Antonio letter from Honduras

Friday 12 February 2016 (Tela, Honduras) Dear SERES friends, I am writing to you with lots of joy and hope from the city of Tela in Honduras. We have held a four-day gathering among ten youth-focused organizations from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and representatives of the Inter-American Foundation. Throughout our time together we have learned about some very successful experiences that are shining and changing many people's lives in different communities of this region; an area which is rich in culture, biodiversity and natural resources. SERES is already a point of reference association regarding youth leadership. Many of the people and organizations attending the gathering have met here for the first time. I believe that the shared vision has been a very strong link. Together, we are creating a network of people and making immediate agreements to carry out certain actions collaboratively. We have heard many success experiences that are excelling in the communities and mainly are youth-led. One of those experiences is of a group native to the south of Honduras called ADETRIUNF. They are identifying which are the community's resources but also the needs and opportunities to undertake sustainable initiatives. We met a young man that owns a farm of laying hens; an initiative which is enough to provide an income for his family. Other youngsters are harvesting cashew seeds, which they are marketing inside and outside their town. The achievements were visible from the moment we created this friendship and collaboration network to undertake bilateral actions with sisters organizations. In addition, a committee composed by the ten organizations was created. They will be the ones who will give official follow up to the event. Our colleague, leader Esteban Maldonado, is SERES representative in this committee. As said by Daniel Mérida, from ADESJU Guatemala, the meeting “allowed us to undertake coordination compromises to contribute to the strengthening of the built networks.” I believe that it was an event that accomplished connecting people and organizations; but above all it achieved weaving transition perspectives for Guatemala, Honduras y El Salvador. Antonio Sánchez