On October 15, the Franciscan Network for Migrants’ Honduras team traveled to the church of San José Nueva Choluteca, Patuca, Olancho, bringing a donation of mats, medicines, clothing and food.
The initiative arose through Sr. María Elda Aguilar, HCP, who lives in Juticalpa. She shared her concern about the increase in migrants in Patuca and the lack of support for church volunteers, who, indignant of the situation, decided to organize themselves and provide them with adequate help.
On October 15, a team of 7 members of the RFM-Honduras visited the site. Juticalpa was the first stop where we changed transportation. Fr. Reymundo, from the Santa Gertrudis Parish, arranged for a ride to the community.
In Patuca, we found a hopeful scenario due a team of lay people from the church, and the number of migrants, including children and adolescents, who were receiving care.
The Patuca team has organized to offer clean clothes, washing what the migrants leave behind. Thanks to donations, they have medicine, food and water. The team prepares the food and coordinates with a bus to take the migrants directly to Danlí.
The bus takes them to migration and then to the Danlí shelter. Contrary to the migratory amnesty that was in effect between August 4th and December 1, 2022, in the immigration offices they pay the safe-passage permit that costs 6,382 lempiras ($261 USD). This for many migrants is impossible to pay since during the trip many have already been scammed and robbed. This is one of the reasons why some remain stranded in Honduras waiting for a family member to send them money to continue on their way. The volunteers make the lists of those who leave on the bus and are able to make sure that they only pay a cost of $10 USD.
The brothers and sisters are organized to serve between 400 and 600 migrants per day and to date they have served 5,000+ migrants. Although they have received help from the local authorities, they continue to carry out humanitarian assistance without the accompaniment of anyone other institution. They are the Samaritans organized with the desire to serve their neighbor and defend them from injustice.
The RFM in Honduras continues to look for organizations that can support this situation that the brothers in Patuca are experiencing, to vshow solidarity with their arduous service, and to advocate that the State identifies immediate responses protect the human rights of migrants.
Ana Victoria López
RFM-Honduras
