For Marie Joseph and her family, a migrant assistance center and United Methodist clinic in Danlí provided a respite on a long and arduous journey.
“We arrived very tired,” said Joseph, 32, who asked that her real name not be used in this story. “We were scared and didn’t know what to expect. But here we were welcomed warmly. We were given food and a safe place to stay with my three children for two days.
“They also cared for us at the UMCOR clinic, where we were examined and helped with what we needed,” she said, referring to the health clinic, which is supported by the United Methodist Committee on Relief and the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries’Global Health program. “It was a great relief because we were so exhausted from the journey.”
Joseph is making her way to the United States with her three children, fleeing the violence in her home country of Haiti, where gangs control large areas. She wants to reunite with family members in the U.S.
Housed at the government-run Irregular Migrant Assistance Center or CAMI (Centro de Atención al Migrante Irregulares) in Danlí, the church-supported clinic provides free health care to migrants exhausted after crossing Nicaragua or eastern Honduras. The clinic was established by the United Methodist Mission in Honduras, led by Global Ministries and Bishop Rubén Saenz, the mission’s episcopal leader.
CAMI has become a connection point for those continuing on to Guatemala and Mexico. The health clinic offers rapid medical assessments, general care, basic medications and referrals to hospitals when needed, helping migrants continue their journey.
The center’s staff provide guidance to migrants on routes to follow and appropriate behaviors to avoid legal problems upon arriving in Honduras. Migrants are also granted a five-day temporary permit to complete their paperwork before continuing on to Guatemala.
Leaving Violence for a New Life
At the migrant assistance center in Honduras, Marie Joseph shared her journey toward the United States. She lived five years in the Dominican Republic and is now fleeing both the violence in Haiti and the economic and social hardships she faced in the Dominican Republic.
“I am from Haiti. Life there was very difficult; there was violence, and we couldn’t live in peace,” she said. “That’s why we went to the Dominican Republic. I lived there for five years and learned Spanish so I could communicate, but the situation was also hard: unstable work, housing problems, and I felt I couldn’t give my children a secure future. So we decided to try to reach the United States to be with some of our family already living there.”
She described her journey as a long and dangerous one.
“We didn’t come directly from Haiti,” she said. “Many migrants like us first live in or pass through other Latin American countries. In our case, we went from Haiti to the Dominican Republic and then began our journey north. Some migrants travel from countries like Brazil, Chile or Mexico; others take charter flights to countries such as Nicaragua, which has more flexible requirements, and from there cross Central America toward Mexico and the United States.”
Joseph and her family arrived in Honduras from Nicaragua. For them, Honduras is not a final destination but a transit country, where they seek support and rest before continuing their journey.
According to staff members at CAMI and the clinic, many migrants become stranded in Honduras without resources or documentation and rely on the humanitarian support provided.
“I want to sincerely thank everyone who helps us,” Joseph told some of the center’s staff. “Violence and poverty shouldn’t prevent children from having a future. Thanks to you, we have been able to continue our journey with a little more peace and hope.
“It’s a difficult path, but knowing there are places that support migrants gives us strength. I want my children to have a safer life and opportunities to study and grow without fear.
“I am afraid, but I also have hope. I hope to find work, a safe place to live, and that my children can continue their education,” she said. “We want to leave behind violence and insecurity and start a new life.”
Your Donations Help
Your gifts on UMCOR Sunday helps support the foundation for the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) so that they can provide lifesaving grants to people suffering from disasters around the world.
excerpt from a story by the Rev. Gustavo Vásquez, coordinator of Hispanic-Latin Relations at United Methodist Communications
This story shows the impact of UMCOR Sunday—one of six United Methodist Special Sundays with offerings—to ensure that help and hope reach those in crisis. Your gifts cover the administrative costs of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), so that 100% of other donations can go directly to disaster response and humanitarian aid. Together, we make it possible for the Church to respond swiftly and faithfully when the world needs care most.
When you give generously on UMCOR Sunday, you sustain the ministry that enables the Church to bring God’s love and practical help to disaster-stricken communities.
