Reasons For Hope: Transforming Communities

September 30, 2019

When you read the news about Honduras, you may be tempted to feel hopeless about the country’s situation. But focusing on these negative reports only tells part of the story. Honduras has already made incredible strides towards justice and transparency, and ASJ’s (formerly known as AJS) work over the past 20 years has shown us that change is possible even in challenging places.

The community of Nueva Suyapa, a Tegucigalpa neighborhood that struggles with violence and poverty, is often written off as a place that’s beyond hope. But it’s a place that many of our staff call home, and a place where we believe justice is possible.

When ASJ started working on homicide cases in Nueva Suyapa, the murder rate was sky-high and criminals walked free. We committed to walking alongside both victims and local authorities, and as a result, we’ve seen the homicide rate drop by over 75%! Not only have we seen violence drop in Nueva Suyapa, but the homicide rate in Honduras has dropped almost 50% in 7 years. Now, we’re training police and prosecutors across the country so that our justice interventions will continue to transform communities

When we started, it might have seemed like rooting out injustice was a hopeless pursuit. But these transformations prove that doing justice is not too difficult and that change is possible.

We’re also seeing brave Hondurans standing up for change in their communities. Every week, over 70 community auditors show up to public schools and health clinics in communities like Nueva Suyapa, ensuring that their kids are getting a good education and that clinics are providing their neighbors with proper care. They refuse to let apathy set in or to think that Honduras’ problems are too big. They are active agents of hope who have taken the fight against corruption into their own hands and because of it, we’re seeing change.

Change is happening in seemingly hopeless places like Nueva Suyapa and across Honduras. Looking at the progress we’ve made and the commitment of brave Hondurans, we are convinced that if we walk together in this journey toward justice, Honduras’ future will be bright.

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ASJ Supporting Students’ Learning in Honduras

By Elizabeth Hickel • April 29, 2025

Earlier this month, The Banner published a story written by Our Shared Ministr y by Karina Guevara and Elmer Salinas . The authors showcase the work that ASJ-Honduras is doing to help and support students in Honduras. Karina and Elmer tell the story of Genesis Garcia, an 8-year-old, whose family struggles to find consistent jobs. "Genesis Garcia Baquedano is 8 years old and lives with her older brother, Anderson, and their parents in Honduras. Her parents work hard to support their family. Genesis’s father is a painter who struggles to find consistent work, and her mother is a street vendor who spends long hours away from home." According to Karina and Elmer, although Genesis is a good student, she was struggling with reading, writing, and math. This is where the ASJ-Hondurans' program, Strong Communities , comes to be a blessing. "Through God’s grace, Genesis and her family were able to join the Strong Communities program facilitated by World Renew’s local partner, Association for a More Just Society (ASJ, because the Spanish translation is Asociación para una Sociedad más Justa). Through the program, Genesis attended academic support sessions, where she impressed her tutors with her perseverance and enthusiasm. Now, Genesis’s teachers praise the program for the significant progress Genesis has been making at school." We are blessed to be able to help kids like Genesis and her family to be able to achieve their dreams and goals. You can read the full story HERE and learn more about the ASJ-Honduras Strong communities program HERE