La Calera Children was founded in 2018 to help underpriviledged children of La Calera, a small village located in Honduras, Central America.
The Founder, Câty Vitry-Trapman, originates from France and more specifically from Paris. Having married a wandering Englishman, she now holds two nationalities and dozens of countries on her log-book.
Caty studied Economics obtaining an MBA from the Sorbonne, specialized in Marketing and Finance. You see, Câty was lucky enough to be born in the right place, in times which allowed for women to pursue higher education. Because it was available, she also studied History of Art for 4 years as an external student at the Ecole de Louvre in Paris.
And then came the travelling – to more than 70 countries.
Caty taught 3rd year Economics at the School of Commerce in N’Djamena, Chad, opened a Tea Room/Antique store in Ivory Coast, owned plantations and an air taxi company in the DRC, gave English and Art lessons in Cameroon, was an Art curator in Washington DC, participated in an NGO supporting poor women in Costa Rica and ran a Wine Bar in Belgium! And always in those countries she felt compelled and did do all that was in her capacity to help underpriviledged women and children.
In 2018, Caty took photographs of some of the children of the Village of La Calera. Smiling faces, closed faces, faces scarred of blows...
Yet always little faces and little hands that surely deserved more than what life had dealt them.
This was the moment something inside of her clicked.
Why Honduras? It was the first country where Caty and Chris lived after marrying.
Why Honduras? It was the first country where Caty and Chris lived after marrying.
At that time, Caty did not speak Spanish. They adored wandering wild, isolated roads and fell in love with a tiny finca in the hills above Tegucigalpa, which they discovered one day as they went looking for blackberries.
Caty and Chris bought the Finca and returned regularly every year.
The situation in Honduras is difficult to describe. It is a country with strong ties to the United States of America and some of the local population dream of being annexed. It seems however that politicians worry little about those at the bottom of the pyramid.
The country is rife with corruption, drug gangs repatriated from the USA grow and sexual tourism has begun to make its appearance.
Between 8 to 12% of all children (between 200,000 – 300,000 children) under the age of 18 are working or living on the streets (FCH, 2014) This figure is not difficult to imagine given that so many girls are single mothers at a very young age.
WHO IS WHO
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Caty Vitry-TrapmanFounder -
Christopher TrapmanMemberFormer World Bank Operations and Treasury -
Karla ReconcoProject DirectorCountry Liaison -
Lois Vitry-TrapmanMember
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Zara Vitry-TrapmanMember
IN PRACTICE
Our sponsorship program offers stable support for the children and establishes a link between the sponsor and the child.
Our association enables transformation of Honduran children from victims of poverty to self-sufficient members of society.
All funds raised support our work in Honduras -- we are dedicated to improving the education for the children of the village of La Calera by providing them with money for school fees, clothing, school supplies, lunch boxes and lunch money, transport to and from the local High Schools and by supporting local elementary schools with basic supplies.
Caty and Chris have been supporting Children of La Calera for several years. The first beneficiary undertook brilliant studies at university and now has a steady employment in Tegucigalpa. She regulary comes back to her village and encourages children to pickup litter and attend school.
Angie is the village girl who Caty and Chris are currently sponsing. She has two years to go before university. She has chosen a general economics course but wonders whether training as a radiologist would not be better for her future. She still has time as she is only 15.
Karla Reconco, Angie’s mother, is Director of the Project for Schooling La Calera children. Having just turned 30 and has never studied beyond primary school. We are convinced that the empowerment of a local mother, who has been through the process of sponsorship herself, will incite other children and parents to work hard for school.
Karla will distribute the funds to each child and confirm their inscription in class, buy their uniforms and school equipment.
Karla will also advise families to keep sending their children to School. Supervision of class results will also be overseen by Karla.
Karla will handle the bank account where funds will be sent as required. A school year costs between Lempiras 15,000 and 25,000 (as of today Lps27=€1) depending on the curriculum and the daily journey the student must take.
This represents roughly between €550 and €950 per child per year.
All Children have received school fees for the year 2019 thanks to your generous donations
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We have been funding the education of young girls for several years, one after the other.
It is easy, it deprives us of nothing. But it changes someone’s life.
We would like, in the short term, to help several other children. We have selected four (who with the two existing girls will make six). It is hard to choose, it’s unfair. Thus, the choice must be made based on objective criteria: the success of the child to date; his/her personality; his/her motivation; his/her resilience.
We have imposed two strict rules for each child: (i) to remain a top student to qualify for and obtain a grant for university studies; and (ii) to avoid becoming pregnant.
Knowing that many girls become mothers at 12 years, one can appreciate the dangers to which these young girls are exposed. One can thus understand this rule which would be inconceivable anywhere else.
In the long run, the number of children benefitting from the project could be increased. One could consider organizing a school minibus and remunerating the project Director. Everything will depend on the success of the first phase.
ABOUT US