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posted by Judy Gray, with information from Brita and Bob Park

Though I never met Victorino, those who were part of World Neighbours Canada in its early days did meet both Victorino and his wife, Senia. It is clear that he left an indelible impression on those people and clearly embodied the philosophy of World Neighbours Canada. Here are some further reminiscences, from Brita Park, a former Director on the Board:

“Victorino spent several days with us in our log house during the early 1990’s when he was banned from speaking at a Rotary Int’l event in Yakima, Washington. His annual income was considered too low, for him not to be a statistical risk of “defecting” to the US. Bob and I remember how Victorino patted the side of our old loghouse while telling us: “Love lives here” . And how, while hiking in our hills, he took some of the sandy soil and some of the clay into his hands to rub it and evaluate it for growing quality.

And we remember Victorino remarking on how good it is to see children, like our two, so healthy and energetic that they can be rambunctious. (I, in the meantime, was rather embarrassed that they were misbehaving in the presence of a guest.) 

I remember, too, the great discussions we had — for example, how Victorino remarked that in Honduras there was too much passive acceptance of ” fate”, and attributing people’s dire situations  to divine punishment for sin, whereas here in Canada everything was considered ” fixable” by human ingenuity, with no need to do any soul searching on how we might be needing to reconnect with community and nature as a response to the gift of creation. All this kind of talk was in a garbled “spanglish” that served us well enough, since we felt we were kindred spirits. And he had that smile! 
Graem Nelson, a World Neighbours Canada director once told me that he felt he had so much to learn from this minimally schooled man from another ” world”. Bob and I felt the same way. By the way … Victorino earned his Secondary School diploma at age 24, already the father of several children at the time.

One of our sons, who visited us recently, and learned of Victorino’s death, reminisced about his memory of Victorino: “that friendly man with the permanent baseball cap on his head, except when he plunked it on the floor beside his chair at mealtimes.”

The vitality of Victorino is so strong in our memories. Bob and I remember going to Victorino’s and Senia’s home, in 2003, where he went to the backyard to butcher a chicken for our meal, and then came to show us his study, with a computer, and, most importantly, the super encyclopedia two of the founding World Neighbours directors had given his family. Several of his children were also there; each on a path to good education, it seemed to us. For Bob and me, Victorino personified what the word ” good leadership” should mean.

I’m sitting here with tears for the loss of this wonderful person. Just think of his family, and his community! “

posted by Judy Gray with information from Graem Nelson, WNC Director

World Neighbours Canada directors learned yesterday of the death of Victorino Rivera Flores, the first local trainer hired by WNC in the 1980s in Honduras. Victorino was instrumental in motivating and developing program activities in the El Socorro region of that country. Graem Nelson met Victorino several times and has written a moving tribute about this man and has included some vivid personal memories. Graem’s tribute follows …  “I was very sad to hear of the death of Victorino Rivera Flores.  He will be mourned by his wife Senia and quite a few children, I can recall five at least.  And probably by now, some grandchildren.

In 1989, I led a trip of Rotarians to Honduras to meet with the Siguatepeque Rotary Club and World Neighbors Oklahoma staff.  The Rotarians included Michael Newman, who was my friend in Oliver, new to Rotary and on his first trip to a “less developed country”.  It also included Bob Ellis, who went on to found The Gleaners in Oliver, influenced by his first glimpse of real poverty in the countryside and cities of Honduras.

After getting settled in at Siguatepeque and meeting our Rotary counterparts, we all went to lunch at a fish restaurant at Lake Yojoa.  Dr. Miriam Dagen was the temporary area representative for World Neighbors and she welcomed our group to the lunch.  We met a young volunteer World Neighbors trainer named Victorino Rivera.  He had been working as a farmer trainer at the WN program at El Rosario, a mining village not very distant from Siguatepeque.  Victorino was proposed as the leader of the program at El Socorro, which would become the first program funded by WNCanada. With some amazing help from Rotary that continues to this day.

Victorino was already a big young man.  He had an infectious grin that spread from ear to ear.  He had intelligence, charisma and humour.  Our Rotary group was very happy to give him a chance to be a WN program coordinator.

Victorino quickly recruited a fine staff of farmer volunteers to get going on the development program.  It included a progressive local farmer whose farm included a neglected hillside visible from the highway.  This is where Victorino decided to establish the demonstration plot, where it could be seen by everyone who passed.  The transformation of this rocky hillside into a beautiful terraced garden took a year of work; it was remarkable and was noted by everyone who passed. Continue reading “WNC directors mourn the loss of Victorino Rivera”

posted by Judy Gray; with information from Vera Radyo 

Vera Radyo, Executive Director of the Kenoli Foundation, a Vancouver-based organization with which World Neighbours Canada works closely in Central America is currently in Honduras to visit project areas in that country. Vera is also a friend and supporter of World Neighbours Canada, and she is the co-chair of the BC Council for International Cooperation. Here are her comments about the situation in that country; especially important on International Women’s Day (March 8th), in light of the recent murder of Berta Caceres, a long-time indigenous human rights activist. 

Vera writes: “I salute my sisters all around the world on this special day!  I am honoured to be in Honduras to share in the struggles of women here.

It is not an easy time here. As we arrived in the capital city, Tegucigalpa, it was raining heavily, so rare during this time of year that is known for its never ending sun. As we drove south into the dry corridor, we saw so many rivers dried out. Both are examples of extreme climate change.
However, what has shocked people in Honduras and worldwide, is the recent murder of Berta Caceres – an Indigenous Lenca woman, human rights and environmental activist.  She was opposing the lack of consultation with Indigenous people about a proposed dam on their lands. We met Berta a few years ago and she was friends with a couple of people on the Kenoli team.  Many think her death was politically motivated, to silence her and others like her.
We joined a women’s march and forum opposing violence against women.  We learned that in the last 5 years, there have been 5,500 women murdered in Honduras.  95% of murderers are never brought to justice in this country that has one of the highest murder rates in the world.

I was impressed with the courage and determination of the women at the forum.  They were not about to be silenced, nor do they want her death to be in vain.  They will not allow her death to be forgotten and become another statistic of unsolved murders. Continue reading “International Women’s Day in Honduras”

by Bruce Petch, director

World Neighbours Canada has provided support for rural development in Honduras since its inception in 1988. Federal government funding approved last year will allow our partner organization, Vecinos Honduras, to provide assistance in new areas. Vecinos Honduras will support 10 communities in Nacaome municipality and 8 communities in Langue municipality. Both areas are in the department of Valle, located near the Pacific coast and known for its dry climate and poverty. Unfortunately, it is necessary to discontinue activities in several communities in Danli municipality (El Paraiso department) because of security concerns. Violent crime is pervasive in Honduras and travel to many locations is dangerous.

support is to decrease mortality rates of mothers and young children. Ironically, the extreme levels of crime (Honduras has one of the highest murder rates in the world) will make project implementation particularly challenging.