For most schoolteachers, Motorcycles are not on the list of "required equipment". But, for the teachers of El Maestro en Casa, a group that provides education to rural children in the state of Intibucá, Honduras, motorcycles are as essential as chalk and red pens. In fact, the teachers cannot even reach their students without motorcycles.
Susan Stone of Brandon Vermont, started El Maestro en Casa - "The Teacher at Home" - in Intibucá in 1995. Her idea was to bring education to rural children where they need it - in their home villages. She now serves as Executive Director of El Maestro en Casa in Intibucá.
When El Maestro en Casa began, Susan used her personal car to reach remote towns over steep, twisty red clay roads that were not designed for car travel. The car could not navigate the roads during much of the year and the rough roads caused excessive wear on her vehicle. She quickly realized her car was not the best tool for reaching remote, rural Honduran villages.
Teachers ride to students over rural Honduran roads like this one.In 2002, TROCAIRE, an Irish NGO, gave El Maestro en Casa enough money to hire two graduates of the program as teachers and gave the program two old motorcycles. The bikes enabled the teachers to reach the students for weekly classes.
"We depend on (the motorcycles). We couldn't do it without them", said Stone. With high gas prices, unreliable public transportation and roads that look more like trails or swamps than roads, motorcycles are the most practical tool for the job.
Maintaining the bikes is difficult. Operating conditions are rough, parts are hard to find and the local mechanics are self-taught and not highly trained. By 2005, the original two motorcycles had died.
Fortunately, TROCAIRE secured additional funds for the program in 2005. El Maestro en Casa used the funds to purchased two Honda XL 250's and the program was able to reach its students again.
The Hondas lasted until this year, when one died, leaving El Maestro en Casa with one functioning motorcycle. A mechanic friend of the program cobbled together a second bike using a mix of parts from various bikes. El Maestro's four teachers now share the two shaky motorcycles. They frequently ride two-up on the 250 trail bikes, for the hour-and-half ride to the villages.
The program is again in a desperate situation. If one or both of their motorcycles fail - which is inevitable - the program will not be able to reach the students. This fall, they started a modest fundraising campaign. Their goal is to raise enough money to purchase a single new motorcycle and raise enough money to afford the regular maintenance.
Typical "roads" in rural HondurasTheir cause is certainly worthwhile. Children in Honduras have the worst education in Central America, according to the international human rights organization, Global Exchange. By bringing education to the students, El Maestro en Casa directly addresses the biggest problem cited by Global Exchange: only 86.5% of Honduran school-aged children have access to education. With motorcycles, El Maestro en Casa can provide that access. And, without motorcycles, they cannot.
How you can help
Would you like to help Vermonter Susan Stone and El Maestro en Casa reach the students of Honduras? Follow the link below to donate to their cause. El Maestro en Casa is 501c3 registered charity and all contributions are tax deductible. Their goal is to raise enough money to purchase a Yamaha 175 dirt bike and have some maintenance money.
Donations can also be sent by check, directly to:
El Maestro en Casa
2999 Wheeler Rd,
Brandon, VT 05733
Volunteering
El Maestro en Casa needs a mechanic! If you are mechanic, consider volunteering for two weeks. To find out more, visit their volunteer page or contact Susan Stone, Executive Director by sending email to: lencaeducation@gmail.com
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