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Olancho Aid (OA) has been dedicated to transformative education, community engagement, and global interconnectedness in Honduras for over 30 years. With a committed and diligent bilingual staff, OA maintains high standards of hospitality, safety, and immersive cultural experiences for their students and guests. Its integrated approach to managing educational programs and traveler immersions fosters meaningful interactions across geographies, empowering travelers and local community members.
Our team was privileged to partner with OA to explore and analyze the potential impact of developing a farm property, Agape, that OA stewards on behalf of the local archdiocese. After collaborating on research with OA and a community visit, we are confident that OA’s strengths uniquely position it to leverage the Agape property for significant financial and community impact. Our final report analyzes the optimal use of the Agape property to create a financial surplus and further Olancho Aid's mission of inclusive education, community growth, and global interconnectedness. The recommended best use is expanding OA’s traveler immersion program, offering significant financial and community benefits. We propose using Agape to host a year-round traveler immersion program. This option aligns with diocesan property use, offers consistent revenue streams, and supports OA’s educational mission. By hosting up to 26 traveler groups with an average of 10 travelers per group annually by 2029, OA can generate a surplus of approximately $44,000 (all dollar amounts USD) in the fifth year.
Investment and Operations
To support this growth, we propose OA:
Invest $70,000 in building improvements (bathrooms, maintenance, transportation, and food services).
Develop targeted customer acquisition strategies.
Standardize offerings to boost customer loyalty.
Engage community stakeholders to maximize local benefits.
Market Considerations
Success relies on the continued stability of global travel conditions. Risks include geopolitical tensions, pandemics, or travel advisories, which could significantly impact the feasibility of the traveler program.
Internal Requirements OA must ensure
Annual net new customer growth of four groups of 10 travelers.
Adequate investment in facility upgrades to handle visitor capacity increases.
Strong organizational leadership and staffing to manage program growth.
Opportunities for Additional Impact
Therapy Programs: Strengthen physical, occupational, and speech therapy partnerships, training, and internships to enhance student care at Nazareth School.
Workshops: Host professional training workshops in engineering, marketing, and finance to foster local economic empowerment.
Language Exchange: Facilitate Spanish training for travelers and English instruction for local communities.
Competitive Advantage
OA’s strengths include exceptional hospitality, robust safety measures, experienced bilingual staff, strong local knowledge, and established university partnerships. OA’s integrated management of schools and immersion programs uniquely positions it above competitors.
Financial Outlook
Projected revenue will grow from approximately $81,000 in 2025 to nearly $210,000 by 2029. Key revenue drivers include room, board, transportation, and in-country activities and coordination. Strategic financial management, such as standardized pricing and efficient expense tracking, is critical.
Expanding the traveler immersion program at Agape aligns strategically and financially with OA’s mission, offering significant benefits in education, community engagement, and organizational sustainability.