COMMUNITY
PROFILE
K.E.E.P.R.A.H
Kinship Economics Education
Politics Religion Association
Health
Municipal Development South East Group IV, September 2001
Sabanagrande, Francisco Morazán, Honduras
Information Compiled by:
Deborah Vargas
Richard Counts
James Bach
David Blais
Jennifer Fitzgerald
Shawn “Miguel” Silvera
Meredith Singletary
Diana Villella
Alana Cherlin
Jason Sem
Meghan Maguire
Bryan Marsalis
Kinship
Gender Roles-
Gender roles are clearly defined in Sabanagrande; women perform
the domestic
tasks of cooking, cleaning, laundry, child raising. In addition
to these tasks,
women often undertake income generating activities to support the
family.
Children also assist with domestic duties, but this
responsibility is mainly
placed on the female children. The children also contribute to
household income
by selling sundries on the street and door to door. Men in the
family are often
absent, as they work outside the home. Commonly, men travel to
Tegucigalpa or
even abroad to find work. When present, men make the financial
decisions for
the household.
Extended Family and the Rearing of Children-
Social networks of extended family and friends are important in
Sabanagrande.
Several generations of a family often live within the same
dwelling. The
responsibility of child care is often shared within this extended
family. In
cases where the mother works outside the home, grandmothers,
older female
children or neighbor women are entrusted with the care of younger
children. It
has been observed, however, that this system of child care often
results in a
lack of supervision of children and some discipline problems.
In addition to sharing child care responsibilities, family
members pool
resources to complete major projects – such as home
improvements – and to cover
daily household expenses.
Economics
Income Generation and the Local Economy-
Cottage industries (i.e., home-based work and small scale
production in the
house) and informal work (e.g., part-time vending and day labor)
comprise a
substantial portion of household income in Sabanagrande. Much of
this type of
work is performed by women and children. Remittances from family
members abroad
also contribute to the local economy.
The formal economic sector in Sabanagrande comprises large and
small scale
production of goods for export. According to the proprietor of
Atuto, a major
employer here, educated and/or experienced workers often leave
Sabanagrande to
find higher pay or higher status jobs in Tegucigalpa and
elsewhere.
Because of the irregular nature of work and income here, housing
is built
incrementally, as needs arise and as resources become available.
Absentee
landlordism is common in Sabanagrande, with owners residing in
Tegucigalpa or
even abroad.
Education
Education in Sabanagrande includes kindergarten, high school and
technical
training. There are no private religious schools nor special
education for
students with either mental or physical disabilities. There is a
parent teacher
organization, Padres de la Familia, which works as a liaison
between the school
and the family.
Class sizes are generally large, with as many as sixty students
per class. Due
to the ongoing teachers’ strike, public opinion of teachers
is low. Many see
teachers as more interested in money or under qualified for their
job. Teachers
in Sabanagrande are paid well compared to the average salaries of
their
neighbors.
Politics
There is perceived corruption within the local government with an
attitude among
local people that kickbacks are an acceptable and expected part
of the political
system. The spoils system is evident here, as government jobs are
awarded not
on the basis of merit, but to friends, family, and political
supporters.
Men more actively participate in politics and government;
however, many jobs in
the municipality are held by women. In general there is a low
awareness of
local and national politics as well as a lack of awareness of
services and
associations within the community.
Religion
Religion appears to be very important within the community and
churches attempt
to fill in where social programs are deficient. There is a
diverse group of
churches thanks to a strong influence from foreign missions.
Churches in the
area include Catholic, Mormon, Evangelical, Baptist, Jehovah
Witness, and Prince
of Peace.
The Catholic church provides some social services and has some
youth-oriented
activities and groups. The Baptist church also provides limited
support for
members who are in dire need.
Associations
The Casa de Niñez provides
kindergarten preparation and day care services, as
well as recreational activities. The Casa de Niñez is slated for
closure but
the municipality is considering the expansion of this project.
SNV, the Dutch development corporation,
funds reforestation, farming and water
projects. They finance the association of patronatos, which are
neighborhood-
based organizations that undertake community projects in areas of
gender,
environment, education, infrastructure and health.
Save the Children, an extensive
non-governmental organization active in
Sabanagrande, administers projects in agriculture, health, credit
extension,
water and sanitation projects and maternal health and family
planning.
Water boards and patronatos exist, but
are more active in the aldeas than in the
urban area of Sabanagrande.
Health
General medical services, medicines and vaccines are free or
available at a
reasonable cost at the local health center; however, specialized
and emergency
medical care is non-existent and the closest facilities are in
Tegucigalpa.
Accident prevention and risk management are not practiced to any
significant
extent here.
Prevalent illnesses include acute ailments such as diarrhea and
chronic
illnesses include respiratory problems and alcoholism. Many
illnesses are
likely due to malnutrition and environmental factors such as
contaminated water,
pesticide use and lead poisoning.
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