CHF International has been working in Honduras for the past 20 years, implementing a variety of development projects focused on housing, sanitation, disaster mitigation, municipal development, environmental management, agriculture, sustainable tourism and economic development.

Building upon past programs in both Honduras and around the world, CHF International is currently implementing two new initiatives:

Increasing Agricultural Activity in El Valle:

El Valle is a primarily rural region in southern Honduras that has been struggling with a host of socio-economic problems in recent years. Environmental degradation caused by deforestation and erosion, combined with a lack of sufficient irrigation, has seriously hampered the productivity of the region. As a result, the rate of migration out of El Valle, particularly of youth, is rising steadily, and remittances have become an essential source of income for many of the region’s families.

CHF International, with the support of the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), has begun a new project to revitalize El Valle’s agricultural sector by working closely with leaders in the sector, community-based organizations, and local authorities. CHF will do so by working with these partners to identify crops that are marketable and well-suited to the climate in El Valle and to create a rain-water based conversation and drip irrigation system that increase productivity by 40%. Upon completion of this project, farmers will be able to benefit from two planting seasons a year, whereas before, they were dependent on the rainy system for irrigation.

In addition to technical guidance, farmers will take place in workshops to improve their leadership and marketing skills and increase their ability to compete in the export market.

Youth Engagement for Advancing Hope:

Through its extensive experience in Hondurars, the CHF/Honduras team has developed expertise in the following areas:

AGRICULTURE:

Supporting Small Agricultural Producers:

Working with local partners in the provinces of Valle (South) and Ocotepeque (West), CHF International assisted 575 small farmers by:
     > training them to diversify their agricultural crops and production methods;
     > helping them to access new technologies;
     > improving irrigation facilities;
     > developing value-added products; and
     > reaching new local and export market opportunities.

CHF/Honduras also:
     > invested in agro-industrial processing facilities, warehouses and training facilities and constructed two agri-        business centers, one in each province; 
     > provided training and technical assistance to increase the competitiveness and incomes of small farmers; 
     > set up a revolving loan fund and disbursed seed capital investment grants; and
     > enhanced youth skills through entrepreneurial training programs. 

These activities were financed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food for Progress program, through CHF International's monetization of US$2.4 million in soybean meal in Honduras, and the European Union's Binational program. Under the Binational program, CHF International generated development and business opportunities for producers living in communities along the Honduras-El Salvador border.

FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT

Financial and Administrative Support Services:

CHF International has a long history in Honduras of supporting both non-governmental organizations and
government agencies in strengthening their institutional capacity. For five years, CHF International successfully managed and administered funds under the Sustainable Improvements to Family Health Program, a partnership of CHF, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Honduras Ministry of Health and the National Water and Sewer Authority (SANAA). CHF International managed US$4 million per year under this Grant and ensured an effective, efficient, and transparent  implementation of administrative services, directly contributing to The Ministry of Health's objectives. In February 2006, CHF International assisted in the transition of program services to a newly formed Ministry of Health finance/administration unit.

DISASTER MITIGATION AND PREPAREDNESS

Disaster Mitigation and Early Alert Systems:

In 2005, CHF International coordinated implementation of several disaster mitigation projects designed to reduce communities' vulnerability to flooding through the installation of early alert systems. Using a community participation model,  CHF worked in five river watersheds to help communities to be better prepared for natural disasters such as hurricanes.

This work built on CHF's long-standing presence in Honduras. For instance, following Hurricane Mitch in 1998, which took the lives of an estimated 10,000 people in Honduras, CHF International responded with a range of programs and accomplished the following results:
     > 11,000 destroyed homes were reconstructed;
     > standards for hurricane-safe construction were established;
     > municipal agencies and non-governmental organizations were trained on disaster mitigation techniques;
     > local communities were involved in their own development by preparing Action Plans

MICROFINANCE:

Tourism Micro-Enterprise Development:

In 2004, CHF International initiated its support to the work of Fondo Prosperidad, a sustainable tourism development project providing grants and technical assistance to tourism microenterprises and innovative public/private partnerships among microenterprises, NGOs, and community-based organizations.  Funded by the World Bank through the Honduras Institute of Tourism, CHF administered US$1million to implement 69 tourism-related projects along the Atlantic coast of Honduras, including in the Guanaja, La Ceiba, Omoa,Trujillo and Utila communities.  In January 2005, CHF began the administration of $1.2 million in the Copan Valley, helping beneficiaries establish and expand 70 sustainable and innovative businesses that both provide income to support their families and enhance their communities' economic viability through the development of the country's tourism industry. The program is ending in September 2006.

Small Business and Home Improvement Microlending:

In addition to the Fondo Prosperidad program, CHF International operated a micro-lending program in eight municipalities, providing small business, agriculture and home improvement loans. CHF administered 1,300 loans and a portfolio of US$889,333, including $277,000 in agricultural loans in an effort to reach out to the agricultural sector and work with small producers and their associations.