Our History

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OYE was founded in 2005 by Ana Luisa Ahern, Jessica Mockrin and Justin Eldridge Otero, inspired by a vision of society where young people have a powerful voice, knowledge and tools to inspire change in their lives and communities. From the beginning, our founders recognized that OYE's sustainability and success would depend on the development of strong and capable local leadership.


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After living several years of their childhoods in Honduras and volunteering during the summers throughout their adolescent years with children and young people in El Progreso, Ana Luisa and Justin of Washington, D.C. witnessed the challenges facing young people in Honduras. Upon graduating from college and joined by Jessica Mockrin, they returned to Honduras in 2005 to start a scholarship program to help five young women go to college.

The following year, they were selected as YouthActionNet Fellows of the International Youth Foundation. Recognizing that access to formal education was just the beginning, they designed an integral program to engage young people outside the classroom, creating spaces to promote leadership and learning and take action to build a better future in and for their country.

In line with our founders' belief in youth and community-led development, more than half of OYE's staff are scholarship graduates and program alumni.


What We Do


OYE creates opporunities for young people to empower themselves and transform their lives, families and communities. We envision a society where young people enjoy their rights and contribute to equitable and sustainable development in Honduras.


Since 2005, OYE has awarded multi-year high school and university scholarships to over 430 economic and socially disadvantaged young people to continue their education; and led diverse youth-led, school and community-based initiatives that have empowered thousands of young people, parents, teachers and community leaders in El Progreso and beyond.




Where We Work


In the heart of Central America, Honduras is rich in natural beauty, with expansive green highlands, picturesque colonial towns and crystalline Caribbean beaches.

Honduras, meaning "great depths" in Spanish, is also the most unequal and one of the most impoverished countries in Latin America, where 65% of people live in poverty and 42% in extreme poverty. In 2009, Honduras suffered a political crisis that further deepened inequality and violence.

Since then, pervasive corruption, political and social crisespaired with 2020's coronavirus pandemic and hurricanes Eta and Iotahave devastated people and communities across the country. These crises disproportionately impact people living in poverty - especially children, young people, women and other marginalized groups.


68%


of young people from ages 15 to 17 are not enrolled in high school (grades 10+). They are either not in school or enrolled at a lower level. Once a young person drops out of school, (s)he is unlikely to return.


1 in 4


girls and young women from ages 15 to 19 have been pregnant at least once. This reality is closely tied to poverty and lack of education. Girls who are out of school are much more likely to marry and have children early.


56%


increase in returned migrants from Honduras from January to June 2018, as compared to the same six-month period during 2017. This was before the first of several major migrant caravans that originated in Honduras in late 2018 and continue in the present.






Our Team


Meet the incredible staff and young people who bring our organization to life! We are so proud to share that more than half of the members of our permanent staff are scholarship graduates and program alumni. They are distinguished here with a next to their name.


Staff


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RocíoMendoza

Executive Director


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AmandaHall

Development + Partnerships Coordinator


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DuniaPerdomo

Projects Coordinator


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Diana Ruíz

Scholarships and Counseling Coordinator


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FernandoFernández

Entrepreneurship Coordinator + Manager of Social Enterprise


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HeidiReyes

Programs Coordinator


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JeslyMejía

Entrepreneurship Assistant


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LidisMadrigales

Accountant


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OscarAlvarado

Administrator


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ÁngelRodríguez

Assistant Psychologist


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TrinidadCastillo

Special Collaborator



Youth Leadership Team


As a youth-driven organization, youth leadership is an essential part of our organizational DNA. As such, we are intentional about creating opportunities for young people to assume formal leadership positions across all programs and projects.


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AndersonChávez

Youth Leader, Monitoring and Evaluation


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JuniorAcosta

Youth Leader, Projects Assistant


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SoanyCenteno

Youth Leader, Art


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CarlosBustillo

Youth Leader, Sports


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KeyrinHernández

Youth Leader, Girls Leading Change


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LeylaNuñez

Youth Leader, Communications



Social Enterprise Team


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JuniorRodríguez

Graphic Designer


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EugenioBenítez

Graphic Designer




Our Board of Directors


Ruth Varela

President


Barbara Myers

Vice President


Trish Ahern

Treasurer


dacia ramírez

Secretary


Keyla canales

Member + Legal Counsel


Suyapa Ayestas

Member


justin eldridge otero

Member + Co-Founder


amilcar chinchilla

Representante Legal



Our Partners + Allies


  • Inter-American Foundation Logo
  • Global Fund for Children Logo
  • PriceSmart Foundation Logo
  • Tinker Foundation Logo
  • Focus Central America Foundation Logo
  • Summit Foundation Logo
  • Together Women Rise Logo
  • Homeless Child Logo
  • Inter-American Foundation Logo
  • Global Fund for Children Logo
  • PriceSmart Foundation Logo
  • Tinker Foundation Logo
  • MeWe International Logo
  • GENDES Logo
  • MenEngage Alliance Logo
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  • University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Logo
  • American University Logo
  • Alcaldia Municipal de El Progreso Logo
  • Shared Studios Logo Logo
  • MeWe International Logo
  • GENDES Logo
  • MenEngage Alliance Logo
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And every single one of our donors, volunteers and supporters who generously give their time, voices and resources - and without whom none of this would be possible. We can't thank them – or you – enough!