Amidst the challenges in injustice and poverty, Holy Names Sisters and Associates remain steadfast in their commitment to protecting human dignity and standing with the most vulnerable. The initiatives below, supported by SNJM Ministry Grant funding, remind us that to protect human dignity is to defend hope itself.
The Santa Chiara Children’s Center
Two young members of the Santa Chiara Children’s Center family.
The Santa Chiara Children’s Center in Haiti offers refuge for children grappling with the profound challenges of poverty, hunger and emotional neglect. A dedicated staff ensures that the center’s 43 students receive a nurturing education tailored to their needs. Sister Vera Ruotolo, a longtime supporter of the center, said, “I was passionately drawn to the Santa Chiara Children’s Center because of the very poor and abandoned children rescued from the extreme poverty and daily chaos of Haiti.”
Located in an area without running water, paved roads or reliable electricity, the center relies on solar power and a diesel generator to maintain its operations. Founder Gerry Straub shared, “The gangs pervasive attacks on people, hospitals and businesses goes on unabated. We can’t succumb to hopelessness. In Haiti, hope is always delayed and often betrayed. The only way to disarm the destructive sense of hopelessness is following Christ and living the Gospel more fully.
The Friendship Office of the Americas/Honduras Accompaniment Project
The Honduras Accompaniment Project (PROAH) is a project of the Friendship Office of the Americas that emerged as an emergency response to the U.S.-backed military coup in Honduras in 2009. The project provides accompaniment for human rights defenders at risk due to their individual and collective work for human rights and environmental rights in a context of targeted political violence.
PROAH aims to address the deep injustices that force so many to flee Central America, focusing on root causes linked to U.S. policies in the region. Reflecting on its impact, Sister Carol Ries shared, “l am particularly impressed with the staff and volunteers as they accompany local Honduran people, particularly women on the margins, exercising leadership skills to bring justice and human rights for all people.”
In a country where violence, impunity and inequality are deeply entrenched, PROAH works with partners in Honduras to stand as a powerful force for change, reminding the world of the enduring importance of justice, solidarity and human dignity.
Bertha Olivia, General Coordinator of the Committee of the Families of the Detained and Disappeared in Honduras (COFADEH). PROAH has partnered with COFADEH since 2009.