GIVE A HAND TO LENCAN WOMEN POTTERS OF HONDURAS
2020, A HORRIBLE YEAR FOR HONDURAS DEVASTATED BY COVID19 AND DROWNED BY ETA & IOTA HURRICANES
COVID 19 has highlighted the fragility of our societies, our way of life and the extreme vulnerability of countries like Honduras. Honduran health system is completely overwhelmed by the pandemic, anyway poor people as the artisans practically don't have access to medical assistance. Meanwhile, the economy has crashed, particularly the small enterprises like the artisans are suffering from a strict lockdown, no work, no commerce, no incomes since March. At the moment there are no projects, no sales, no support for Culture, Art & Handicrafts. Everything has been cancelled. The Lencan women potters are between the most vulnerable social groups, being indigenous and women, and are part of the 60% of the Honduran population that lives in extreme poverty (no food) according to the World Bank report. They, their families and their communities who depend economically from them, are without work, without income and without support since 8 months! This is a social-economic catastrophe that will worsen in Honduras the lack of jobs and opportunities and increase famine, poverty, inequality, injustice, violence, migration. Not only are there not special supports for the productive activities shut down by COVID 19, but aids like “bono diez mil” and other social assistances have stopped because of the pandemic. Remittances have also decreased. COVID 19 is blowing off years of social and economic improvements reached in Honduras thanks also to international aid. Meanwhile hurricane Eta hit Honduras hard, followed close on its heels by hurricane Iota, destroying vital infrastructure, crops, houses and people. Lencan communities also suffered many damages, houses, roads and crops were lost. 2020 is really an "Annus Horribilis", a horrible year for Honduras.
More than 30 years ago as anthropologist, I met the lencan women and a beautiful story entwined with mine began, based on hard work, respect, creativity, support, friendship. LENCAN POTTERY was revived, began to be appreciate and world known. Cooperatives were organised , artisans trained, new products developed and exported, social , economic and personal goals reached, the ethnic identity made stronger. in 2000 ACTA DE HONDURAS was born as a social entrepreneurship in alliance with the Artisans and always present for them until today. Deeply concerned about the current situation, the complete lack of work, incomes and supports, we donated all the handicrafts inventory of ACTA DE HONDURAS in Switzerland to raise money for the Lencan potters and we planned to participate in a lot of sales and Christmas bazaars but everything was cancelled. This is the reason I decided to share my concern about the women and their families through ACTA DE HONDURAS web page and ask you to contribute to help them. After more than 30 years of a strong relationship they are my first commitment in this bleak panorama. The goal is to give hope, to help them endure this difficult moment, sending to the Lencan women some financial first aid and also reactivating the production with some small projects in their communities after Christmas . ACTA DE HONDURAS is already doing an assessment, although it is not easy to reach them as communications are still down (no electricity no roads no cellphone). ACTA de Honduras will be distributing help to the women of cooperative MAGU, La Arada, cooperative CIALSAJOL, Guajiquiro, and other organised groups depending on the raised amount, a bit of cash as first aid, to allow the women to decide what they need most urgently. Of course we will keep you informed about the campaign and we will deliver a short report about the use of the raised funds.
Thank you to give a hand to the Lencan women potters.
Alessandra Foletti
COVID 19 has highlighted the fragility of our societies, our way of life and the extreme vulnerability of countries like Honduras. Honduran health system is completely overwhelmed by the pandemic, anyway poor people as the artisans practically don't have access to medical assistance. Meanwhile, the economy has crashed, particularly the small enterprises like the artisans are suffering from a strict lockdown, no work, no commerce, no incomes since March. At the moment there are no projects, no sales, no support for Culture, Art & Handicrafts. Everything has been cancelled. The Lencan women potters are between the most vulnerable social groups, being indigenous and women, and are part of the 60% of the Honduran population that lives in extreme poverty (no food) according to the World Bank report. They, their families and their communities who depend economically from them, are without work, without income and without support since 8 months! This is a social-economic catastrophe that will worsen in Honduras the lack of jobs and opportunities and increase famine, poverty, inequality, injustice, violence, migration. Not only are there not special supports for the productive activities shut down by COVID 19, but aids like “bono diez mil” and other social assistances have stopped because of the pandemic. Remittances have also decreased. COVID 19 is blowing off years of social and economic improvements reached in Honduras thanks also to international aid. Meanwhile hurricane Eta hit Honduras hard, followed close on its heels by hurricane Iota, destroying vital infrastructure, crops, houses and people. Lencan communities also suffered many damages, houses, roads and crops were lost. 2020 is really an "Annus Horribilis", a horrible year for Honduras.
More than 30 years ago as anthropologist, I met the lencan women and a beautiful story entwined with mine began, based on hard work, respect, creativity, support, friendship. LENCAN POTTERY was revived, began to be appreciate and world known. Cooperatives were organised , artisans trained, new products developed and exported, social , economic and personal goals reached, the ethnic identity made stronger. in 2000 ACTA DE HONDURAS was born as a social entrepreneurship in alliance with the Artisans and always present for them until today. Deeply concerned about the current situation, the complete lack of work, incomes and supports, we donated all the handicrafts inventory of ACTA DE HONDURAS in Switzerland to raise money for the Lencan potters and we planned to participate in a lot of sales and Christmas bazaars but everything was cancelled. This is the reason I decided to share my concern about the women and their families through ACTA DE HONDURAS web page and ask you to contribute to help them. After more than 30 years of a strong relationship they are my first commitment in this bleak panorama. The goal is to give hope, to help them endure this difficult moment, sending to the Lencan women some financial first aid and also reactivating the production with some small projects in their communities after Christmas . ACTA DE HONDURAS is already doing an assessment, although it is not easy to reach them as communications are still down (no electricity no roads no cellphone). ACTA de Honduras will be distributing help to the women of cooperative MAGU, La Arada, cooperative CIALSAJOL, Guajiquiro, and other organised groups depending on the raised amount, a bit of cash as first aid, to allow the women to decide what they need most urgently. Of course we will keep you informed about the campaign and we will deliver a short report about the use of the raised funds.
Thank you to give a hand to the Lencan women potters.
Alessandra Foletti
