Healthy Beginnings (Comienzos Saludables)

The Healthy Beginnings Program, initially focused on improving nutrition and health in the first 1000 days of life, is expanding. The program currently provides vitamins for pregnant women and children from infancy to age 3. Working in collaboration with two local health clinics, the program also provides nutrition education for parents and distributes free healthy foods to participants, including fresh eggs, rice, corn and beans. When available, fresh vegetables and fruits are

given to participants from the community garden at El Hogar del Ninos. The program will be expanding to provide children’s chewable vitamins to participants through age 5 in both of those communities.

Clean Water

Project Eden continues to oversee 58 water filtration units in various villages, offering access to clean water to hundreds of people. This is important to good health in Honduras as parasites are in the local water and people often experience poor health consequences from consuming unfiltered water. A new metal door was recently installed at the water filtration building in the village of Esperanza, replacing the wooden door that had been badly damaged by termites. Project Eden works with the communities that own the water systems to keep the facilities functioning well.

Adelante

The Adelante program continues to offer support to help students complete their education through high school. Students recently attended their second scholarship meeting of the school year, receiving stipends that help them to pay for school uniforms, books and supplies to be able to continue their education.

Many attended Mass following the meeting, accompanied by their parents and honored the Virgin of Suyapa, the patroness of Honduras.

Gardens

Crops of corn and beans were harvested and distributed so the Project Eden staff, working with community members, has been busy preparing the large community garden in Quiscamote for replanting. This land produces hundreds of pounds of food staples which are offered to people struggling with food insecurity. This is one of three large community gardens facilitated by Project Eden that help to feed the poor.

In Memoriam 
DAVID HOLMES 
1937-2026

David Holmes was an early proponent of the work of Project Eden, Inc, in Honduras. He passed away, at age 88, on May 7, 2026. The following are some reflections about his impact on the work of Project Eden by Fr. Dan St. Laurent. One of the values of the process of ageing is that you have many memories to review and relive. I realized that recently, as I was sitting at St. Thomas More Church in Durham, NH. There were many familiar faces from the 7 years that I was blessed to be there. But what brought me there that day was a memorial Mass for David Holmes. David and Lynn were David and Lynn, emulating what it means to say "and the two become one." They both were significant pieces in the mosaic of the parish and significant in the development of Project Eden. David, a veteran volunteer of the Peace Corps, serving in Peru, travelled to San Francisco de La Paz with a fellow parishioner, Tom Laue. They were on a mission. They had heard me speak of Honduras and also heard reports from some UNH students who had come to Honduras to be immersed in "another world." So, David and Tom visited for a week and got the grand tour. When they returned to Durham and STM they gave the experience "two thumbs up" and that became a turning point in the mission and ministry of Project Eden. Some parishioners were inspired to organize a group to visit, and they did, more than once. One of the seeds that were planted because of their presence was the Adelante program, which has now supported about 1700 students! Thanks to David and Tom. It was an emotional moment for me when these memories washed over me. Remembering David, his face, smile, insights, compassion, fidelity, faith and laughter. A thousand thanks, David. Un mil Gracias, David. Que descanse en el abrazo eterno de Dios. Rest in the eternal embrace of God. Project Eden is grateful to David’s family for suggesting donations to Project Eden, Inc. in memory of his life.

Fr. Dan’s Journey (continued)

This portion of the journey is told in Fr. Dan’s words.

I arrived in Honduras on September 16, 2001 and was met by "Chico," who was driving the Toyota pick-up that I had purchased. Here I was ready to begin a new chapter in my life. We arrived in Juticalpa and went to the Obispado (the Bishop's residence) and Bishop Muldoon was there to welcome me. He said that I would not be able to stay at the rectory in San Francisco de La Paz because they were repairing the roof. So, I stayed at the Bishop's residence, right in the center of Juticalpa, for the next two weeks. The following day the Bishop said that he had arranged for a 10 a.m. Mass in San Francisco so that he could introduce me to the community. I received a very warm welcome from the community. Although the church was not full, there were a good number of people, one of whom was Rigo Ramos meeting him for the first time. (Who could have predicted what a wonderful friendship would develop?)

After the Mass, the Bishop and I returned to Juticalpa and he told me that he would be leaving for vacation the next day and that I would be staying at his residence (alone!!). He also told me that Fr. Byron Chevannes, the pastor of the parish in San Francisco was on his vacation. Alone I was feeling some anxiety but more excitement to start the new chapter.

To be continued. If you missed previous editions of this story, you can find them in the 2025 and 2026

quarterly newsletter on the website https://projectedenhonduras.org