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.

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.