Poverty
Although Honduras has the most millionaires in all of Latin America, they also suffer from the most unequal distribution of money among the population. 60% of the population live beneath the poverty line. 6 out of 10 households earn less than $2.50 a day. Many of the homes in Honduras are only one room. In many cases, there is only one bed, and the children have to sleep on the floor. While many houses have a toilet or a bucket they use, some families cannot afford this, so there is one latrine outside shared between many houses. Some houses are fortunate enough to have electricity, while others just board plastic on their ceilings so the sunlight can come through. Citizens in the rural areas of Honduras suffer the most from poverty. 28% of the country is agricultural land, which has provided many Hondurans with work. However, due to erosion, floods, and Hurricane Mitch (1998), the terrain is damaged and agricultural productivity has decreased, only increasing the level of poverty. Often times, children of poorer families have to quit school in order to work and help bring in an income. In worse cases, the families cannot provide for their children, so the kids are forced to live on the streets. The only way many people in Honduras can survive is by begging and stealing. |
Gangs
Gangs often times run the streets in Honduras, specifically in the cities of Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula. Gang members seek out young children, alluring them with food and threatening their lives. They force them to steal, sell drugs, or engage in prostitution in order to prove their loyalty to the gang. Because new gang members are recruited so young, by the time they are teenagers they see no way out. Unfortunately, lives for these gang members are brutal and typically short. |
Education
Because many families struggle financially, approximately 100,000 children drop our of school every year. For those who do stay in school, it can be a frustrating process. On average, it takes students 9 years to finish through 6th grade. Only 30% of students do not finish elementary school without repeating a grade. Free education is only offered up to 6th grade. For this reason, only about 30% of students attend high school, and less even finish. Teachers are paid very little and only receive basic training. Therefore, there are not many teachers in the country, meaning the ratio of teachers to students is very large. On the other hand, the United States, Canada, and other countries have opened nonprofit schools in Honduras to help the children and help increase the number of educated citizens. |
Immigration
Because of economic hardship and political instability, many Hondurans are moving to the United States in search for a better life. After Hurricane Mitch (1998), the United States permitted the temporary residence of Hondurans in the United States. However, it is now estimated that of the over 1 million Hondurans in the United States, 70% are here illegally. Their primary regions of U.S. settlements are California, New York, Washington, Ohio, Illinois, Nebraska, and Texas. |
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