About Us

 In the vibrant but often challenging landscape of southern Honduras, the Choluteca 4-H Program (locally known as Clubes 4-S) stands as a beacon of opportunity for young people. While the name 4-H is global, in Honduras, the "4-S" stands for Saber, Sentimientos, Servicio, y Salud (Heads, Heart, Hands, and Health), reflecting a deeply rooted mission to transform the lives of youth through hands-on projects and and leadership development.  The Choluteca 4-H program is more than just an extracurricular activity; it is a strategic response to the high rates of youth school dropout, unemployment, and migration in the region. 

 As a result of the 4-H program in Choluteca, youth can participate in after-school activities that lead to life-changing worldview outcomes (changes in their behavior, knowledge, attitude, skill, or situation). One of these young people, Juan, recently explained to Pati, one of the Choluteca 4-H coordinators, that before coming to the club activities, he had suffered from a severe attitude problem resulting in negative relationship issues with others. He didn’t care what other people thought of him.  

Juan told Pati that he had always stood at a distance from the 4-H activities and wondered what everyone was doing. Finally, a friend encouraged Juan to attend one of the meetings where he observed everything from the back of the room. After his first time attending, Juan told Pati, “Right now, since I’ve been here, I don’t know what happened, but I felt something. I felt peace in my heart and all over inside. And when you were talking, it was interesting that you were talking about the topic of ‘attitude’ and our personality. I think the topic was meant just for me.” Juan then told Pati that he wanted to change his life. He had dropped out of school. However, after getting involved in 4-H, in April, along with his mother, Juan went to talk to his teachers and asked if they would accept him back. We thank God that Juan is now back in school. He has learned to set new priorities. Juan testified to Pati, “My mom is very surprised at the change that has taken place in me. I’ve been like a transformed person, and I think that wouldn’t have been possible without your help.” 

The 4-H program was started in Choluteca in 2018 out of the conviction that providing an after-school program would help encourage young people to learn new life skills through participating in hands-on projects,  

collaborating with others in the community, and being inspired by adult mentors. With church participation and a scholarship program that helps with the basic costs of attending school, we believe the participation rate in the formal classroom will increase.

Honduras is a relatively young democracy. The country became a constitutional republic after elections in 1981 and the adoption of its constitution. Honduras has a total population of 8.7 million people with 52% of the people living in the rural areas. Illiteracy (17.5%) is a persistent major problem throughout the country with the rural areas being even higher (20.5%). Honduras is continually vulnerable to natural disasters, such as flooding, drought, and hurricanes. Honduras is among the top three countries worldwide most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

Choluteca, Honduras- The city of Choluteca is the sixth largest city in Honduras, and the municipal capital of the Honduran southernmost department of Choluteca. The region surrounding the city of Choluteca in southern Honduras is part of the “dry corridor” in central and southern Honduras, which has an especially high poverty rate.  Unfavorable climatic conditions, especially frequent droughts, create instability in the harvest of grains by the subsistence farmer.  

Like much of the rest of Latin America, Honduras also has a young population. By 2040, a large percentage of the population will be of working age which will create an unprecedented window of opportunity that could potentially lead to economic growth for Honduras. However, due to the current high rate of school dropouts among youth, there may be an inadequate workforce available at the time of anticipated need.