Our Mission
We develop a new generation of ethical women leaders who drive positive change by providing exceptional academic education, leadership training, support for alumnae, and community development experiences.
Our Vision
We envision ethical women using their hearts, minds, and voices to lead positive change throughout Honduras.
Addressing the Root Cause of Migration
Every year, thousands of Hondurans leave their communities in search of safety, stability, and opportunity. The root causes of migration—poverty, gender-based violence, and lack of educational and economic prospects—disproportionately affect young women.
At Leadership Mission International, we are changing that reality. By providing academic excellence, leadership training, and pathways to entrepreneurship, we equip women not just to survive, but to thrive. Our graduates choose to stay, lead, and create opportunity in Honduras, reducing the pressure to migrate. This is how we build a Honduras where women and their families can imagine a future at home.
I think that we are a special element in our country since we can give more than what everyone thinks. The truth is, we are warrior women, fighters who face obstacles with all the courage we have and we always look for a way to get ahead, help our family and our country.
—Evelyn Castro (LMI Graduate)
The Leadership Drain Driving Migration
In Honduras, many of the most educated and ambitious young people leave rural communities in search of safety and opportunity. By 2017, nearly 30% of Honduras’s working-age population lived outside the country (Inter-American Development Bank, 2017), with a high share of migrants more educated than their peers who stayed behind (World Bank, 2022). This “brain drain” leaves rural communities with fewer local leaders to strengthen schools, cooperatives, and municipal institutions. The loss of leadership capacity fuels a cycle of underdevelopment — fewer role models, fewer innovations, and fewer opportunities — which, in turn, pushes more families to consider migration.
Why Women
When women lack access to education and leadership opportunities, the costs are magnified. Honduras has one of the highest rates of gender-based violence in the world, with 380 women murdered in 2023 alone (Norwegian Refugee Council, 2024). At the same time, wage inequality and limited economic prospects disproportionately affect women, especially in rural communities. Yet research shows that educating and empowering women is one of the most effective ways to reduce poverty and stabilize families (World Bank, 2022). When women are equipped to lead, they reinvest in their families and communities, multiplying the impact for generations.
Poverty Cycles Drive Migration. LMI Builds Leaders Who Stay
Migration “Push” Factors
- Economic Hardship: 48% of Hondurans live in poverty.
- Environmental Degradation & Climate Change: Top-3 most climate-affected countries.
- Violence & Corruption: 5th highest rate of violence against women globally.
LMI’s Approach
- Education & Training: Graduates see income increase by about 3×.
- Agriculture & Climate Adaptation: Students learn sustainable, climate-smart farming.
- Ethics & Empowerment: Women lead with strong voices and ethical leadership.
Our Mission Reflects Gods Love to Those We Serve
Leadership Mission International is a faith-based, U.S. nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and public charity that provides educational and leadership development programs to women in Honduras. We see our mission as reflecting God’s love to those we serve. We practice and promote our core values throughout all levels of the organization. These values reflect love, kindness, respect, courage, patience, forgiveness, and many other attributes of a strong servant leader. We gratefully welcome volunteers, teachers, and visitors of all faith traditions who share our passion for partnering with and empowering young women in Honduras.
In addition to educational development, we believe that spiritual development is an important component of each student’s overall growth as a leader. While all faith-based activities on campus are optional, the campus leadership encourages these activities among students, staff and visitors.
Our History
In 2011, Glen Evans launched our campus in Honduras—The Leadership Center—to provide business entrepreneurship training and educational opportunities for women who are eager and passionate about gaining additional opportunities to create transformation not just for themselves, but for their communities. In 2013, Joseph Rahm and Ira Lucia worked alongside Evans to found Leadership Mission International as the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that now provides resources to and manages The Leadership Center.