"These aren't paintings they are part of me. They are part of the way I feel about Honduras."

By MALIN RISING

Imagine living your worst nightmare. Imagine death and destruction. Imagine loneliness. Then imagine God, wonders and renewed hope. Meet Ronald Logan; Honduras resident and artist who despite his tragic life story, sees the beauty of the world through his paintings.

In an apartment in central Tegucigalpa, canvas after canvas is being filled with the colors of Honduran landscapes. Sunsets in Tela, streets in Tegucigalpa and beaches on the Bay Islands are all being depicted in rapid success by the ball of creative energy that is Ronald Logan. Since his arrival in Honduras four years ago, the retired US citizen has painted more than 70 impressions of the country that he loves and sees no end to his creativity. "I have been around the world but I have never really seen anything as diverse and beautiful as Honduras," he says.

But his work does not simply capture the beauty of the landscapes, it also has a life of its own. Inspired by Turner and the French Impressionists, Logan's paintings reveal new pleasures to the eye each time they are being viewed. "Look at the sun in that one and look at the reflection; that water changes constantly when you watch it," he says while showing me his work. "These aren't paintings they are part of me. They are part of the way I feel about Honduras."

Yet behind the positive attitude that Logan displays today lies a life filled with suffering. Unlike anyone else, Logan has experienced the truly dark side of life, which has made him appreciate the beautiful moments of his late years all the more. Once married with three children, he went through the torment of loosing both of his two daughters and his wife.

Struggling against his tears, he tells the story of how first, his 10-year old daughter was killed as she was hit by a car and then, three years later his 16-year old daughter died in a motorbike accident. Following the suffering that this brought to the family, his wife turned to alcohol abuse which finally killed her too. Deep in depression and at this stage doubting his belief in God, Logan was a broken man. But, the turning point came with yet another accident.

This time it was his son Ron, who miraculously survived after being hit by a car on his way to work. With a severe brain injury he was on the operating table for hours and the doctors doubted he would ever be able to live a normal life again. But, says Logan: "My son has now been to college and I have a grandson. God not only gave me Jesus Christ but he also gave me the most precious thing that I could ever have; my son's life back."

Because of what happened that night, Logan regained his belief in God and once again began seeing the beauty of the world. He also felt that it was his calling to communicate this to other people. He says: "That night really changed my life. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that if Ron had died I would have died too, but God would not allow it, there was something else that I was to do in this world."

It was at this stage that he decided to move to Honduras. Once in Tegucigalpa, for the first time in many years, he began painting. He says: "I used to paint back in 1960s but my working life killed that. I worked with marketing and advertising and that took all my creative juices. It was only when I got here that I started painting in earnest again. I really believe it is God's will that the world should see and love Honduras the way that I do."

CULTURAL EVENTS

ART

WOMEN IN THE ARTS - Mujeres en las Artes One of the strongest artistic movements in Tegucigalpa. Mujeres en la Artes Leticia de Oyuela constantly sponsors workshops, exhibitions, conferences, art shows and community events in the city. For the complete schedule, log on to www.muuartes.org.hn or contact Veronica Romero at 222 3015.

PHOTO EXPOSITION.- "The Landscapes of Mexico and Honduras through their Painters," will be inaugurated on Wednesday, September 9 at 7:00 PM. Mexican Embassy, Eucalipto Avenue, No. 1001, Col. Lomas del Guijarro.

RINGS FOR A LADY.- Theatrical play, original of Antonio Gala. Teatro Renacimiento in Blvd. Fuerzas Armadas. All through September, Fridays at 8:00 PM, Saturdays at 5:00 and 8:00 PM. Entrance: Lps. 70.00

MUSIC & DANCE

KARAOKE - SATURDAYS - The Hotel Intercontinental, located opposite the Multiplaza Mall in Tegucigalpa, hosts a karaoke night every Saturday at 8 p.m. Entrance is free. For more information, call the Hotel Intercontinental at 231-1300.

LIVE MUSIC - FRIDAYS - The Medieval Restaurant opposite the United Nations building in Colonia Palmira, Tegucigalpa, has live music every Friday at 9 p.m. Entrance is free. For more -information call 232-5435

ART AND CULTURE IN HONDURAS: "Casita del Pueblo" . Enjoy the band of the house and live shows, Honduran traditional food and beverages, art crafts and more. NOW in Valle de Angeles in front of the Central Park, next to the House of Culture. For more information call: 238-0110, 776-2907 or email us at: casitadelpueblohn@yahoo.com.

CUBAN SINGER AND HIS GUITARR.- Enjoy live music played by Cuban singer Roberto Gutiérrez and his guitar every Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm in Bar Scenario, Hotel Real Intercontinental, San Pedro Sula. For more information call: 553-0000

WHERE THE SUN NEVER COMES OUT.- Dance all night long in ElectroniK, the only disco that plays full techno, trance, house, electronic, jungle, hip-hop and some reggaetton music. Dark, sexy not just for the tame of heart! Visit us in Col. Palmira in front of Hotel Plaza San Martin.

LIVE JAZZ ON WEDNESDAYS.- The Hotel Marriott hosts pianist/composer Camilo Corea and his 7-oiece band Altamar, playing jazz every Wednesday night, 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm in their public bar/lobby area. Music includes jazz (Latin and North American standards and originals) and popular songs. Entrance is free!

THEATRE

BAILARINES EXPRESS.- Enjoy the nice, good-looking view of Argentinean boys in La Reforma Theatre, Col. La Reforms. Entrance is L.80.00. Time: 8:00 pm.

FILM

INDEPENDENT FILMS - EVERY TUESDAY - Café Paradiso in Barrio La Plazuela, Tegucigalpa, offers independent films every Tuesday at 7 p.m. The films are selected by Cine Olay. Entrance is free. Call Café Paradiso at 237-0337 for more information.

FOOD

MARISCOS Y MAS, OPEN IN SAN PEDRO SULA Your new option before taking off. Enjoy domestic lounge in the Villeda Morales airport in San Pedro...different tasty good clean atmosphere...Cajun Spanish Honduran menu featuring. Country fried steak, popcorn shrimp, cajun red beans and rice, whole red snapper, poor boy sandwich- open from 6:00 am to 7:00 pm seven days a week starting Monday, February 16.

SUNDAY BRUNCH AT THE HONDURAN ARAB CLUB IN SAN PEDRO SULA- Enjoy a fine selection of Italian cuisine in the most exclusive atmosphere in San Pedro Sula. Every Sunday at 11:30 am. Club Hondureño-Arabe. Various price.

FAIRS AND SHOWS

MINIATURE AIRPLANE SHOW- SUNDAYS- The members of the Aeromodeling Club in Tegucigalpa invite the entire family to enjoy their valuable collection of miniature real flying aircrafts. Small in size but great in entertainment. At the Segundo Batallon de Infanteria, Tamara Valley, Carretera del Norte, a half hour from Tegucigalpa on the road to San Pedro Sula. Beginning at 10:00 a.m. Entrance is free.

HONDURAN AIR MUSEUM Toncontin Airport, Behind the Officers Club at the Air Force of Tegucigalpa. Tel 233-4623-233-4692 ext 2108 On weekdays groups are received upon appointment. 18 airplanes amongst them the North American NA-16 left in the world. . F4U5 corsair, P-63,AT-11,T-28,F-86,DC-6 and others. Entrance adults Lps 10.00 Children and elderly Lps 5.00 Non residents US$ 10.00. Open Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

SPORTS

CANOPY TOUR - WEEKENDS - Canopy tours are available every weekend in Valle de Angeles, 45 minutes outside Tegucigalpa, before 5 p.m. Each tour costs Lps. 375.00. Go to the last bus stop in the town. At the corner of the main street on the right, there is a big white building selling artisan crafts. Ask for more information here.

MOUNTAIN CYCLISM.- If you want to get away from it all, on your bike, and enjoy the mountain view call Honduras Bike now:239-2190. Only weekends!

CONFERENCES AND EXPOSITIONS

CONFERENCE HONDURAS 2004.- Support the education, health services and communitarian projects of Honduras in the Fifth Annual Conference of Honduras in Copan Ruins from the 21st to the 24th of October. This event will include people involved in assistance projects in Honduras as well as those interested in providing their talent, knowledge and experience in a variety of programs. The conference will be presented by projecthonduras.com. For more information visit our website: www.projecthonduras.com/conference

AROMATHERAPY.- By Cristina Matsuura. Join us in our Tuesday evening chats at Café Savant and talk with the experts. Date: Tuesday, September 28 at 5:30 PM. For more information call 239-0351.

Dates, times and locations of events are subject to change. Please contact event hosts for further information.

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

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.

Honduran homosexuals forced into a life of secrecy

By MALIN RISING

Last week the Government of Honduras took its first step towards improving the situation for the country's homosexual community by granting legal recognition to three gay organizations. But as Collectiva Violeta, Comunidad Gay Sanpedrana and Kukulkán celebrated their judicial victory, yet another transsexual was murdered on the streets of Tegucigalpa. Honduras This Week reports on the violence and discrimination suffered by the country's homosexuals.
On the morning of September 8 'Leonela'- a 34 year old transsexual sex worker was found stabbed to death in downtown Tegucigalpa -an incident which has stirred up further fear among the city's homosexuals, whose everyday lives are already plagued by threats and abuse. One gay prostitute, Bridget spoke to Honduras This Week about the situation on the streets, saying: "I often get humiliated or beaten up by people in the street who dislike me because I am homosexual. The worst thing is the feeling of being rejected by society."

With a charismatic and lively personality, 25-year old Bridget has made it through eight years of working on the streets of the capital. Unlike many heterosexual prostitutes, she is drug free and a practicing Christian who dreams about one day being able to buy her own house.

The sex market, she says is the only job market available for Honduran homosexuals who have chosen to be open about their sexual orientation. "Most of us would like to get other jobs but it is hard because of the discrimination against us. This work is very unsafe and there are a lot of crazy people around."

One of the every day problems faced by Bridget and her colleagues is police violence. Sharing their profits with corrupt officers is standard procedure to avoid being beaten up but often that is not enough. The harrowing facts of life for the country's homosexuals include physical, psychological and sexual abuse. "The police beat me because I am a homosexual and once I was raped by a policeman. Us gays are beaten more than the female prostitutes," Bridget says.

According to Amnesty International, her experiences are not unique but are the result of large-scale discrimination against gay people by the Honduran Police Force. In a report issued earlier this year, Amnesty was especially critical of the fact that the police have failed to charge those who killed the transsexual 'Ericka' in San Pedro Sula last year. The report states: "The fact that the Honduran authorities have not brought justice against those responsible for the death of transsexual 'Ericka' shows that impunity reigns in Honduras with respect to the extrajudicial executions of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transsexuals."

Answering these accusations, the Minister of Security Oscar Alvarez says: "We have sent out orders to all the directors of the different police departments that tell them to treat all members of society equally but for us to be able to stop this we also need the homosexuals to formalize their accusations against the police force - fill out official complaints."

For these measures to be taken, the legal recognition of the three gay organizations will be of great importance. Whilst in the past it has been difficult for individual homosexuals to file a complaint against the police, they now have the opportunity to get formal backing from one of their organizations. Bridget expresses some hope for the future, saying: "I feel rejected by society but I hope the new law will be able to better protect the gay community against violence. We have asked for this law for years but the government has denied us legal recognition but maybe now things will change."

Yet, some critics say that the judicial recognition of the three organizations will have very little impact on the reality of people's lives. The fact remains that due to widespread homophobic attitudes the majority of gays in Honduras live without ever speaking about their sexual preferences and contrary to that which is openly discussed, these people exist at all levels of our society. A 22-year old bisexual university student, who does not wish to expose her name, tells Honduras This Week: "It is difficult to be gay in Honduras because nobody talks about it here. Everybody is quiet because if people at your work find out you will lose your job."

These discriminating attitudes are deeply embedded in Honduran society and strongly influenced by the Catholic Church, who commented on last week's developments by saying: "It's sad that the government is giving its blessing to homosexuals, it implies that kind of behavior is acceptable." For Bridget, whose father is a pastor and who herself is a Christian, these opinions are saddening but also ironic. She says: "The church is angry and says that we are not normal but the truth is that there are a lot of gay men in the church. There is a man from the church who comes and wants to make love to a friend of mine. Most of the pastors are homosexuals."

Despite this, the influence of the religious leaders of the country are strong, leaving efforts from international organizations such as Amnesty marginal in their effect and a change of public opinion unlikely. Meanwhile, people like Bridget continue living everyday lives filled with sexual abuse, threats and beatings. That is unless they are one of the thousands of homo-, bi- or transsexuals in Honduras who have opted for a life in silence.

Conference on Honduras 2004 to be Held in Copan Ruins

By LISA MCKIDDIE

WASHINGTON, DC / September 8, 2004 / - The fifth annual Conference on Honduras will take place in Copan Ruins, Honduras, on October 21-24, 2004. The event will bring together more than 300 individuals representing over 100 non-governmental organizations (NGOs), agencies, companies, churches, foundations, medical brigades, and universities.

The focus of the Conference on Honduras 2004 will be education, healthcare, and community building. The aim is to present and exchange information on current and proposed grassroots volunteer projects to help the people of Honduras. "We want to figure out how to improve and expand these projects, as well as encourage people to go out and create new projects," said the director of the conference, Marco Cáceres.

The program will consist of eight panels, made up of 3-6 speakers each. Speakers will give prepared presentations lasting no more than 15 minutes. The panels will include the Panel on HIV/AIDS, Panel on Education, Panel on Community Building #1, Panel on Community Building #2, Panel on Healthcare, Panel on Orphanages & Homes for Children, Panel on Youth Empowerment, and Panel on Missions. There will be four stand-alone presentations on Networking, Sustainability, Fundraising, and Future Schools.

The conference will feature a full-day Workshop on Sustainable Programs, led by Kathy Tscheigg, RN, of the Central American Medical Outreach in Orrville, Ohio. 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 six years, the volunteer group has created an online portal at 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 4,000 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 Cáceres. "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 2004, See
www.projecthonduras.com/conference. The conference will be presented by projecthonduras.com and sponsored by Special Missions Foundation, Inc. of Georgetown, Texas

Maduro´s Daughters Donates Educational Games and Lunch to Child Care Center

A hundred girls and boys at the child care center in the municipality of Linaca, El Paraiso, received educational games and lunch from the daughters of President Maduro, Carolina and Lorena Maduro, Friday August 13th.

The smallest children at this center have limited economic resources and come from broken homes ran by single mothers who have between five and six children; youngsters in most communities in Honduras find themselves in this situation.

"We really admire this honorable project, which has an enormous impact on these children and the whole Linaca community," said Carolina Maduro. The children also receive substantial help with their academic studies. One program reinforces their skills in mathematics, arts and crafts and sports.
There is also a sewing workshop, and computer equipment that the children learn to use, explained the president's oldest daughter.

The Child Care Development Center in Linaca attends to approximately 200 children, who enjoy recreational opportunities unique for this area. The Maduro sisters already visited this center a month ago, and donated 30 educational games, puzzles, swings, among others.

This time, in their second visit, they provided several games and toys and a collection of books that will be at the disposition of the girls and boys that attend this center on a daily basis. The daughters of the president announced that this project in Linaca was the first one in Honduras and expect to extend it into the whole national territory in the near future.

The child care center is directed by the Nufio family, and receive help and support from Nelly Smith and José Córdova, who managed to contact Ander Crenshnw, representative of the National Congress of the United States, and obtained donations that have maintained this center.

The Center of Child Development of Linaca is operating since last year and offers academic reinforcement, medical attention, Christian orientation, food and clothing to those children in need of this support.

Math in Honduras to Take Quantum Leap

By ALEJANDRA PAREDES

Elvis Josué is 8 years old and walks daily to the José María Casco school in Colonia Sosa, south of Tegucigalpa. He is the fourth child of Elvis and Vilma , who work in the city as a street vendor and a housekeeper respectively. During 2004, little Elvis has not only lost more than two months of classes (due to teacher strikes) but is failing math amongst other subjects. Vilma blames the situation not only on Elvis´ lack of interest in school, but on his teacher, a woman that according to the worried mother, has a weak character and "bad" teaching skills. At this point in time, with two months to go, Vilma is sure Elvis will have to repeat second grade. But next year, the mathematics classes Elvis will receive will completely different. Next year, he will learn a "new" kind of mathematics, fun and easier to understand.

For on 2005, Honduran children in public schools will begin to learn mathematics, according to a completely new curriculum , which was established with the help of Japanese math experts. This represents a quantum leap for Honduran mathematics instruction , as Japan holds the number one position at a worldwide level regarding Mathematics instruction, according to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). This advance is possible thanks to efforts carried out between Honduran and Japanese Education institutions in the face of the deficient situation regarding math instruction in Honduran elementary schools.

Historically, Honduran education has been characterized by elevated indexes in school desertion and grade repetition. In spite of primary school attendance being of 95% at almost equal proportion between boys and girls, an investigation(2000) shows that only 68.5% of the children conclude their primary school studies. Furthermore only 31.9% do so in the mandatory six year period.
The main reason for this has been poor achievement in Spanish and Mathematics and the low quality of the Honduran teachers. In a country where education is a must to fight poverty, the Honduran government, with the help of Japan and other donor countries, aims to face this situation with concrete actions.

This week, a Japanese team of experts working on the Project for the Improvement of Teaching Method in Mathematics (PROMETAM) concluded the mid-term evaluation of the project, with positive results. The minutes of the meetings, carried out over a period of two weeks by authorities of the Honduran government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) were signed by Carlos Avila Molina, Secretariat of Education, Brenie Matute Arias, Secretariat of International Cooperation, Ramón Ulises Salgado Peña, president of the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional Francisco Morazán, and Mazasumi Ogawa, leader of the mid term Evaluation team from JICA.
The project will culminate on the next school year, on January 2005, when all the public schools of Honduras, from grades 1st to 6th, will have completely new mathematics learning system, complete with new workbooks and teachers guides.

The PROMETAM project is the result of years of hard work carried out by Honduran and Japanese education experts, who have participated in activities that range from teacher training by Japanese volunteers (JOCV´s), to the design and production of the teachers guides and new books, headed by expert Takeshi Sekiya, at the Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Capacitación Educativa, INICE.

The new mathematics system culminates fifteen years of hard work, where the Japanese cooperation through the joint efforts of volunteers and experts, have been training Honduran teachers in primary schools in Honduras. Initially the volunteers carried out training sessions with more than 20,000 teachers in twelve Honduran departments, which enabled them to gather information in order to design the reform required to carry out the transformation . This reform has been carried out as a pilot project in the departamentos of El Paraíso, Ocotepeque, and Colón.

The results of this ongoing phase are to be taken into consideration to improve and expand the new learning and teaching system to the rest of the country. According to volunteers like Yumi Kitano, who carried out teacher training in Danlí, she was surprised to see that both children and teachers seem to enjoy the new approach on mathematics, which made her own experience a memorable and enjoyable one.

This fact is good news for people like Vilma, who express concern over the future of her children. Who knows, she says. Maybe next year Elvis will discover that he does like mathematics after all.

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Small Steps, Big Changes: Fighting for the under privileged children of Copan

Marloes and some of the children

By DIANA ESPIRITO SANTO

Leon Louwhoff and Marloes Davelaar look just like your average young Dutch couple. She's fair skinned, blond and petite, her English neatly punctuated by a characteristic Northern European accent, while he towers above everyone else in sheer physical mass and strength, his small-framed glasses looking out of place for so imposing a figure. Soft spoken and perhaps a little shy, they're still half way through learning Spanish, but you can tell by their relentless enthusiasm that it won't take long. They met at work - at a hydraulics company in a small town in Holland - and two months later set off to see the world together. For more than six months they traveled through the Americas, to the United States and Canada, Mexico and Belize, and then finally to Copan Ruinas, a quick stop on their journey south. They had intended to stay three, maybe four days. But that was almost three months ago. Since then, Leon and Marloes (pronounced like the Spanish 'Marluz') have had only one thing on their mind: the children of the Guarderia Los Angelitos Felices in Copan. And it doesn't seem like they're heading home anytime soon.

When I meet them to talk about their work, they show me a large black folder where they keep all the relevant information on the guarderia. Letters, notes, lists of chores, copies of emails and newsletters they've been writing to friends and family who have expressed interest in helping the orphanage, and even two newspaper cuttings from local and daily regional newspapers in Holland that have featured stories on their fundraising and volunteer work (although, curiously enough, neither of them have any idea how news of their activities got out). It's all in Dutch, or most of it, but I get Marloes to translate some of it. Leon tells me he's busy writing to small companies and businesses, and even "big banks" for donations, but that so far he has had very little success. It has been largely through their more personal connections in Holland that Leon and Marloes have managed to raise some awareness and even some cash. Even Leon's old basketball team has pitched in. So far nearly the equivalent of a thousand dollars has been stored in a separate account in Holland for the guarderia's use, although they are hoping for a much more substantial figure once they set up a website for Los Angelitos and start working on fundraising in English as well as in Dutch. I notice a letter in their folder from the Japanese embassy. They tell me that you can apply for a grant of up to $85,000 dollars - with which they envision the building of a new and more modern site for the guarderia - but you have to own the land first. And it will take a lot of fundraising to be able to buy land in Copan Ruinas. "The most important thing we're doing right now is the teaching - providing some structure to the kids' lives, keeping them occupied, stimulated", they insist. Everything else will take time and patience.

On the morning I visited the guarderia, a simple, three-room concrete building perched high on one of those steeply inclined cobbled stone streets so unique to Copan, Leon and Marloes were teaching some of the small children the names of the animals. The children, most wearing visibly worn-out tattered clothes and barefoot, gathered noisily around Leon as he drew them outlines of giraffes and elephants to color in. Some of them were experimenting with finger painting. A little boy called David came up to me and hugged me. His friendliness and openness, as that of all the other children who ended up knowing me by name after only a few minutes, overwhelmed me. There is a single classroom for all forty of the permanent and day-care children that need looking after every day, who range in age from just twenty months to twelve years (with the average age at around six). It was only in July that a teacher was hired to work with the children (recently another has volunteered to teach part-time - Bill), and when I arrived they were busy doing hand-writing exercises. She also sleeps over every night, sharing the guarderia's single bedroom with everyone else. Of the forty children, twenty-two live there on a permanent basis. Nineteen are the sons and daughters of five women who are also fixed residents of Los Angelitos. In fact, Marloes explains, the guarderia works as a 'safe house' for abused or abandoned women, more than anything else. At least one of the women living here is escaping violence at home, and another was left with her five children when her husband preferred another woman. And its doors are always open to others in similar circumstances. The other three children are without mother and father or any other relative that may have otherwise been fit to take care of them. Abusive stepfamilies are a typical cause, problematic siblings, or simply grandparents that live too far or are too poor. Living conditions are cramped, however, with children sleeping four or five to a single bed, and it's doubtful whether the guarderia will be able to accommodate many more homeless women or orphaned children.

Los Angelitos was set up by Delsy Arbelina Cuevas Pineda, owner of El Sesteo Restaurant in Copan Ruinas, and has existed under her co-ordination for four years. Much of the money for its supplies and food has come from her pocket. There are others in town who, too, contribute (some hotels and restaurants, for instance, although mostly scraps and carcasses of chicken), but generally the effort is not as organized as it could be, Marloes and Leon tell me. They, too, contribute a thousand lempiras a week from the money raised so far, as well as helping to pay the teacher's salary at the end of the month, and have recently helped purchase some much-needed school uniforms for some of the children. But providing adequate meals day after day is already a job more difficult than would at first appear. In total, there are something like eighty-three children 'registered' at the guarderia. This means that there is always food and accommodation available for them if there is ever any trouble at home. Most come from violent or single-parent homes. In return, their mothers have to put in a day's work a week at the guarderia to ensure the continuation of this privilege, which is often their day off. Resources are scarce, and finding the nine thousand or so lempiras a month it takes to maintain the most basic needs of those depending on the guarderia is a strenuous effort every time. The fact is: most of Copan's potential donors are just not charitable enough.

When I ask them how long they intend to live in Copan, Leon and Marloes give me an evasive answer. "We feel at home here, we're happy" they tell me. Perhaps another year, perhaps five. Certainly, the guarderia has become the main focus of their daily lives, and they're eager to see some of their big plans come to pass. Importantly, new land for the guarderia would bring about the opportunity for incomparable change in the children's quality of life. Plans for the cultivation of soy beans, which would provide food for the children and work for the mothers, as well as a vegetable garden to supplement their diet, and a soccer field, are all dreams that could materialize. But, more modestly, Leon and Marloes want to make a difference more immediately in the children's lives, by taking them out on fieldtrips, for instance, doing museum visits, and participating in art workshops: getting them out. Until the day comes when a transformation in living conditions becomes possible, any little change does make a difference.

If you want to get in touch with the Marloes and Leon or find out how you can help Los Angelitos Felices, please email: safehouselosangelitos@yahoo.com

Native Honduran Ceramics Becoming Easier to Find

By WENDY GRIFFIN

In 100 BC the Lenca Indians of Western Honduras and El Salvador were already exporting ceramics. In pre-Columbian times, Lenca ceramics reached not only the Mayas of Copan, but also the coastal towns in Mexico such as in Oaxaca and near Tula and El Tajin. That tradition of beautiful ceramics has changed its styles, but it continues still today, when it is increasing in popularity with tourists and shop owners. The Museum of Anthropology and History gift shop in san Pedro Sula, El Baul in Copan Ruins, and the Rainforest in La Ceiba were just a few of the places carrying it.

I was reluctant to buy ceramics in Copan as I still had a lot of travelling to do. The owner of El Baul, who carries three different styles of Honduran ceramics, assured me that well packed, the ceramics would arrive intact. I experimented with a comal and a clay chicken that has become the symbol of the Honduran Institute of Tourism. Both survived five long bus trips, a flight on TACA and two bus transfers and taxi rides in the US.

Known for their strength are the Lencan ceramics from the community of La Campa, outside Gracias, Lempira. There in the central park of Gracias is a statue of a Lencan man carrying ceramics in a woven bag on his back. Before, this was the only way the ceramics could get to the market. The store Casi Todo (Almost Everything) in Copan Ruinas carries the traditional cream and red pots of this community. They also sell modern Chorti-Maya bean pots which have no painted designs on them at all.

South of Tegucigalpa is a Lenca community called Ojojona, also famous for its dance of a guancasco with neighbouring Lepaterique. It is an easy Sunday drive for a one day bus trip from Tegucigalpa. The Lencas there have set up a centre so people can buy their pottery. Some shops in Valle de Angeles come here to buy their ceramics.

Lenca ceramics are even available on the Internet now. Putting Lenca in a search engine like Yahoo will turn up sites like bexport.com and lightening-stone.com which sell La Arada pottery and petate mats. One site even has some of the smoky black Lencan ceramics from another village in Western Honduras that I consider among the best of Honduran art.

The Ministry of Culture recently published a book on Honduran crafts by Honduran Indians and Ladinos called "Viaje por el Universo Artesanal de Honduras" (Voyage through the Universe of Crafts in Honduras). The author, Alessandra de Foletti, previously head of the Ministry of Culture's PROPAITH craft program, describes with beautiful photos and much detail how these ceramics are made, in spite of severe poverty of their makers. The book is available through Libreria Paraiso in Tegucigalpa and is the best material the Ministry has ever produced on Honduran Indians. I have told anthropology students at the National Teaching University (UPN) "If you can buy only one book on Honduran Indians, buy this one."

With the help of this book and efforts to publicize Honduran crafts such as the poorly stocked native craft shop in front of the Copan Ruinas Sculpture Museum, perhaps even more people will work to make Honduran crafts as accessible as those in neighbouring Guatemala.