Honduras starts pilot program for community centers

A three-year pilot program to supply up to 100 community centers in Honduras with PV systems and telecommunications equipment is expected to start in March. Steven Fischer at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), says that although the IDB approved $8.5 million in funding last November, the implementation of the program had to wait for the newly elected administration to take office in January. The Honduran government will provide an extra $2 million.
 

The program, to be run by Cohcit, Honduras's science and technology center, is aimed at improving educational and commercial opportunities in off-grid areas of the country. Although Fischer didn't know the sizes of PV systems to be installed, he says four levels will be powered - from centers with one telephone and a video recorder to those fitted with up to ten computers and Internet access. Requests for projects will come from the communities in partnership with NGOs to set up economic opportunities, such as selling locally produced goods. While the pilot program, which will be followed after three years by an evaluation and report, is geared towards partnerships within Honduras, Fischer says involvement of the PV industry is possible. "It is not inconceivable that there could be some kind of joint venture with the manufacturers themselves," he says. wph
 

William P. Hirshman
© PHOTON International, March 2002