During some culinary conversations, the solidarity oven project was born.

One thing that many people do very well has to do with food and more specifically with baking: how many people in some communities delight us with their cakes, bread, rice pudding, bannana bread, roasted chickens, etc.! Why not embark on a project focused on entrepreneurs who would like to work for their families and for the community?

The first problem, as always, was economic. This is a major difficulty to carry out projects. The initiative often seems easy in theory but to carry it out or make it happen is another thing. There are human resources to carry it out but it is always necessary to look for financing. So let’s get to work and look for it.

With the assistance of the sister of Fr. José María Ibero, CM, steps were initiated for this project which was presented to the city council of Aibar (Navarra, Spain) … and the answer was a big YES for this project. So many good-hearted people supported this project so that it could become a reality and not remain as an idea… and now there are many happy and joyful people because the project has become a reality in Honduras!

One of the disabled people (Bartolo, from the community of Santa Isabel) spoke with heartfelt words: “thank you for taking us into account”.

We are most grateful for this small project that has been made possible here in Honduras, in the parish of Santiago Apóstol de Cuyamel. People from many communities are going to benefit from it. But not only individuals… these men and women have a tremendous sense of community and as a result, the communities themselves are going to benefit from this “solidarity oven” project.

Some people began to work on the very day that the ovens were delivered, and we have pictures of delicious breads and cakes to prove it. Dixa (a catechist in the community of St. Thomas) sent us some photos that show what has been done in this small mountain community. She stated: “When we make some money, we use these funds to help the cancer patients who are being assisted by the parish.” Lucy de Santos (animator of the Ecclesial Base Community in Masca), who, like Dixa, has already begun to prepare delicious bread and Rubenia Erazo (catechist from the mountain community of Nueva Concepcion, mother of 9 children whose husband has cancer), told us: “Do you remember the times you used to bring that bread that you liked so much for the catechists’ meetings? Well, I am going to make that same bread and other things to get money for the medicines my husband needs.”

Some further information: how much did this project cost? A little more than 1,500 euros, which, at the exchange rate, is 45,000 lempiras: 260 euros for each of the seven ovens that have been delivered and that will help not only these individual families, but more importantly, will provide help for the entire community. Behind each oven there is a person, a family, a community that has benefited … and now we say THANK YOU … and THANK YOU again.

Félix Mariezkurrena, C.M.
Missionary from the Province of Zaragoza of the Congregation of the Mission,
ministering in Cuyamel (Honduras).
Source: http://pauleszaragoza.org/