Fernando Ramón Martínez Meléndez from Comayagua, Honduras joined us for a zoom presentation about the projects that we have helped to fund.
I first met Fernando in 2006 for the first time I went to Honduras to a Uniendo America Project Fair and to inaugurate the first Rotary Matching Grant water project at El Negreto that Harbourside had sponsored with his Comayagua Club. We have done 4 more water projects since plus planting trees and gardens and have supported other projects they have done with other Canadian Clubs.
Fernando joined Rotary in 1994 and has been President 3 times. He is currently a CADRE (Technical Advisor to the Rotary Foundation) and has served missions in Nicaragua, Bolivia and Mexico. He has been a Rotary volunteer for 3 missions in Kenya and 1 Somalia.
Professionally he is a dental specialist in Endodontics with his own clinic.
He also holds a Masters Degree in Local Development and International Cooperation.
Volunteer Firefighter for 5 years
First Aid Instructor Volunteer Honduran Red Cross. for 15 years
Project Formulation Facilitator for a Japanese Development Agency.
Honduras Land Registration Project Manager funded by World Bank and Government of Honduras.
President of Comayagua Municipal Emergency Committee.
His wife is Celeste and they have 2 Children María Fernanda (21) and José Luis. (17)
His hobbies are Extreme sports: Motocross, Enduro, Rafting, Scuba Diving (open Water).
Fernando is a rotarian in district 4250. His club is in Comayagua which was the first capital. It is a colonial city which is very beautiful and safe. Their club was founded in 1977 with 22 members. Average age is 30-40. They meet Friday evenings at a bar. They sponsor a Rotaract club with 15 members.
Their projects include our joint water and sanitation project in Tegucigalpa, a dental clinic, Hurricane Mitch home rebuilding, a remote area medical brigade, a Kid's Day Fiesta.and a scholar orchard.
10-12 years ago they started a joint project to start a Remote Area Medical Brigade. There were many medical problems due to unsanitary water. Providing medicine only worked temporarily until they worked on the cause. The water and sanitation projects are all still working and the community is empowered to maintain them.
The scholar orchard is a gardening and irrigation project. Kids sell some of the produce and families use some. Any money raised is returned to the school to buy new seeds.
The ladies in one of their projects learn cooking skills and make business plans. These women then bought a stove for the project. During the pandemic they had a project to teach women to make masks which are given out in the street. They have made 6,000 masks. The situation there is very scary. The hospital is over capacity.
Fernando's club raises money with their Comayagua Extreme Ride for Polio. Members ride motorcycles and sidecars 40 km on a very bad road.
Maureen Duncan thanked Fernando for his excellent powerpoint presentation and for his hospitality when she visited.