Mi Esperanza

My family has devoted a great deal of their time and effort to aiding the poor and needy people of Honduras. Bi annual visits hardly seem like enough when there is so much work to do, so recently my aunt and uncle, Mark and Lori Connell made the selfless decision to relocate their lives to Tegucigalpa full time in hopes of contributing more to the cause in Honduras. Lori Co founded an Organization called Mi Esperanza. Mi Esperanza means “My Hope” and began in 2002 with a vision to provide assistance for women in the villages surrounding Tegucigalpa, Honduras. This is done by providing micro-business loans and skills training. Poverty throughout the world has a woman’s face. Of the 1.3 billion people living in poverty, 70 percent are women. Many of the women are single mothers living in extreme poverty who are supporting their families without assistance. Their lives are about survival and trying to meet the most basic of needs like food, clean water, and shelter. Through Mi Esperanza, women are finding a new sense of hope and self empowerment. Through this they are able to give their families stability for generations to come. Their futures are changed forever.

Since its conception the Mi Esperanza Project has continued to grow. They have given business loans to over 50 women to begin a variety of small grass root businesses. Tortilla making, small home and traveling stores, sewing businesses, and peanut roasting are some of the businesses their participants have started. These businesses take women from no income to providing adequate food, clothing and shelter for their families.

Mi Esperanza is an intricate, but small part of the work that we do in Honduras. The work is great, and the need is greater. We look forward to sharing this work with the people we love, and hope that your presence at our wedding will help bring some hope and joy into the lives of people who need it.

For more information on our work in Honduras please visit: http://www.thewomenofmyhope.org/ and http://www.thehondurasproject.org/