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By Fernanda Bertrand As an immigrant from Honduras, I carry the burden of knowing how difficult life is for us back in our country. We suffer from a corrupted government, violence, poverty, and most of all climate change. These factors are key to understanding why so many of us sacrifice everything to migrate in pursuit of the ‘American Dream’. In our homeland, we depend on crops from our farms to provide for our families. I recall once when I was five years old, heavy rain began to pour and it would not stop for days. My grandfather’s farm flooded and I witnessed how the water destroyed the crops my family spent hours in the sun carefully planting. This is when I realized how much humans depend on the earth to survive.
“Displacement is not the loss of home. It is the reminder that we carry home within us, like seeds waiting for the right soil.” This quote resonates so much with me, as I had to flee the only place I once called home. I spent years shamelessly hiding my identity because of the social stratification. As I grew older, I met individuals like myself and I finally learned to appreciate my roots. Through traditions, music, food, and holidays, I was able to break that inferiority I felt within me. I carry my story as a way to mark my resilience and determination I carry for my future. Those just like me, who had to find a new environment and find a community that will nurture the “seeds” that flourish your identity. While displacement is a challenging experience, once you find the right environment and community it will be a reminder that “home” is what you carry within yourself. These internal feelings of acceptance and belonging can exist anywhere that will continue to let you grow and thrive. Hurricane Mitch devastated Honduras in October 1998, the second-deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record. This Hurricane caused over 7,000 deaths and with ten thousand missing, over 20% of the population was left homeless, destroyed agriculture, and wiped away crops such as banana trees which are crucial for the Honduran economy. The aftermath was so severe that it set the country's economy back 50 years in terms of development. My Mother was eighteen years old when this hurricane happened. I went on to ask about her experience, “ I vividly remember when the town’s people came up to the mountain and told us to flee. I remember my brothers packing the little food we had. Heavy rain had begun to pour as we made our way to the town. We arrived at my aunt's house all soaked, muddy, and exhausted. For three days I was terrified. I closed my eyes while my mother held us reassuring us we would be okay, but the look on her face told us otherwise. On the third day, the house flooded and we had no choice but to sit in the water. We had no power, little edible food, and suffered cool temperatures. Luckily, we all survived with minor injuries but my five-month-old brother died due to hypothermia ” The shock to this already vulnerable country has not been an easy pathway to recovery from. With evolving traditions and women's empowerment, Honduras slowly recovered its beauty. Local communities such as the Baha’i community volunteered in distributing aid, the women took power roles in rescues and rehabilitation, the women gave psychological support to men to help them regain their capacity to contribute to the community, which were crucial actions for a woman to do in a sexist country. Ultimately, Honduras continues to be a vulnerable country, but we have continued to keep our spirit and culture alive by coming together and pushing through the hardships our country continues to face. References:
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Earth Daughters is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.