In the last days of October 1998 Honduras was pounded by Hurricane Mitch, the worst tropical disturbance the Central American country had seen in over 200 years. Mitch killed an estimated 7,000 people and left millions homeless, without food, water, or power.

Lafarge Corp., which owns and operates the Incehsa S.A. cement plant in Honduras, responded to this devastation by establishing SOS Honduras Operation, a charity organization aimed at offering relief to the Honduran people.

In November, after Lafarge management released an initial aid package of $200,000 to Incehsa, the SOS Honduras Operation raised over $180,000 from the worldwide Lafarge family for the relief effort. SOS, in turn, directed these donations to two primary groups: Incehsa itself and several humanitarian aid organizations operating in Honduras.

Incehsa's efforts are primarily being directed at 30 employees who suffered most severely as a result of Mitch. The remaining funds are being used to finance a donation of cement for the restoration of a village close to the Incehsa cement plant. These efforts, which are being conducted by the French Embassy, will also aim at rebuilding 5,000 houses, a hospital, and a school.

Humanitarian aid organizations, including Medecins Sans Frontieres and Doctors Without Borders, are using their portion of SOS donations to purchase several dozen vaccination kits. Each kit is capable of vaccinating 10,000 people.

Francois Ouin, general manager of Incehsa, said that neither the cement plant, nor functionality, were adversely affected by the hurricane. This was primarily due to the plant's central location in the country.

If you wish to lend your support Lafarge's SOS Honduras Operation, send a letter of interest to Blandine Dupuis at fax number (+33) 1-44-34-12-16. Ms. Dupuis will respond promptly with the appropriate method for donation.