the Eagles would make a comeback when Jairo took the chance to equalize for Motagua. During a scuffled attempt at kicking the ball into the goal he was taken out by the goal-keeper, Victor Coello, which resulted in the central referee, Marillo Carranza disallowing the goal. After this, any hope left to equalize faded for the blues.
No more goals featured in the game even though an opportunity arose for the Greens to raise their lead when Noel Valladores was penalized for a bad tackle on Lopez in the penalty area resulting in a free shot for Marathon. Costa took it and failed to score, shooting out wide. However, just one goal proved to be enough for them to take their place in the next round.

The ‘Eagles’ ended the game with nine players after the sending off of Jairo Martinez and Victor Bernandez, while Marathon finished with ten players after the expulsion of Paccini. In addition, Valladares, Walter Lopez and Salinas received Yellow cards.
Alejandro Dominguez, coach of Motagua commented that the game was disappointing because they would have liked to secure their place in the next round over Marathon.
He continued to say that now they have increased pressure on them to win the remainder of their matches.

The coach of Marathon, Flavio Ortega, was rightly pleased with his team’s performance and said that the Greens would be taking full advantage of this win in the next round.

Homeopathy throws Honduras a lifeline

By MATT CONRAD

TEGUCIGALPA — Karl Robinson M.D. gives another class in his answer to the medical problems of third world countries like Honduras. As a student of homeopathy for the best part of thirty years, and a member of Homeopaticos Sin Fronteras, an imitation of the French organization Medecins Sans Frontiers, he exports homeopathy from the United States to places that he thinks will benefit from this alternative health care. He has already trained doctors in Cuba and makes several teaching trips a month to Honduras, to lecture medical students and other alternative medics such as acupuncturists.

HTW asked Robinson why he believes a country like Honduras could benefit from alternative medicine. Should genuinely sick patients take risks with their health, when often they cannot take much time off of work to recuperate? “Homeopathy is a very cheap and very affective,” says Robinson “There are no side effects as with conventional medicine and this type of treatment tends to thoroughly cure the problem instead of merely palliating or abating the illness only for it to return later.” “But the cost issue is one that should certainly be noted, I can treat a patient in the United States for US$5 a month and still make a profit; and this I think is why homeopathy could flourish in Honduras,” he said.

Many of the minerals, herbs and venom needed in manufacturing the medicines are found in Honduras anyway, making the treatments even cheaper to produce. The ingredients are serially of diluted and then are put through a series of “succussions,” literally shaken until they are barely visible and totally soluble.

Homeopathy’s only disadvantage compared to conventional drugs is its difficulty in prescription. Before any medication is given the patient is interviewed, an hour for adults and hour and a half for children, to definitely determine the symptoms so as to prescribe the medicine as accurately as possible. In any case Robinson is confident that homeopathy is a very viable alternative to conventional drugs.
 

CULTURAL EVENTS  

ART

CONTEMPORARY PAINTINGS - THROUGH MAY 8 - The San Pedro Sula Cultural Center is host to an exhibit of contemporary paintings by Honduran artist Melvin Alvarado, titled "Jugando con Las Formas."

MOTHER'S DAY PAINTING EXHIBIT - MAY 6 - The Honduran Institute of Inter-American Culture (IHCI) is hosting its traditional painting exhibit held to celebrate Honduran Mother's Day, titled "Signos y Belleza." Around 30 Honduran and foreign female artists will display their latest works in this event. The inauguration will take place at 7 p.m. in the new facilities of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Tegucigalpa in Blvd. Miraflores. The following day, the exhibit will be transferred to the IHCI in Calle Real Comayaguela, where it will be open for two weeks. For more information, call 222-0703.

ART CONFERENCE - MAY 6 - The Honduran Institute of History and Anthropology invite the public to a conference on "School influence in the development of sacred Honduran art", to be offered by Honduran historian Mario Felipe Martinez. It will be held at the Old Presidential Palace in downtown Tegucigalpa, from 7 p.m. Admission is free.

GASTRONOMY

POTPOURRI

ART CONTEST - DUE MAY 25 - The Ministry of Poland is sponsoring the Fifth International Artistic Contest for Youngsters and Children. People aged 3 to 25 can participate with free techniques. Proposals should be sent to Mlozlezowy Don Cultury Pl-42- 200 C Zestoochowa.UL.Lukasinskiego 68, Polony before May 25.

INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST - The Ministry of Culture has announced the International Contest of Cooperation for Development Photography. Works can be presented in color or black and white. They must show the participants' country situation, as the jury will grade the level of visual and creative perception in regards to a relevant happening or tradition. The first place will earn a three thousand euros prize, while the second and third places will receive 1,800 and 1,200 euros. For more information, call 221-3928.

PACKING AND TECHNICAL EXPO WORKSHOP - MAY 26 - The National Association of Industrial Businessmen (ANDI) will hold an expo workshop on Product Packing Design and Technical Assistance, to be offered by Taiwanese experts. It will be held at the facilities of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Tegucigalpa (CCIT) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 239-1238/39.

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

h 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.