Honduras mayor Suyapa Jaqueline Trejo has embarked on a project to provide music lessons for the youth in her municipality, Macuelizo, as a way of retaining them and engaging support from those who have migrated to the US.
Migration Crisis: Honduras, represented by Macuelizo, a town composed of several villages, has witnessed an exodus of its population seeking better lives in the US.
* Mayor Trejo admits to struggles in providing essentials like clean water and basic health care, due to a limited budget.
* The situation is worsened by a lack of good education and job opportunities, forcing even graduates to migrate.
* A stark disparity is noticeable between houses funded by salaries from the US and those reliant on the local minimum wage of around $500 a month.
Diaspora Engagement Strategy: Trejo decided to connect with the Macuelizo diaspora, hoping to tap into their resources and ideas.
* Speaking in a Honduran restaurant in Virginia, Trejo enthralled expats by highlighting her proposal for music lessons in Macuelizo schools, a tool to prevent migration and instill pride in local youth.
* She appealed for donations to hire music teachers and purchase instruments.
* Her dream extends to improving education and health programs as well as building gyms in local parks.
Facing reality: Despite the project’s success, Trejo admits her limitations in offering sufficient job opportunities to keep the youth from migrating.
* She confesses that while she can’t promise jobs, her strategies aim to strengthen the sense of belonging for the youth, hoping they’ll feel rooted in their town.
* Subsequently, Trejo has achieved a win with the guitar project, now boasting of 80 guitars and interested children learning to play Honduran and Latin American songs.
* Migrants in the diaspora have appreciated the initiative, feeling connected to their hometown through the funded guitars.
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