Organismo Cristiano de Desarrollo Integral de Honduras

Public Statement 2017

Organization

OCDIH was founded in 1993 and gained legal status in 1994 as a nongovernmental organization based on Christian principals and dedicated to promoting civic engagement, sustainable agriculture, risk management, human rights, and gender equity. OCDIH currently works in 16 municipalities in the northwest region of Honduras. 

OCDIH has a general assembly made up of community leaders, founding members and honorary members (22 in total) and a board of directors composed of six members, including women and youth who are leaders of grassroots networks. The board makes policy decisions based on OCDIH’s strategic plan. OCDIH’s operational management team is responsible for defining strategies, developing proposals, implementing policies and reviewing progress on organizational objectives. The operational coordinator oversees programming, administration and monitoring and evaluation teams. 

Development Objective 

To promote economic, social, and civic participation opportunities for vulnerable individuals (women, youth and indigenous), at risk of or impacted by migration, in three municipalities in the department of Santa Bárbara, Honduras.

Project Description

The Organismo Cristiano de Desarrollo Integral de Honduras (OCDIH) will strengthen the capacity of networks of women’s, indigenous, and youth organizations to engage public and private sector decision-makers in the municipalities of Trinidad, Ilama and Chinda. The project will promote shared learning, planning and investment by key municipal leaders to address violence and insecurity, migration, and economic development needs affecting their communities. Lack of economic opportunity is a primary factor driving migration in western Honduras, and the project focuses on promoting greater collaboration between community organizations, municipal governments and local businesses to expand employment and income generation, particularly for women and youth. Project activities will also promote peaceful municipal environments, for example through public awareness campaigns on violence prevention and peacebuilding, and by creating citizen security and peace roundtables. This project is expected to benefit 250 young people and women directly, and another 5,350 people indirectly.

Rationale for Funding

Community organizations in western Honduras are increasingly concerned that women and young people face limited employment opportunities as well as growing violence and insecurity, which drive high-risk migration. Supporting OCDIH will help people from vulnerable communities to engage their municipal governments and local businesses in an effort to change the conditions which lead to forced migration. The project fits well into the current Honduran portfolio given its focus on access to training, participation and economic opportunities for youth, women and indigenous groups, as well as increased engagement with municipal decision makers, which is central to expansion of employment in local labor markets. This grant is part of a broader IAF initiative focused on supporting economic prosperity, democracy, and governance consistent with the U.S. Strategy for Engagement in Central America.

Learning Opportunity

This support will provide further understanding of the links between violence, economic insecurity and migration, and how to create a more effective response at the municipal level. Additionally, training in conflict transformation and the establishment of multi-stakeholder security and peace roundtables will offer additional insights for other IAF grantees in Honduras who are struggling to find appropriate means of response to similar challenges.