From Landfill to Learning

Proyecto ROHI has built a school located at the base of the Tegucigalpa municipal landfill, It has been serving families who have been trapped in survival mode, earning their living collecting and sorting recyclable materials. For generations, families have foraged through the mountain of garbage dump looking for something to sell or eat. The organization’s goal is to help break the cycle of poverty through education, healthcare, food, vocational training, and other support. The organization has successfully helped hundreds of children and their families get a bit closer to living a better life.

Over the years, our World Environment Day projects have included fashion shows featuring clothing and costumes made from recycled materials such as chip bags, coffee bags, plastic spoons, and other discarded items. The creativity has always been amazing.  -Proyecto Rohi

This year’s challenge was different. Each grade level worked together with parents to create something that would improve the ROHI campus. Using recycled tires, wooden pallets, cable reels, and other reclaimed materials, families designed and built projects that the students can enjoy every day. -Proyecto Rohi

Today, children are already enjoying the benches, tables, chairs, and play areas created during the event. Every colorful piece tells a story of imagination, hard work, and a community coming together to make ROHI an even better place for children to learn and grow.  What began as discarded materials became something far more valuable: a reminder that with creativity, teamwork, and a little hard work, beautiful things can be created from what others overlook. -Proyecto Rohi

As of August 11th, 2026, "180 students receive educational support from nursery through high school, including technical school and college scholarships". Rohi has built 10 new homes and was able to repair approximately 40 more. Children and parents were able to recieve food and healthcare when in the past that wasn't an option.

ROHI was also able to purchase their own property on the safer side of the highway and began construction of a permanent campus. In four years, this organization was able to help so many families for the sake of their education and health.

What I appreciate most about Proyecto ROHI is that its impact is genuine, it has created real opportunities, support, and a sense of community for children and parents living around the landfill. It reminded me that the waste we casually throw away does not simply disappear; it affects real people and the environments they live in. I feel especially emotional about ROHI because I'm also a Honduran that has experienced how my country has used sustainable practices to teach me in my early years of education. It goes to show how a community will transform the little bit that they have to give kids the opportunity to learn. ROHI is a powerful example of turning difficult circumstances into something meaningful and giving people a sense of opportunity, education, and hope for a better future.

References

Proyecto Rohi. (2026, Juy 25). Celebrating Honduras Herritage on Lempira Day. https://rohiproject.org/celebrating-honduras-heritage-on-lempira-day/

Proyecto Rohi. (2026, August 11). Four Years of Rohi: Look What You Made Possible https://rohiproject.org/four-years-of-rohi-look-what-you-have-made-possible/