Central America: COFOA leaders seek construction of a regional hospital in Honduras and expand work to a new department in El Salvador

COFOA leaders in Honduras, with the support of three new community organizers, gathered in January for an assembly to affirm the need to construct a regional hospital. These leaders come from the municipalities of Marale, Cedros, El Porvenir, and San Ignacio in the Department of Francisco Morazan. One hundred thirty-four leaders have been organizing for six months to identify health needs in the department. They conducted more than 1,200 1-1s and surveys. They found that the 61,000 people who live in the area, must travel between two and seven hours on poor roads and inadequate public transportation to reach a hospital. Most people only have access to small clinics, where often only one nurse with inadequate equipment and medicines attends. Leaders are planning a public action meeting with the National Minister of Health to press for a new regional health center to serve their communities.

As COFOA continues its regional expansion in Guatemala and Honduras, leaders have taken another significant step toward building its base of power in El Salvador. At the invitation of Father Reino Moran, COFOA staff will begin work with eight parishes in Santa Ana, making it the eleventh of fourteen departments where COFOA will have a significant membership base.

COFOA leaders have mapped out large events in the coming year to press national action on land rights, clean water, investment of tax dollars for community development, and unemployment insurance.

Click here to read COFOA’s 2022 Annual Report.