OUR partner

It is not enough to teach some farmers new agricultural techniques or to help families build wood conserving stoves. What is more valuable is helping communities take charge of their own future. The leaders of Sustainable Villages Honduras (SVH) chose Vecinos Honduras (VH) in 2015 as a partner in improving the environment and the wellbeing of people in half a dozen villages in the Honduran Department of Santa Barbara. They chose VH precisely because its way of working with impoverished families and villages is to “teach people to fish” not give them the fish.

VH builds on a legacy of decades of creative work in Honduras by many organizations in helping impoverished communities to practice agro-ecology—the using of agricultural techniques that preserve the environment. VH is a one of many non-profit organizations that work with each other in the National Association for the Promotion of Ecological Agriculture (ANAFAE).

Many VH staff and board members have supported this movement for decades. Since its founding as a Honduran NGO (non-government organization) in 2009, VH has worked with several dozen villages and several thousand families in three departments in the southeast and south of Honduras. They teach farmers techniques that use native seeds and natural fertilizers and pesticides and that conserve and improve soil. Then, they teach these farmers to teach others as part of a "campesino a campesino" (farmer to farmer) approach that has taken root in Honduras over the past 40 years.

The VH approach reflects a deep belief that women and young people must play leadership roles in improving agriculture, family health, and the prosperity of villages. They are encouraged to assume leadership positions on water boards or savings and loan organizations. They train others and work together to earn extra income. VH bases this philosophy on several decades of movements to promote agro-ecology and self-sufficient communities.

Through Groundswell International (“Groundswell”), VH is linked with NGOs teaching agro-ecology and village sustainability in Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti in the Western Hemisphere, in Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Senegal in Africa, and in Nepal in South Asia. In the years before becoming a tax-exempt organization in the U.S. in April 2018, SVH was well exposed to the Groundswell philosophy in part because Groundswell served as the fiscal sponsor of SVH.

Edwin Escoto, Founding President of VH, was the Founding President and Executive Director for Vecinos Honduras for almost 10 years. Currently, he serves as Regional Coordinator for Groundswell International for Latin America and the Caribbean, so he still influences the work of Vecinos Honduras. Previously, Edwin also held executive positions for World Neighbors and the UN FAO. He holds a degree in Agronomy from Honduras’ National Agriculture University. 

 Vecinos Honduras Staff

Carlos Vigil Moreno, Executive Director of Vecinos Honduras (VH).  After serving as Acting Executive Director for 16 months, Carlos Vigil was appointed Vecinos Honduras Executive Director in August 2022.   Initially trained as a sociologist at the University of Costa Rica, he has had a wide range of formal and informal education in Honduras, Chile, the Philippines, Colorado, and Germany.  He has had long experience in managing non-profits, especially in rural development programs and projects.   He has served as a university professor and consultant.   

Carlos Vigil’s work experience prepared him thoroughly for directing Vecinos Honduras (VH).  He served for many years on the VH Board of Directors, and served as the Board Chair.  From 2014 to the present he was the Projects Coordinator in Honduras for HEKS/EPER a German NGO that has funded several Vecinos Honduras projects.  He served from 2001-2006 as National Director of World Neighbors, the parent organization for Vecinos Honduras.   From 2006-2010, he served as Regional Director for Mesoamerica and the Caribbean for Heifer International.

Roy Lara, Santa Barbara Project Coordinator, has been working to improve agriculture and the environment in the department of Santa Barbara for more than a dozen years. A licensed agronomic engineer, he has extensive experience in tree nursery creation, reforestation, and environmental education of children and youth. Roy shares the VH belief in empowering whole communities to improve the lives of their families and in seeking partnerships for greater impact. He has introduced many youth and adult visitors from the U.S. to the many ways that improved agriculture can help lift families in Honduras out of poverty. He has reached many more Americans during his nearly annual visits to the U.S. to speak about his work.

Fernando Pineda, Facilitator, joined the SVH Vecinos Honduras staff in April 2022. Previously he had worked for ten years with the Unbound program in Santa Barbara, a US-based NGO that uses donor sponsorships of $40 per month per child for families that are promoting better futures for their children through education, better nutrition and other goals. Fernando worked as a facilitator of groups of women, men, children and youth in strengthening their motivation and uncovering their talents. He is skilled in developing strong organizations and in running workshops. 

In his first six months with Vecinos Honduras, he has worked with new entrepreneurs on marketing through packaging products, investing in networks, and better administration.   He has worked with local leaders, such as members of the water boards on improved management and strengthening of their organizations. He also worked with health committees to better manage medical brigades and health challenges for children, pregnant women, and adults.       In addition to his organizational skills, Fernando brings his skills as a professional photographer, a soccer referee who belongs to the National Football Federation of Honduras, and a musician who plays piano, bass, drums and guitar and gives lessons in these instruments to youth and children.