On November 3, 2010, we celebrated the graduation ceremony of the 9th Grade and the Bachillerato. In occasion of this important event, numerous guests joined us in La Venta. In particular, we would like to mention the following persons: Rudi Eyl, President of the Board of Directors of Nuevo Amanecer, Martha Ivonne Romero, director of CADERH, Jose Nolasco, member of the CADERH’s Board of Directors, and Dulce Maria Moncada of the Board of Directors.
54 students were given the well-deserved Bachillerato diploma. The diploma grants them access to many of the numerous universities in Honduras and abroad. In this occasion, they did not only receive their university-entrance diploma, but also the diploma of CADERH and INFOP in the job(s) they have been trained in.
This year, not many students of the 9th Grade and of the 3rd year Colegio have been present. As most students after the 9th school year continue studying at the Bachillerato level, the graduation ceremony in the aforesaid school year is of minor importance.

The great majority of the speakers at the event repeatedly pointed out the importance of a solid school and vocational education. Moreover, it was mentioned that, in order to cope with the quickly changing challenges in a global environment, constant further education is indispensable these days. The students who complete their school career are leaving our training center with the best prerequisites. Let’s hope that they have the chance to use their solid knowledge efficiently and that they can escape poverty.

In mid 2008, we started gathering all the necessary information for receiving the environmental certificate, which Honduran institutions and enterprises are required to have. Already the first few clarifications made it clear that this was going to be a rather time-consuming and complicated issue. The certificates are – according to the size and nature of the institutions or enterprises – classified in category 1, 2 or 3. We were classified in the “midfield”, in category 2. However, before we could proceed to the certification, we had to meet a number of construction requirements and to additionally obtain the permits for our food shop, our kitchen and the stables as well as for our water reservoirs and our ground water wells for water use. These were all quite complicated and time consuming operations. Thanks to the unremitting commitment of our attorney Mario Chinchilla, an expert in environmental issues, we were able to receive all necessary permits, in a rather short lapse of time.
Hence, we could do the actual certification.

According to Honduran legal requirements, wastewater has to be purified before it can be discharged into rivers and creeks. The purification has to be done with the help of wastewater treatment plants by the enterprises themselves. Now, there are still very few public clarification plants. Usually, wastewater is being discharged in an unpurified state into the rivers; and only larger enterprises and a small number of bigger villages have basic clarification plants.

For us, setting up a wastewater treatment plant was not an issue: Due to the fact that in the school area and in the buildings, where our employees live, there are no flush toilets, construction of such a plant was not necessary for receiving the environmental certificate. We have been using composting toilets, with which we have had very positive experience, for many years. The small amount of wastewater we produce (hand washing, kitchen, etc.) is collected in a subterranean water tank and is then piped into a bog hole of our farm.

A further tricky issue concerning the environmental certification was our farm: We had to build a bog hole with a capacity of 200 m³, in which all wastewaters of the stables as well as the animals’ excrement is temporarily be stored. This system enables us to regularly fertilize our fields with high-quality manure.

On our birthday, on March 3, 2010, project leader Edi Fellmann personally received the environmental certificate from vice environment minister Mauricio Reconco. We are, therefore, – acting as a role model – one of the very few certified private organizations in Honduras!

As for the future, we are planning to build a biogas plant for around 200 livestock units. The goal is to gain biogas from the manure. We would be very grateful for any help with the planning and of carrying out of this project.

Financial audits

Anualmente contratamos un auditor independiente, reconocido, para verificar nuestra contabilidad.
Todos los fondos provenientes del Estado de Honduras (INFOP) están sometidas a otra auditoria contratado por el Estado.

We are having audited our financial accounting each year by an independent and accredited firm. Furthermore, a second firm also audits all funds we receive from the government.

Financial Audit Report 2009

Thanks to a very generous donation of computers, servers, screens, notebooks and many other assets, it has been possible to enlarge our existing computer labs and to raise them to state-of-the-art levels. Today, we are the proud and lucky owners of 4 computer labs.

We now have:

-  one lab with 42 computer workplaces for basic training courses for all students. These computers run UBUNTU 8.10 in combination with EDUBUNTU 8.10.
The first experience with UBUNTU has been very positive, and our students are the longer the more fond of this modern operating system.

-  a second lab with 22 computer workplaces for our Computer Sciences Course. These computers run Windows XP, and they meet the expectations of our computer classes.

-  and a third lab with 15 computer workplaces. This lab is multifunctional, used by our staff for special purposes, such as presentations, tutoring classes, etc. The computers run Windows XP.

-  the fourth lab was completed in 2009. It is used in primary school and has 30 computers, which run UBUNTU and EDUBUNTU.

A great thank you to the T.E.A.M. Marketing AG Company in Lucerne for their precious and very generous donation, which will definitely bear fruit here in Honduras.