The Jug Half Full

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Jonathan Brooks, Resident Country Director for Honduras

 

The community at Colonia Milenio Pumas has been dear to MCC’s heart. Nestled on a hill about 30 km north of Comayagua along the CA-5 highway, it is the largest and among the earliest resettlement communities set up as part of the highway construction (nearly 30 families). We followed the community’s progress throughout the years as it slowly changed from a group of people linked only by one of the poorest stretches of the CA-5 highway, into neighbors who formed a true community.

January 25th was special. Overcoming some initial difficulties, MCA-Honduras, the Honduran entity which implemented the compact, established a water system to guarantee water access though both the dry and rainy spells of the year. We were invited to join in the inauguration of the water system as well as the naming of the community school. In a touching tribute to one of our colleagues who worked with dedication on the resettlement effort, the community named their new school, “Escuela Jonathan Nash.” 

There was much clapping and giggling from the school children who joined in the naming of their new school, and there was even louder applause from the entire community when they witnessed the rush of water that flowed from a faucet in the school yard as part of the dedication. The water flowed into a clay jug which had been set aside for the occasion. As I saw the water line begin to fill the jug, I was reminded of what many Hondurans have pointed to as one of the legacies of the program: the belief that their lives can improve. As I stood and smiled with the community as the water flowed, I realized that they had come to see their own jug as half full.

A Reason to Celebrate in Honduras

Posted on September 29, 2010 by Ambassador Hugo Llorens, U.S. Ambassador to Honduras

Hispanic Heritage Month offers a unique opportunity to reflect on the culture and contributions of Hispanic-Americans.  As a Cuban-American serving as U.S. Ambassador to Honduras, I can appreciate not only the drive of Hispanic-Americans to create a better life for themselves and their families in the United States, but also the determination of Hondurans who are optimizing U.S. assistance to pull themselves out of crushing poverty once and for all.  If we need one more milestone to celebrate during Hispanic Heritage Month, we can celebrate the achievements in Honduras through the U.S. Government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) grant of $205 million dollars.
This September, Honduras became the very first country in the world to complete a five-year partnership with MCC.  This partnership was designed to reduce poverty in Honduras through sustainable economic growth.  This is no small accomplishment, given MCC’s performance-based model for economic development that provides the financial resources but also expects, in return, that the recipient country own the process of designing and implementing its own projects.  This partnership has been a true commitment to empowerment and accountability—through MCC, Honduras has built local capacity, strengthened institutions, and proved to Hondurans that they themselves can meet challenges they never did before.  Honduras effectively addressed their constraints to growth—even in the face of political transitions.

This can-do mentality unleashed by the MCC model has brought about real change and new opportunities for the poor in Honduras.  Training programs and access to credit have triggered a new spirit of entrepreneurship, helping farmers transition from the traditional production of beans and maize to the modern production of higher-value crops that generate more income.  With more income, Honduras farmers are investing in their land and in their families—homes, schools, healthcare.  By taking on projects as their own, Honduras developed new standards in transparent procurement processes, responsible resettlement, and effective gender integration.  By including civil society and private sector members alongside government officials on the Honduran-based board of the local entity responsible for managing the implementation of the MCC grant, the Honduran people learned best practices in local decision-making.  And, by improving roads with MCC funds, Hondurans have created new opportunities for greater trade and for easier and faster ways to reach markets, schools, and health clinics.

I have seen, first-hand, that farmers along the improved road are getting their fruit to the markets quicker and without the damage often caused by big potholes. These roads are attracting tourists and tourism revenue—improved areas host attractions such as the Lenca Trail (the Lencas form the largest indigenous group in Honduras).  A new bus route now exists between San Sebastian and Tomala thanks to the road improvements, which have made it safer for bigger buses to transit frequently.  Now, this new route will open access even as far to El Salvador, cutting travel time from three to two hours.

Americans can be proud that their investment in Honduras delivered results and established a platform for growth that Honduras can harness for even greater poverty reduction.  This is an efficient use of American tax dollars, creating a more prosperous neighbor in the hemisphere.  Having seen the work of MCC, I can say with certainty that there is no more effective way to sustainably reduce poverty and promote economic growth than by empowering countries and their citizens through partnerships that deliver tangible results.  Such is the Millennium Challenge Corporation model. 

A native of New York, Ambassador Llorens has been serving as U.S. Ambassador to Honduras since 2008.

Stories along an Improved Road in Honduras

Posted on August 12, 2010 by Valeria McFarren, Communication Implementation Officer

 

A four-hour drive through rugged terrain, beautiful mountains, and evergreen forest, brought me to San Sebastian, a small town in northwestern Honduras.  I was there to attend the opening of 24.7 kilometers of newly improved rural roads from San Sebastian to Tomala, a town very close to the border with El Salvador.  These roads were improved using funding from MCC’s compact with the Government of Honduras.  Key government officials presided at the event, and over 200 people attended.

As I walked around talking to people, I met six elementary school girls who were eager to see the pictures I was taking.  I explained that I was documenting stories and asked if they wanted to be my assistants and take pictures to show how the road would benefit their community.

View the slideshow from these girls’ perspectives, depicting the importance of roads, particularly in remote villages.

The Fine Print: Impressions from the Field

Posted on June 23, 2010 by Patrick Fine, Vice President for Compact Implementation

Earlier this month, I spent three days getting a firsthand look at MCC’s investments in Honduras.  The MCC-funded program there will end in September, so most activities are almost finished.  In fact, Honduras will be the first country to complete its five-year MCC compact.  I was impressed by what I saw both in terms of the development impact and in terms of how the program has been managed toward a successful conclusion. 

The program has two principal components: (1) a transport project that is widening and repaving 105 kilometers of the main highway through the country; 68 kilometers of paved secondary roads; and about 500 kilometers of dirt feeder roads; and (2) a rural development project that includes a training program to move small farmers from traditional methods into greater commercial activity by selling high-value horticultural crops.

I particularly liked seeing the direct link between the compact’s investments and increased income.  The program works with approximately 7,400 farmers who previously were earning $350-$400 per hectare growing maize and beans using traditional methods.  6,000 of these farmers are now earning at least $2,000 and, on average, $4,000 per hectare per year growing vegetables using modern methods that include drip irrigation. Not only is there a clear and large boost in the income of program participants, but they, in turn, have created new jobs, most part-time, in their communities. 

Many participants have used the increased income to improve their farms and homes and buy motorcycles or cars and, in some cases, trucks to haul their produce.  Signs of increased prosperity were visible in the communities I visited.  These two projects are clearly linked together. Roads are being built in productive areas where many of the farmers are being trained, to facilitate getting their produce to market.

In addition to seeing how the MCC compact program has helped to increase incomes in rural Honduras, I also saw the potential of the program’s CA-5 road project bring lasting and positive improvements to Honduras’ transport sector. The CA-5 highway runs through mountains and the construction is making cuts and fills to create a broad, safe and modern road bed.  The new road beds will have a lasting improvement. The paved secondary roads also looked like they would bring long-term improvements to local communities.

A final part of this program worth commenting on is capacity building.  Because this tends to be intangible, it is one of the more difficult benefits to convey. From conversations, it was clear to me that the MCA-Honduras staff feel like the program is building on their expertise and institutions.  Small grants to local institutions have resulted in impressive work on biological pest control and on developing new strains of coffee (programs also tightly linked to raising rural incomes), and have introduced renewable technology, such as some innovative water wheels used to supply irrigation systems.

Many Hondurans I met noted that the program’s resettlement policies set a new standard in Honduras, and some saw this as “game changing” with respect to future resettlement.  It is clear that the processes and safeguards enforced by the program benefited affected communities and provide an example of best practices.  Whether this example drives future practice remains to be seen, but authorities seemed impressed by the MCC experience. 

Good management underlies most successful programs, and the MCC experience in Honduras is no exception.  MCC’s Honduras team and MCA-Honduras enjoy a strong, professional relationship that provides a basis for problem identification and solving. Based on my visit, I am proud of what has been accomplished, and I would describe the program as a success.

 

Agents of Change—Tangible Results in Honduras

Posted on May 3, 2010 by Martin Ochoa, MCA Honduras General Director

On Friday April 23, 2010, MCA-Honduras, the local entity implementing Honduras’s MCC compact, informed several stakeholders about the results from investments made in the Aguan Valley in northern Honduras. The results were shared at the inauguration of one of the three secondary roads that are being rehabilitated with MCC funds. The event showcased the compact’s integrated approach to the links between economic growth and poverty reduction. 

The Honduras compact invests in farmer training and development, provides access to credit by following a market-driven approach, and rehabilitates key roads.  MCA-Honduras invested over US $13 million in the Aguan Valley alone, benefitting nine municipalities and more than 200 families.  MCA-Honduras is also contributing to the eradication of med-fly, a deadly crop disease that is affecting over 350,000 hectares of land.

Farmers at the event were excited about how they are able to produce higher-value crops, such as eggplants, watermelon, and peppers that they can now sell for higher prices.  As Celso Alvarenga said, “I am very happy with my irrigation system; my yucca and plantains now have sufficient water to grow quickly. Thanks to the technical assistance received, I produce higher yields, new crops, and am extremely thankful for MCA-Honduras.” Thanks to the MCC compact, farmers like Celso throughout Honduras have learned how to use drip irrigation and no longer fear droughts like they did before.

Beyond the investments made in this region, the event highlighted three important facts about the MCC model and MCA-Honduras’s success.  First, transparency counts.  Second, the program is providing credible tangible results.  And, third, this is a country-driven approach to development assistance.  These three factors are helping create opportunities for Hondurans all over the country. MCC investments are bringing positive change and hope that Hondurans can improve our lives.
For those of us implementing the MCA-Honduras program, it is a great honor to be among the agents of change.