History
In the 1970s, Clementina Martinez was a schoolteacher. When her young students struggled to pay attention in class, she knew they were hungry so she began to feed them before their morning lessons. Eventually, she fed them lunch, too. Since 1988, Clementina has been feeding between fifty and ninety-five children in a 'comedor infantil' or soup kitchen. The number fluctuates with the times and as finances allow, she may include two meals instead of one. For most of these children, this is the only meal they get in a day.
The Clementina Martinez Foundation
In 2007, The KidSAKE Foundation sponsored Clementina in setting up an NGO in Honduras. KidSAKE partnered with many individuals as well as staff, students, and professors at Middle Tennessee State University, to raise the funds necessary to make it happen.
Dreams of Self-Reliance
It has long been the dream of Clementina and the women who serve in the soup kitchen to become self-reliant. Through self-empowerment, many dreams will come true. The KidSAKE Foundation has made a commitment to helping these women embark on this path by lending a helping hand as they begin their micro-enterprise.
SELF-RELIANCE
It is clear that breaking the cycle of poverty will not occur if no changes are made to the system it thrives in. Clementina has used her own funds and through the generosity of others supplied food, clothing, shoes, school supplies and other items to the women and children of the comedor for many years.
We are anxious to begin learning how to fund our projects ourselves, so in partnership with The KidSAKE Foundation, we are putting together a plan to raise money through a microenterprise that involves raising chickens! We are getting help from Dr. Tony Johnston at MTSU and INFOP (La Paz, Honduras) through KidSAKE's partnership. We are also interested in raising money using artwork, embroidery and other crafts from our village.
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