The purpose of the Gideon Project

The Gideon Project began in June of 2004. The program was designed in order to better meet the legal and emotional needs of community members in marginalized neighborhoods throughout Tegucigalpa.


The Association for a More Just Society (AJS)'s Honduran partner organization, ASJ, hired a psychologist and human rights lawyer to train and supervise community members from local churches in how to give legal aid and counseling services to neighbors seeking help.

Offices have been set up in three communities within Tegucigalpa—Nueva Suyapa, Flor del Campo, and Villa Nueva—and in Santa María del Real, a small town in the rural state of Olancho. All services are provided at a symbolic cost of just 10 Lempiras (50 cents U.S.).

Community needs addressed by the Gideon Project

Problems in the Home: Currently domestic violence is prevelant in 40% of the homes in these communities, poverty in 80% of the homes, 50% being cases of extreme poverty. Children lack the economic support needed from their parents, and many are sexually, physically and emotionally abused. Most of the children found living on the streets in Tegucgalpa come from the three Tegucigalpa neighborhoods where Gideon Centers have been set up.

Land Issues: A large majority of the people living in these communities do not have clear title to their land. This makes them vulnerable to exploitation and other types of injustice.

Business Difficulties: Many times the poor are abused and taken advantage of by businesses because of their lack of knowledge of the law. Many community members have small businesses that they keep hidden because they don´t have the resources needed to legalize them.

Problems with Corrupt Authorities: The marginalized poor are often victims of police brutality and abuse of authority of those in power in their communities as well as on a national level.

Read about how the Gideon Project
has been empowering youth in local communities.

Read about lives changed by the Gideon Project.

The Association for a More Just Society (AJS) oversees and funds initiatives carried out by Honduran partner organization la Asociación para una Sociedad más Justa (ASJ). AJS is a US-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, so all donations to AJS are tax-deductible for US taxpayers.