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Juan Carlos Atala, President of the Ficohsa Foundation for Children’s Education, today joined U.S. Ambassador Laura F. Dogu, Minister of Education Daniel Esponda, representatives of USAID, and local students at the inauguration of the first of 25 schools to be renovated under the USAID-led Alliance for Education initiative to support education reform and improvements to school infrastructure in Honduras.

With the help of the Ficohsa Foundation, the Esteban Mendoza school in Tegucigalpa has received a new roof and electrical wiring, all doors and windows have been repaired, the water and sanitation systems have been restored, improved lighting has been installed, and a fresh coat of paint applied throughout.  The 854 boys and girls who attend the Esteban Mendoza School, along with 49 teachers, will now be able to learn in refurbished classrooms.

Commenting on the occasion, Ficohsa Group President Camilo Atala said, “Ficohsa and the Ficohsa Foundation for Children’s Education have been deeply committed to supporting public education in Honduras for 25 years, helping over 150,000 children in 150 schools.  Today is just the beginning of our expanded support, as we start to see the results of our US$1 million investment in renovating 250 classrooms in 25 schools throughout the country, benefiting over 10,500 students and teachers.”

Ficohsa Foundation President, Juan Carlos Atala, said at the event, “Together with USAID, the Honduran Ministry of Education, and the private sector, we have formed a powerful alliance that is working together to make our common goals a reality: to provide children and youths in Honduras with quality, accessible, and equitable education.”

Camilo Atala added, “Ficohsa will continue to participate in projects that promote the well-being of Hondurans.  Education is one of our main pillars and I believe that, by working together with partners such as USAID, the Honduran government, and private companies, our impact will be greater and more sustainable.”

The schools selected for renovation will be located near to the kindergarten schools that the Ficohsa Foundation already supports, ensuring that those under-served communities are further strengthened and the children’s high quality education continues after pre-school.  The Alliance for Education will address critical infrastructure needs in 12,000 schools.

Media contact: Alejandra Zelaya, alejandra.zelaya@ficohsa.com, +504 9926-5524, www.ficohsa.com

Grupo Financiero Ficohsa is the leading Honduran financial services group, offering banking, insurance, pensions, brokerage and money exchange.  Ficohsa’s innovative online solutions enable customers to carry out their banking at any time or place, expanding financial inclusion across the region.  Ficohsa is a member of the United Nations Global Compact.

The Ficohsa Foundation for Children’s Education is committed to supporting underserved communities across Honduras and Central America.  Since its establishment 25 years ago, the Foundation has transformed the lives of 150,000 pre-school children, trained over 300 teachers, delivered over 12 million meals and created 29 technology centers equipped with over 500 computers in 150 schools in Honduras and Central America.

Ficohsa is partnering with NGO Glasswing International on a Young Impact Leaders project that will support over 1,800 young people in Honduras through payroll donations.  Glasswing operates health, education, migration, and community development programs for vulnerable children throughout Latin America.

The partnership will build on the success of 2022, when Ficohsa collected USD300,000 to enable Glasswing to support over 1,400 young people, helping to stem forced and irregular migration from Honduras of those between 15 and 22 years of age.

Glasswing works in low-income communities where there are high rates of violence, dropout, and most youth have been raised by a single parent or relative other than their biological parents.  Studies have found that students enrolled in Glasswing’s community schools showed improved academic performance, positive behavior changes, increased emotional resilience, and felt they had a better school environment.  Ficohsa is honored to support such an important cause.

The Ficohsa Foundation for Early Childhood Education has benefitted 145,000 pre-school children since its inception in 2000.  Our school feeding program has been an important part of the Foundation’s mission over the last 23 years.

The Foundation recently made its first food delivery of 2023, providing over 419,000 meals to 6,800 children at 142 preschools.  Each child also received an individual backpack of school supplies, together with additional supplies for teachers, at a cost of nearly 18 million Lempiras (or USD 725,000).  The Foundation also provided basic health and safety supplies to preschools, including facemasks, liquid soap, and sanitizer.  Since 2001, the Ficohsa Foundation has invested over 64 million Lempiras (or USD 2.6 million) in delivering 22 million meals to over 150,000 kids.