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Ambassador Ford at the Rotary Club in San Pedro Sula

Ambassador Charles Ford Gives Remarks at the San Pedro Sula Rotary Club

San Pedro Sula.  March 2008.  Ambassador Charles A. Ford was invited by the San Pedro Sula Rotary Club to give remarks on the challenges and opportunities for the development of Honduras in the next 25 years.  Ambassador Ford stated, “Now, our challenges and opportunities lie on how we can continue our cooperation as partners, following the example of the Rotary Club, so that Honduras can overcome its difficulties for development, to be able to compete in the global economy, to strengthen its democracy, and to eliminate poverty.” Ambassador Ford also said, “Our trade increased more than 13 percent last year, reaching more than 8.3 billion dollars.  The United States is the country with the biggest amount of direct foreign investment in Honduras, the main destination for its exports, and the number one source of its imports.  These ties should be even stronger as a result of the implementation of our free trade agreement –CAFTA- for the last two years…  Our shared vision is that poverty and inequality in the Americas can only be overcome by opening our markets to the world, as with our commitment to the creation of stronger democratic institutions to ensure that the resulting prosperity and opportunities extend to the poorest and most vulnerable members of our societies.”

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Ambassador Ford  and other executives during the ceremony.

USAID and Coca Cola Finance Water Project

 Tela.  March 2008.   Ambassador Ford headed a ground breaking ceremony for a water project in the northern city of Tela. Last year, the Coca Cola Company, and USAID agreed to form an alliance and co-fund the construction of a water project. USAID established contact with the Honduran Social Investment Fund (FHIS), and they agreed to partake in the alliance. FHIS will implement the project with members of the community using the PEC (Projects Executed by the Community) model.   Ambassador Ford highlighted the importance of the PEC model since it empowers communities to participate in system design, construction, operation, and maintenance.  Currently, USAID has invested more than $90 million in water projects, benefiting more than 1 million people all across Honduras.

The wining team showing their project.

The Honduran Dream will Continue

Santa Cruz de Yojoa. March 2008.  At the beginning of March, officials from the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa visited the winning team of the “Honduran Dream 2007” contest, a group of nine students from the Jorge Fidel Duron Institute.  The youngsters were very happy and proud to show their almost completed project, ready to produce animal feed for many companies around the rural area where they live.  According to the group leader, the small company already has a waiting list for their soon to come out production.  The Embassy will be sponsoring the “Honduran Dream” contest this year, in which twelve public schools of the Cortes area will compete with their small company projects.  This year there will be more prizes and opportunities for all participating schools.     

 
Erin Nickerson during her presentation at the Conference on Domestic Violence.

 VPP Principal Officer Participates in Domestic Violence Conference

San Pedro Sula.  March 2008.  In conjunction with the National Women's Institute, the U.S. Embassy sponsored a domestic violence conference which focused on approaches to the problem by government entities and civil society.  Dr. Vivian Huelgo, Director of the Community Law Project of Sanctuary for Families headlined the conference, giving seminars and workshops to Government of Honduras officials, NGO leaders, and over 2000 students from Jose Trinidad Reyes High School.  The opening conference was addressed by first lady Xiomara Castro de Zelaya, President of the Supreme Court Vilma Morales, Minister of the Institute of Women Selma Estrada de Ucles, Fiscal General Leonidas Rosa Bautista and VPP Principal Officer Erin Nickerson.  Officials and NGOs alike agreed to work together to identify ways to combat domestic violence.


Robert Armstrong at the Honduran Technical University

Economic Counselor Visits the Honduran Technical University in San Pedro Sula

San Pedro Sula. December 2007.  More than 50 students and professors from the departments of business management, industrial engineering and trade and international business at the Honduran Technical University campus in San Pedro Sula participated in a discussion November 30 with U.S. Embassy Economic Counselor Robert Armstrong on CAFTA and U.S. international economic policy. The discussion focused on the historical background and philosophical underpinnings of U.S. free-trade policies, the opportunities and challenges for Honduras under CAFTA and what Honduras can do to improve its business climate and economic growth prospects.  The U.S. Embassy plans to conduct a series of discussions of this type throughout Honduras in the coming year. 


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