Thanks to your generosity, we were able to provide scholarships for 23 students in grades 7–12 this year! (School in Honduras ends this month.) Education is free through 6th grade, but beyond that, the cost becomes a significant burden for families in the community.

When we visited the community this June, we shared updates on these students. Since then, two students have dropped out due to challenges at home and in school. Unfortunately, we were not surprised at this news.  While this was disappointing, one of the students is now in a more stable home environment, and we’re working to get them needed medical care and hopefully get them back in school.  We are hopeful.

In the July 29 update, we mentioned a student who agreed to work in the clinic. She hopes to pursue a career in the medical field, and we discussed how working with medical professionals would be a valuable experience for her. However, she declined the offer after learning it was unpaid.  We really needed at least one more person in the clinic to assist with administrative and basic nursing tasks, especially when other volunteers are unavailable. We’re happy to report that another student has volunteered, and she has proven to be hardworking and a quick learner.

Once we receive final report cards, we’ll share how many students progressed to the next grade. Out of four seniors this year, three will graduate, and the fourth will continue their studies next year.  We will have a celebration of these graduates in early January.

We have learned two of the biggest ongoing expenses for students are transportation and photocopies. It’s surprising how much they spend just to make copies for class! In the future, we’d like to provide transportation for the students, and we’d like to purchase a copy machine for the computer lab we’re setting up for the next school year. The computer lab will reduce their school expenses as they’ll be able to complete their homework without relying on purchasing computer time in the local cybercafés.

These scholarships are very beneficial to the students and their families. Next year, we anticipate 25 students which would benefit from this support. On average we would like to provide $190 for each student. If you would like to help, donations can be made through Mission Driven Ministries (see the link below), and 100% of your gift will go to the scholarship fund.

Thank you for supporting these students. Hearing their stories makes me reflect on how difficult it must be to continue school under their circumstances. With so many challenges, it would be easy to give up—yet they push forward. Your prayers and support provide them encouragement to keep going.   Thank you