The House that Jorge Built Jorge is an experienced wood worker who has owned his own workshop in Tegucigalpa, Honduras since 1993. Jorge supports his wife and three children through his carpentry.  He started learning his trade when he was 15 years old, and realized he needed to make more than the $4USD a week working for someone else. “I decided to start my own workshop,” says Jorge, “with the few tools that I had.  The Lord helped me sign a contract with a company called Colgate Palmolive and the first thing I did was purchase tools, little by little.” Like many Hondurans, Jorge struggled to find a home for his growing family.  Jorge ran his business out of the 13ft by 13ft room that his family rented to live in. That is, until Jorge met a staff member of Diaconía Nacional, one of Partners Worldwide’s affiliates in Honduras. Diaconía Nacional strengthens small businesses through business training and providing access to capital through a revolving loan fund. Jorge applied for a $1,300 loan from Diaconia Nacional for the raw material that he needed to build a home for his family with a workshop for his business. “Little by little,” Jorge recounts, the whole family worked together until it was finished. “Thanks to God and Diaconía Nacional, we do not have to rent a home nor a space for my workshop because I installed my workshop in my house.  It is there that I construct kitchen, living room and bed room furniture.  I also do detail work on ceilings, office book shelves and restaurant dining rooms.” As his work load increases, Jorge is able to offer jobs for two or three other workers. He often works side-by-side with his 15 year-old son, the age that Jorge was when he started carpentry. He passes on the skills of his trade, and also the business that has created a home for an entire family.  Two Ways You Can Be Involved 1. Please join us in praying for Jorge's family, and hundreds of families like theirs in Honduras. Current political tensions are threatening people's safety, and the stability needed for a prosperous business environment. 2. Donate monthly by calling (616) 818-4900 or by going online. Enter "Honduras" in the special instructions line. Read another story about Honduras Read another story about access to capital