3. HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation
History of Programmes in Central America:
Guatemala: Initiated in 1972
•Coordination Office in Guatemala City; 4 Project Offices
•Main working region: Highlands of Guatemala
(Quetzaltenango, Totonicapán, San Marcos, Huehuetenango;
and other highland departments)
•About 35 staff
Honduras: Initiated in 2007 as Fundación Helvetas Honduras
•Coordination Office in Tegucigalpa, 2 Project Offices
•Main working regions: Zone of Influence of the Patuca National
Park; Eastern Highlands (Lempira, Intibucá, La Paz and other
highland departments)
•About 9 staff
Nicaragua: Initiated in 1992
•Coordination Office in Managua
•Main working regions: Region of Matagalpa and other areas
•About 40 staff
4. Working Area: Environment and Climate
1. Sustainable management and conservation of land,
forests, watersheds and ecological diversity
2. Enhancing communities’ capacity to adapt to climate
change
Main Projects:
• ProBosques San Marcos, Guatemala: Decentralized and
integrated management of ecosystem services of forests
• ProBosques Xela, Gutemala: Community and municipal
management of forest, water and climate relationships
• ProPatuca, Honduras: Community-based sustainable
management for the Patuca National Park
Main expertise:
• Advise on sustainable forest management practices
• Strengthening community leadership in forest management
• Assessing multifunctional services of forest ecosystems
• Assessing payment for environmentl services
• Community-based monitoring of biological diversity
• Community and municipal climate change adaptation
• Mitigation of climate change through reforestation
5. Working Area: Rural Economy
1. Ecologically sound agriculture and efficient irrigation
for food security
2. Access to markets and fair trade as an income source
for smallholder farmers
Main Projects:
• EcoMercados, Nicaragua, Honduras: Strengthening rural
organizations in production, produce transformation and
commercialization for organic and fair-trade markets
• ACCION, Gutemala: Strengthening rural value chains
through improvements in production, produce
transformation, organizational strengthening and marketing
• ProCacao, Honduras: Organic production, processing and
marketing of organic and fair-trade cocoa through public –
private partnerships
Main expertise:
• Business plan preparation and advisory services
• Value-chain strengthening, in particular for organic markets
• Strengtheing rural organizations in value chain positioning
• Developing value chains for high-quality cocoa
6. Working Area: Water and Infrastructure
1. Clean drinking water, sanitation and hygiene for health
2. Irrigation and efficient use of water in agriculture
3. Rural infrastructure to access services and markets
Main Projects:
• A´jin, Guatemala: Decentralized water and sanitation
management by municipalities and communities
• A’jin-WIN, Guatemala: Promoting integrity for governance in
the water and sanitation sector
• Blue Schools, Nicaragua: Promoting improved sanitation,
hygiene and health through adequate school environments
• Micro-Irrigation for Food, Honduras: Water use planning
and effient water use for food and cash crop production with
rural poor
• Forest water for irrigation: Micro-irrigation for food and cash
crop production and compensation for ecosystem services
Main expertise:
• Design / construction, drinking water and sanitation systems
• Blue Schools for improved sanitation, health and nutrition
• Water governance integrity at local and regional level
• Community-based water planning and efficient water use
7. Working Area: Governance and Peace
1. Strengthening local democratic governance
2. Conflict prevention and transformation
3. Promotion of intercultural communication
Main Projects:
• Servime, Guatemala: Civil society participation, in particular
women and youths, in local governance for efficient
services
• SEDULA: Civil society participation in application of
environmental legislation in Central America (6 countries)
• DIR, Honduras: Decentralized and participatory planning
and implementation of rural infrastructures for improved
access to services and markets of rural populations
• Communication for social change, Guatemala: Theatre by
youths in rural areas for communication and reflection on
environmental and social challenges
• Tranvsersal themes: Participatory budgeting, Social Audit,
Do-No-Harm, and others
Main expertise:
• Technical asistance to strengthen local governments
• Participatory planning and design of rural infrastructures
• Modalities of communication for social change
8. Working Area: Skill Development &
Education
1. Access to Basic Education
2. Enhancing Vocational Skill Development
Main Projects:
• EDUCAR, Honduras: Integrating into curricula of secondary
technical schools in rural areas practical learning on market
assessments, value chain orientation, business plan
development and entrepreneur orientation
• FORJA, Guatemala: Vocational training for rural youths on
crop, husbandry and farm management, market orientation,
business plan development and micro-enterprise
management
• Tranvsersal in other projects: Integrationg education on
environment and climate change into school curricula; Rural
education through radio
Main expertise:
• Participatory curricula development based on market-
demand and competencies
• Fomenting entreprenuerial orientation in youths
• Tools for education on environment and climate change
9. Tentative Priorities, Central America
Among others, we consider the following as priorities:
Rural Economy:
• Linkages through organic and fair-trade value chains
• Broad-based and inclusive local economic development
• Modalities for linking poor to local economic development
Environment and Climate:
• Forests and water management under climate change
• Protected area and biodiversity management under climate
change
• Planning and action for adaptation to climate change by
communities and local governments
Skill Development and Education:
• Integrating market-oriented skills and entrepreneurship into
technical education and skill development for youths
Water and Rural Infrastructure:
• Participatory planning and management of water resources
for multipurpose use (drinking water, micro-irrigation, …)
• Securing access to driking water and sanitation in CA under
risks from environmental hazards and climate change
