How Does Education Affect Economic Development?
You can learn a lot about the rate of economic development of any given country by paying attention to the educational opportunities available. Upon hearing that there is a connection between education and poverty, many people find themselves asking, “How does education affect economic development?”
At first glance, the two factors may seem disconnected – education, especially in developed countries, typically precedes joining the workforce and having an income stream, so the direct relationship between education and economic development may not be obvious.
In order to answer the question of “how does education affect economic development?” in Honduras, it’s important to first take a look at the relationship between education and poverty and what educational opportunities look like for girls living in Honduras.
How Does Education Affect Economic Development?
When educational opportunities are in abundance, children can be easily enrolled in school, which not only sets them up for a bright future, but it also contributes to the overall economic success of the local community. When children receive an education, they become more capable.
The major issue that arises from poverty in Honduras is that, unfortunately, young girls have very limited access to education. Violence and lower qualities of life are also linked to growing up in poverty without access to education, which is largely the reality for girls in Honduras. Many young girls spend a lot of time on the streets of Honduras, which places them at risk for abuse, neglect, trafficking, and other unforeseen dangers.
With early exposure to adult-related content, young girls on the streets of Honduras are placed in harm’s way. Whether directly or indirectly, this can lead to a lower quality of life, which only worsens over time without somewhere safe to call home.
How Communities are Affected by a Lack of Education
Of the 7 countries that make up Central America, Honduras is the second poorest nation, following right behind Nicaragua. With a poverty rate of 50.3%, more than half of the population of Honduras makes less than $5.50 per day, forcing them to live below the poverty line.
As you can expect, many developing countries like Honduras cannot afford to put money towards systems that would help improve the economy. But when funding can be allocated for educational programs and elective activities, it’s an investment for the children who will grow up to partake in society and contribute to the economy in positive ways.
What is Education Like for Impoverished Girls in Honduras?
From the ages of six through twelve, education is free for all children in Honduras,however, only 80% of all students complete primary school.
Keep in mind that this percentage only takes children who do not work while attending primary school into account. The other 20% of students are taken out of school to assist their families with household duties, and most, if not all of these children are girls.
For girls who are lucky enough to stay in school, the quality of the education they receive, unfortunately, can be less than adequate or even dangerous. When looking at a national sample of standardized tests for Honduran students at primary education grades, the results showed that only around half had a minimal proficiency level for reading and math.
Aside from low standardized test scores, attending public school can sometimes impose hidden dangers for the girls and young women who are seeking to gain an education. Because so many live below the poverty line, many people turn to gangs, drugs, and other criminal activities to try to support their families. This can sometimes include taking girls and young women from their school and trafficking them across country lines for a payout. This is why the girls at Our Little Roses all attend safe and secure schools with closed campuses.
How Our Little Roses Helps Girls Receive a Proper Education
Remember how we mentioned that the national average of children who graduate primary school in Honduras is only 80%? Well, the high school graduation rate is even lower. Barely 11% percent of all high school students end up graduating in Honduras.
At Our Little Roses, we actively work to combat poverty by offering educational opportunities to young girls who would otherwise not have the opportunity to finish school. Our Little Roses not only offers a variety of education programs to our girls, but the students are exposed to various enrichment programs as well. From woodworking and folk dancing, to sports programs and ballet classes, OLR girls get to develop their skills and explore their interests in many ways.
At OLR, approximately 99% percent of our girls graduate high school. From there, about 64% percent of our high school graduates go on to pursue a collegiate education, which is about 40% greater than the national average of Honduras students who enroll in tertiary education.
As you can see, there is a huge impact of poverty on education, but we strive to bring the best to girls in Honduras. We make it a priority to ensure that the girls at OLR receive high quality education and have opened a K-11 school (HFBS) to ensure that the children in our local community have the same opportunities as well! Their experience at Our Little Roses helps to unlock their potential and sets them up on the path to success.
Poverty is one of the many factors of life in Honduras that detract from children’s access to a good education, but OLR doesn’t let that stand in our way. We allow the space for young girls to pursue an education rather than fall victim to statistics that say they will never become literate and make their dreams come true.
What You Can Do to Support Our Little Roses
If you are interested in supporting our mission, we invite you to look into becoming a sponsor or a donor. Sponsorships make it possible for us to provide the educational and enrichment programs, emotional support, and spaces to help the girls at OLR in the first place.
Generous sponsorships from people like you allow us to continuously provide essential resources to the girls at Our Little Roses. We cannot thank you enough for your kindness.
If you would like to assist Our Little Roses in another way, we also offer the option to donate to OLR. Whether you opt into donating on a consistent basis or you prefer to sign up for a one-time donation, we are appreciative no matter what.
If there are any questions you’d like us to answer, reach out to us by filling out our online contact form. We will get back to you soon with an answer!