EMERGENCY FLOODING IN HONDURAS
Tropical storm Eta is causing deadly landslides and flooding in Honduras.
The White Dove School in Chamelecon you helped build is flooded on the main floor. Pastor Jose and his church members worked throughout the night and all day today to evacuate children and families.
Now Pastor Jose and 40 community members, including children, are stuck on the second floor of the school without electricity.
Once the water levels drop, Pastor Jose and his team of volunteers will evacuate women and children to higher grounds outside of Chamelecon.
Your prayers and donations are needed right now. Every bit helps — and the next 48 hours are crucial.
The families and children of Chamelecon need your help.
Knowing we can count on your support, we will do everything we can to help out in a time of need. Please give.
Our action plan
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Assess the shortage of food, especially baby food
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Assess the most urgent needs
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Evacuate children and families to higher grounds
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Take stock of the damage and material losses
Flood Update May 2022
You stepped up in a huge way when the banks of the Rio Chamelecon river burst and flooded the entire community. On that day, Marcia’s (a grandmother who is part of the community) life was changed forever. She remembers the people running around in fear saying the river was going to overflow.
The overwhelming rain from the hurricane just wouldn’t stop. When the water hit Marcia’s house, it almost reached the ceiling! Thankfully, Pastor Jose and others from the White Dove Mennonite School came and evacuated Marcia and her family.
For days, she and her family found refuge in the White Dove Mennonite School you so generously helped build.
“They gave us a bed, a fan, a plastic table set. They gave us some pots, dishes, food.” Because of you, Marcia and her family had everything they needed to survive this emergency. When Marcia remembers what you provided, she says, “we were able to move forward because of those contributions.”
Today, because of your support in such a huge emergency, Marcia’s life is beginning to return to a sense of normal. She finds so much joy seeing her young granddaughter attend the White Dove Mennonite School.
She sees what the children learn at this school and loves that, “it’s a better education for them” because, “hard work allows you to move forward.” This opportunity for a high- quality education that is rooted in Christ is possible because of your care and your love.
Because of you, Marcia has big dreams for her granddaughter. “In the future I hope to see her as an accomplished girl, woman, mother. I’m putting my trust in God to let me see her then.”
Praise God for His faithfulness in making your generous support help make tangible change in the lives of families in Latin America.
Update: January 19, 2021
It’s been more than 2 months since hurricanes Eta and Iota battered Honduras, but the devastation remains.
It’s hard to describe just how much work there is to do to clean up the community that was left covered by a thick layer of mud and sludge. Families are slowly settling back into the community, having lost all possessions and returning to severely damaged homes.
While we’re still providing emergency food, shelter and assistance, we have also procured tractors and trucks to begin removing the mud at a much faster pace.
The White Dove School is set to open again in February, adding extra urgency to getting the school fixed and renovated after the flood damaged the first floor.
Update: December 14, 2020
The hard work of cleaning up the mess left from the flood continues in Chamelecon, Honduras. The biggest challenge now is removing a heavy layer of mud that covers the entire community.
With government help nowhere in sight — and heavy machinery like tractors almost impossible to contract right now — most of the cleanup in the community is taking place by hand.
It’s hard work. And the amount of need everywhere is overwhelming.
Update: December 2, 2020
The waters caused by Hurricane Iota have receded. Children and families in Chamelecon, Honduras are returning home.
Most of them are returning to complete destruction.
The walls of their humble homes made from bricks, plywood and corrugated sheet metal bent and broken. Most of their possessions gone or damaged.
Their mattresses covered in sludge, no longer usable. A 14-inch layer of mud and muck everywhere you go — inside and out.
For the past two weeks, the kind gifts of caring Canadians like you have provided emergency shelter and food for these families.
Now we are helping to bring people back into their homes — and cleaning up the mess that's left.
Here's how Pastor Jose and our team have responded, thanks to your help:
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Electricity and running water are still sporadic. Our team installed water tanks on the top of the White Dove Mennonite School to make sure everyone has safe drinking water.
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We've procured a large generator to provide electricity to the church and school — both of which are the headquarters of our emergency response in Chamelecon.
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We're continuing to provide emergency shelter to children and families who are still not settled back into their homes — and will keep doing so for a few weeks.
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We're providing emergency food assistance to those families who have lost everything, including their livelihood. Thanks to you, no child is going to bed hungry.
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The entire church and school team is helping out with cleanup efforts and providing emergency aid where necessary.
The good news is that every child and family at the school is alive and safe.
In the coming weeks, we will begin repairing and outfitting the school that has significant damage — so children can get back into a classroom in the New Year.
Update: November 13, 2020
Please pray for Honduras as yet another storm is heading toward the country.
Tropical storm Iota is set to make landfall in Honduras on Friday night into Saturday, posting another serious threat of flooding and rainfall.
The Honduran government has issued a Code Red Alert.
The White Dove School and the community of Chamelecon still have no power or electricity. Families who lost everything are getting ready to potentially have to evacuate again, just a week after one of the biggest floods of their lifetime.
Update: November 8 , 2020
Thank you so much for your prayers and your kind and caring generosity over the past 48 hours.
The water is now receding fast. In both of the GenRising partner schools that were affected, the families and children have been evacuated and are safe.
Children who've lost everything are sleeping in a temporary shelter you've helped to provide. Thanks to the generosity of GenRising supporters, they didn’t go to bed hungry.
The bad news is that the flood has destroyed everything. Families who already had so little, have even less now. Many will be starting from scratch.
Wach the video:
UPDATE: Flooding in Honduras — Hurricane Eta from Generation Rising on Vimeo.
Now the hard work of rebuilding starts. We are assessing the damage on the White Dove School. With no running water or electricity, our priority is making sure nobody goes hungry.
Update: November 6, 2020
Watch this short video of footage our partners have sent us in the last 24 hours.
Flooding in Honduras from Generation Rising on Vimeo.
The water is starting to slowly recede this morning. Pastor Jose and the families in Chamelecon have made it through the night.
Pastor Felix in the mountains of Las Colinas is starting to deliver emergency food supplies to families who fled their homes and have found temporary shelter.
The next steps are to asses the most urgent needs. A food shortage, especially baby food, is the main concern in the coming days.
Update: November 5, 2020
Tropical storm Eta is causing deadly landslides and flooding in Honduras.
Pastor Jose at the White Dove School you helped build is asking for your prayers and support. His church worked all night, and all day today, to evacuate children and families.
The school has flooded. Now Pastor Jose and 40 community members, including children, are stuck on the second floor of the school without electricity.
