Would you like to help a needy Honduran Family enjoy having food to eat over Christmas?

Until I became more involved with Honduras, I believed that the low wages prevalent in developing countries were also accompanied by low food prices. This I have found to be wrong. Yes, food prices are lower but not in proportion to the low wages.

When food prices rise in England, we can compensate by changing what we eat. Many families in Honduras spend about 80% of their income on the very basic foods. When prices rise by 40%, they go hungry. In such circumstances there is no money for anything else, such as children�s clothes or medication. This is bad news as well as their reality. At least we have the opportunity to help some of these unfortunate families. We cannot get any food into Honduras before the next containers, at the end of April 2009 but, in the meantime, we can send out money to purchase food locally for the very needy over the Christmas period. To help fund this initiative, we are producing for sale two kinds of A5 Christmas Gift cards with a 6 x 4 photo on the front which can be purchased for a unit cost of �5.

Option 1 Christmas Food Box.

This card will fund the cost of a basic food package, assembled locally in Honduras, that will feed a needy family for several days. The card will read:

"................has purchased this gift from CH Trust on your behalf. Like the rest of the world, the people in Honduras are subject to the current rising food prices. Most families rely on the morning school meal to help supplement their child's diet, which at the best of times is often meagre and inadequate. During the long Christmas holiday's (from November- February,) when the children are not at school, the families are under increased pressure to try to ensure their child will receive one meal every day.

• Your gift has purchased the following food for a family
• 4lb. Rice
• 4lb. maize
• 2lb dried red kidney beans
• 2lb sugar and
• five small packets of coffee.

The Gift Cards are available now. (Please do not leave it too late ordering as we need to get the money out to Honduras.)

Please indicate the number and type of card required. Cheques to be made payable to CH Trust and sent to
20 Chapel Street, Spondon, Derby. DE21 7JP

Option 2 Christmas Meal for a Guanacaste Family.

The community of Guanacaste has never celebrated Christmas as most struggle to put food on the table on a daily basis. Christmas is just another day to work and survive. With your help, I would like to make this year different for them. This idea came from my concern that the children would be missing their midday school meal throughout the ten week break between terms, which includes Christmas.

The idea has developed into providing a meal for the community, as well as all the children who make up over sixty percent of the village. Can we do this? It will cost just under �240 to cater for about 300 people but I am guessing that, in true Honduras style, there will probably be 400 on the day. You can make an open donation to this project or, alternatively, on request, you can purchase gift cards, in units of�5, for a family to attend the meal.The gift cards feature a 6 x 4 photograph of some of the children we work with. If you want to pay for a family to attend the celebration, you can do so by sending a Gift card to someone here at home in lieu of a present at Christmas time.

We will be providing a substantial nutritious meal, rather than a luxury festive one. The ladies in Guanacaste have priced the food. They will also be cooking and serving it. The village is very excited about it, since they have never done anything like it before. We would greatly appreciate your help to make this a really special occasion for them. The meal will consist of chicken, the whole chicken (insides as well) served with rice, carrots, sweet corn, pataste, flavourings etc. They will make a drink out of local oranges and sugar. The babies and tots will be given a milk based meal. In total, the chicken will cost about �130. This is what will make the meal so special. Meat of any kind is a luxury that few can afford in this village.

This card will read:

".................................. has purchased this gift from CH Trust on your behalf. Like the rest of the world the people in Honduras are subject to the current rising food prices. Most families rely on the morning school meal to help supplement their child's diet, which at the best of times is often meagre and inadequate.

During the long Christmas holiday (from November-February) when the children are not at school the families are under increased pressure to try to ensure their child will receive one meal every day.

The people of the small mountain village of Guanacaste have never been able to celebrate Christmas. Like every other day, it is simply one where they are occupied with the business of survival. The idea of a special meal at Christmas has captured their imagination and their desire to contribute.

The purchase of this card enables a family to attend this special meal during the Christmas-period. The village ladies have priced and will cook the meal, which includes chicken in the menu. Chicken is too expensive for these families to eat as part of their normal diet. The community are already excited and looking forward to this special meal which you have helped to provide."

All cheques need to be made payable to CH Trust and sent to 20 Chapel Street, Spondon, Derby DE2 7JP ( the address on the front of the newsletter). Please state if your remittance is simply a donation or that you require a card(s). If we receive more money than is required for this project, the surplus will be spent on food for the most needy of families. I am conscious that the children will not receive a meal at school during December, January and part of February. During this period the schools are closed for the long �summer� holiday. A long time to go hungry!