About Limón

Background

Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. GDP per capita is estimated to be $3,000--less than 7% of that in the U.S. Unemployment soars at around 27.9%. Such poverty brings with it many associated problems: inadequate healthcare, HIV, AIDS, Malaria, malnutrition, high infant mortality, increasing numbers of orphans, insufficient potable water, and lack of education.

The town of Limón, located on the Mosquito Coast of Honduras, is no stranger to these problems and more. It has no permanent healthcare system, just a small clinic staffed by teams of volunteers. The clinic, founded by the Carolina Honduras Health Foundation in 1997, services an area of 30,000. Today, equipped with only the supplies they bring, the teams see about a thousand patients in one week's time. The volunteers at the clinic include medical doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and others who sacrifice time and money to go.

In addition, an estimated 10-15% of the adult population in Limón has AIDS. Because most of the locals do not understand the disease and how it spreads, we are helping promote AIDS education and prevention. Limón's AIDS problem has also resulted in an increased number of orphans. There is one overcrowded and rundown orphanage that houses 45 orphans. There are 100 additional orphans living on the street who need a home and wait for a place in the orphanage. These orphans are lucky to get one bowl of rice per day at the soup kitchen, do not go to school, and have little hope of a better life. Also, the living conditions of most people are dismal. There is limited access to running water. Some houses need extensive repair just to prevent collapse.

Image taken from: http://geology.com/world/honduras-satellite-image.shtml