Youth In ASJ Program Pitch In To Improve Their Community

June 30, 2016

In a small community in Tegucigalpa, small houses dot a dusty, treeless hill. Most of the year, the sun beats down; during the rainy season, drops of rain soak the ground until streams of water pour down the hill.

Despite the unforgiving weather, every Sunday, almost one hundred children and adults gather together at the soccer field to watch the local league play. The league is made up of 12 teams of at least 11 members each, ranging in age anywhere from 12 to 60 years old.

In this community, which has one of the highest homicide rates in Tegucigalpa, there are few public spaces where men and women and people of all ages can safely gather together. This soccer field is one of them; but in the heat of the sun or the pounding rain, the games aren’t always very comfortable for spectators.

Fourteen-year-old Fabiola* (*name changed for security), the president of one of the Association for a More Just Society’s three youth projects in the community, decided to get her group of 25 children and young teenagers to do something about this. Together with the local soccer league and members of the community, the ASJ (formerly known as AJS) youth club constructed covered stands to shield spectators from the sun and rain.

A ninth-grader at a local public school, Fabiola said this was a way for young people to give back to their community.

“There is nowhere to sit, if you sit on the edge of the field you’re in the sun,” she said, “This project isn’t just going to help us, but also the whole community.”

ASJ’s youth clubs have deeply impacted Fabiola, “The group for me is like my third family,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot about God. I also like to help other people and feel at home,” she added, paintbrush in hand, covering one of the stands’ wooden columns in a bright turquoise blue.

ASJ’s community projects seek to instill values in children particularly vulnerable to involvement in crime or unhealthy relationships. One of those values is citizenship, which is why every youth club does regular community projects to improve their local communities. Youth clubs work together to plan the project, arrange materials, and gather volunteers.

Francisco, president of the local soccer league, was thrilled to pitch in and help with construction, seeing the stands as a positive benefit for community members who come together to watch the games.

“We’re grateful because no one has been interested in helping us before. This is something that we have to value,” he said, looking out at the packed-earth field. “We also have to collaborate.”

In 2015, over 350 children participated in youth clubs in communities in the capital with the highest rates of homicide. In two years, another 350 children will graduate from the program, successfully joining society as citizens ready to help their neighbors and work for a more just society.

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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