School is in Session

The news that you have all been patiently waiting for is finally here: Escuela Rural Mixta Terrerito Matiak Foundation is officially up and running! After months of hard work and dedication in partnership with The Matiak Foundation, school is officially in session. From February to December the kids from the farm at Finca Terrerito as well as a few kids from the neighboring village, El Caltatato, will be taking their knowledge to new heights at our brand-new school! The impact that this will have on the community will resound for generations to come. The school is teaching grades first through sixth and will operate around the farming schedule.  

One of the main propellants in opening this school was to give the farmers at Finca Terrerito a safe and positive educational environment for their children. The idea was brought to life when The Matiak Foundation took the leap in committing to partner with us in building this facility. From the initial concept of the facility to the first day of school only took roughly 8 months. For those of us in the U.S. where buildings go up overnight, this may not seem all that exceptional, but it is a huge feat in Honduras. Building in essentially the middle of the jungle is no easy task, and we could not be more grateful to our friends at The Matiak Foundation for helping us in expediting this process. If you want to learn more about the building process, check out our blog: Meet the Matiak Foundation.  

Operations 

Finca Terrerito and The Matiak Foundation partnered together to find qualified teachers who were looking to make an impact in not just their community, but in the entire country of Honduras. That is exactly who they found! Funnily enough, the director of the school, Jorge, is a friend of Finca T and Alma Coffee owner, Al Lopez. The two met while in grammar school and have kept in touch since. When planning for the school’s start, Al called Jorge to see if he would be willing to help in the accreditation process given that he has worked as both the mayor of their town and as the supervisor of 47 schools. When Al presented the concept to him, he was so inspired by the work that we were doing that he asked Al if he could take on the role of supervisor for Escuela Rural Mixta Terrerito Matiak Foundation. From there, they were able to hire two more teachers, one of whom is bilingual. This is amazing news for the students because now they will be given the unique opportunity to learn both English and Spanish (something that most kids receiving an education in Honduras don’t get the luxury of learning).  

There is a total of 26 children currently enrolled in Escuela Rural Mixta Terrerito Matiak Foundation. As the years go on, that number is anticipated to double. At the school, the children are not only receiving an education, but they are also given a free, nutritionally balanced meal every day, ensuring that they receive all of the necessary protein, fiber, carbs, etc. that their growing bodies need. Furthermore, each child receives their very own backpack along with all the school supplies that they may need throughout the school year. Within the school they have taken a hands-on learning approach to teach essential lessons on not only how to farm, but in the grander scheme, how to be a responsible and respectable member of society. For example, one of the main lessons is how to go through the entire gardening process of planting, nurturing, harvesting, picking, and utilizing vegetables. This equips them for a future in any career they desire to pursue, whether it be coffee picking or something else.

This is how far your support goes. Every time you buy a bag of Alma Coffee you are helping us pursue our mission of improving lives. If you’re looking for a more substantial way to support this initiative, head on over to The Matiak Foundation and make a donation to the work that they are doing in partnership with Finca T.  

What’s Next?  

You didn’t think we would stop at just building the school, did you? The plans and ideas we have to make life better for those in Honduras are never-ending. Soon, we are planning on building a kitchen, installing a playground, and starting a garden on the school campus for the students and teachers to use. Outside of the school facility, we are planning to build a water well system in the bordering village. This will improve the way of life for both the people on and off the farm. According to the ENDESA (The National Survey of Demography and Health) only 50% of households in Honduras have access to water that has not been contaminated by E. coli. Being able to provide clean drinking water to the village surrounding the farm would be life-changing for many families.  

We are so excited for all that is in the works and the impact that we are having in the community both on and around Finca T. As Alma Coffee and Finca T co-owner, Al Lopez, said, “If you want to change the world, start with the kids.”