Fabretto Children's Foundation

Riding Toward Opportunity in Rural Honduras

BY: Wendy Gámez

Twice a week, Edilson, an 18-year-old from the rural community of Altos de Llamales, Honduras, leaves home and begins a two-hour journey on horseback to reach Academia El Guanito, a school run by our impact partner E2E.

The narrow road leading to his community winds through steep mountains and muddy terrain. During the rainy season, conditions can become so difficult that even motorcycles, one of the most common forms of transportation in rural areas, struggle to make the trip.

For Edilson, travel on horseback is often the only way forward.Yet every Wednesday and Saturday, he saddles his horse and begins the journey. Not because the road is easy, but because he believes education is worth the effort.

For many young people living in rural Honduras, access to education remains a challenge. According to UNICEF, nearly half of children and adolescents in rural areas are outside the education system, and among older teens, nearly three out of four are no longer attending school.

That’s why our impact partner, E2E, is committed to creating paths to secondary education in rural communities. Before, young people had no options beyond the 6th grade. Thanks to Academia El Guanito, Edilson and his classmates now have an option to continue their education, even if it means a two-hour trek on horseback.

Edilson understands those realities. He has seen how distance and limited opportunities can stand between young people and their dreams. That is why he keeps going.

E2E and Fabretto are collaborating to offer our signature technical training program, CaTec, at Academia El Guanito. Edilson has learned practical agricultural skills that can benefit his family and community. He has also learned about respect, serving his community, peaceful coexistence, and working for the common good. These lessons have helped shape his vision for the future.

One day, Edilson hopes to become a school teacher. His dream is rooted in the needs he sees in communities like his own, where many young people face barriers to continuing their education. Edilson says he has been inspired by what he has learned through teachers like Danny Portillo, whose example has shown him that teaching is ultimately about service.

“I am inspired to become a teacher because there are young people in these rural communities who need support and guidance,” Edilson says. “Through Fabretto and the example of our teacher, Danny Portillo, I have learned the importance of serving others. I would love to continue that legacy by bringing hope to young people, strengthening families, and helping students build a brighter future.”

His goal is clear: to help the next generation discover opportunities that can transform their lives, just as education is transforming his.

His dream carries special meaning in rural Honduras, where access to secondary education remains limited, and many students never have the chance to continue their studies.

But statistics alone cannot tell Edilson’s story. His story is written in the hoofprints left on mountain trails. It is found in the determination that carries him forward when the road is muddy, steep, and long. And it is reflected in the encouragement he offers other students who face obstacles of their own: