Success Story: USAID/Honduras Beneficiaries Provide Essential Services During COVID-19 Pandemic
During the global COVID-19 pandemic, millions of people around the world are staying at home in order to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. In Honduras and many other developing countries with weakened health care systems and struggling economies, stay-at-home restrictions are critical. However, for the majority of citizens to be able to comply with lockdown orders, some workers must leave the safety of their homes to provide the health care and essential services that communities need in order to survive. To honor and to thank all of the people who are valiantly risking their health to provide vital services for their communities and countries, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Honduras Workforce Development Activity, Empleando Futuros, highlights the work of four Honduran youth who represent the best of their country during this time of crisis. Before the crisis, they were labeled "at-risk youth" because of the levels of violence in the communities where they reside. All four completed Empleando Futuros workforce training, found employment, and are now showing the resilience that Honduras needs at this time. Like so many others, they are at-risk now because they choose to support their country in this time of crisis. We call them and all others who are working in essential services,
"Heroes of Honduras:'
Yoseline Moreno, a 21-year-old from Tegucigalpa, is truly on the frontlines of Honduras' COVID-19 response. As an employee of COPECO, Honduras' Emergency Response Commission,Yoseline prepares shelters for suspected COVID-19 patients; supervises the lines of people outside of supermarkets, banks and pharmacies to ensure that they are practicing safe social distancing; as prepares food to be delivered to vulnerable communities. She says that her bosses are emphasizing the importance of taking the necessary bio-security measures for her own safety and urging her to set a good example for Hondurans.
Yoseline says she feels good about what she is doing and, although her family worries about her being exposed to the virus,they support her because of the country's need at this time and because of her passion for her work. "Empleando Futures was a great school for what we are living now. In COPECO, it's essential to work as a team, especially during this health crisis that Honduras faces. Empleando Futures taught me to communicate better, work in a team, manage conflicts and be assertive." - Yoseline
Distributing food and medical supplies to 9.3 million Hondurans is another critical task at this time. Three Empleando Futuros beneficiaries are essential components of medical and food supply chains during the COVID-19 crisis.
MiguelAngel Orellana, a 21-year-old from San Pedro Sula, works for Proconsumo, a company that distributes medical, food and cleaning supplies to stores across Honduras. Miguel Angel loads merchandise and drives trucks to small stores and markets in the San Pedro Sula area.