Employment Opportunities

Because of employment discrimination and stigma, it is virtually impossible for someone with a known diagnosis of HIV to find employment in Honduras. As patients become healthy again with anti-retroviral treatment, they are eager to work to support themselves and their families. At our patients’ request, we have started four micro industries to provide employment with fair trade wages, in safe supportive settings, and with accommodation to their health needs. We are members of the Fair Trade Federation. All excess revenue is used to support the HIV clinics. These programs to provide fair trade employment and help make the clinics self-supporting have been developed with funds from Episcopal Relief and Development.

Tabita Sewing Work Shop Our first micro-industry began in July 2005 to employ some of our patients with professional sewing skills. We currently employ 17 women and one man who make high quality canvas bags and knit clothing mostly for babies. Our work shop is only a block from our clinic in San Pedro Sula so our employee patients can easily go to share lunch with other patients at the clinic. Visit www.siempresol.org to see the range of products available.

Siguatepeque Jewelry Work Shop

It is particularly hard to find work in Siguatepeque especially if you are HIV positive and minimally literate. Rev Zoila Schoebrun taught 10 patients to make Anglican rosaries using local Lenca beads and hemp. As their skills improve, these 10 regularly employed women are also making lovely silver necklaces and earrings that are sold in the US and at high end retail stores in Honduras.

Roatan Handicraft Store

Six of our patients in Roatan support themselves by making local handicrafts and selling these along with cold drinks to tourists who pass by the clinic in Punta Gorda. Our plan is develop our newly enclosed building into a larger srore to sell products from all our work shops and to also provide a air-conditioned safe space for patients to make handicrafts in Roatan.

Cement Block Factory

The men in San Pedro Sula are so impressed with the work available to female patients that they have requested their own. Clearly feeling strong with anti-retroviral therapy, they have a developed a business plan to make cement blocks. The diocese will donate land on which to build the small factory and the new industry should be producing its first blocks in late 2007.