Mission News: Addressing Poverty

Break the cycle of poverty! When Maria Elena Alvarez recognized that Opportunity International (OI) provided that possibility, she knew it matched her vision and passion for meeting the needs of her fellow Hondurans, especially women. Since learning about OI in 1997, Maria Elena has served on the Honduran, Latin American and International Boards of the ministry.

Opportunity's microfinance programs help people who are desperately poor to earn a living and transform their lives economically, socially and spiritually. Small loans, basic business training, and supportive groups give people with no access to financial services the chance to improve their lives in every dimension. The Olanchito OI office in Honduras opened in July 2002; and in the first four months, 25 trust banks were formed. Members of the local black minority are hired as loan officers. The success of these branches is attracting additional funding to expand operations to other cities in the area.

An example of OI's mission is the story of Azucena Del Carmen Ramos, a client of the Dulce Misericordia (Sweet Mercy) Trust Bank in Honduras. Before receiving her first loan, she had a small grocery store in her adobe house. With the loan, she has upgraded her dwelling from adobe to concrete, increased her business and is a leader in her community. She now helps to buy medicine for those with fewer resources than she has. Azucena has borrowed for 7 loan cycles and been faithful in repayment. Her first loan was $83; her second, $167. Her four daughters and one son are learning to be business people too.

Today Maria Elena is sharing in worship. In addition to her serving with Opportunity International, Maria Elena and her husband, Arnoldo, helped begin a ministry which teams Wheaton College students and churches in the United States with extremely poor communities in Honduras financing projects such as water systems, repairing of homes, schools, clinics and churches. Arnoldo identifies the projects and Maria Elena takes care of the logistics, correspondence and promotion in addition to home schooling their two boys, ages 9 and 11.