Global Parents Day – Honoring Perseverance

Every day and all around the world, families have to make impossible choices between making sure their children have enough to eat and being able to afford the basic household and school essentials kids need to stay healthy, learn, and thrive. On Global Parents Day (June 1) we honor the mothers and fathers who give everything so their children can survive and thrive.

Six-year-old Santiago lives with his mother and father, Blanca and Gualberto, in a small, rural community in Honduras not far from the coast. It’s the kind of place where everyone knows each other. When you first meet his family, you might not realize that Santiago and his parents are entrepreneurs.

For years now, they have been known in their community for selling popsicles. Every morning, Blanca carefully prepares the most popular flavors, and when she arrives at Santiago’s school with an icebox full of cold, sweet treats, she finds children eagerly waiting. More than one teacher is in line, too, ready for a small sweet break from the heat.

For Blanca, this business represents not only income, but also the opportunity to connect with her community. That’s true for another enterprise she and her husband maintain: selling second-hand clothes. In their house, they have set up a small space where they receive neighbors looking for something to wear in good condition and at a good price. With patience and dedication, they deliver quality to everyone who frequents this business.

Through efforts like these, the family has managed to stay afloat. But in an area where so many families often struggle with basic expenses, breaking the cycle of poverty can be almost impossible.

That’s where Feed the Children’s Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) come in. For areas where traditional banking is out of reach, our VSLA programs offer families education in financial literacy, training in small business management and savings plans, and even loans to support entrepreneurial projects like Blanca and Gualberto’s that keep food on the table for their children.

Blanca knows well that saving is essential in rural communities where employment and income can be unstable. For her family, putting just a little money away has, over time, allowed them to face emergencies, improve their home, and ensure their children’s well-being without going into debt. Saving not only gives Blanco and Gualberto peace of mind today but has also empowered them to work towards a more secure future for Santiago.

Our VSLA programs also strengthen community ties, enabling neighbors to launch small businesses or other collective projects together. Encouraging program members to pool their savings lets them borrow on an as-needed basis, promoting shared accountability between them and a greater sense of achievement and self-sufficiency.

In the communities we serve, the VSLA program complements our other programming designed to improve nutrition for children and mothers, promote healthy habits, and expand access to education. Standing on more steady financial ground allows families to more fully reap these benefits and maintain a stable foundation for their children to grow and thrive.

“It gives them better opportunities for the future,” Blanca says. “And this support has been important to the development and well-being of the entire community.“

Although their days are long and full of work, Blanca and Gualberto feel grateful because their effort and dedication are helping get their family ahead. Global Parents Day gives us the opportunity to honor all the mothers, fathers, and caregivers for their selfless commitment to their children. Nonetheless, Doña Blanca feels more gratitude than anything else.

“I thank God for everything he has given me in my 50 years,” she says. “For giving me a beautiful family and for never leaving us alone. We are blessed.”