Central America

Country Reports:

Honduras
El Salvador

Mention of Central America brings images of colorful Indian markets, national parks and reserves, beautiful beaches, cities teeming with life and the calm serenity of rural villages. On the other hand, Volcanoes, earthquakes and tropical storms have shaped and molded these beautiful mountainous lands for millennia. Natural disasters and civil wars have also prevented the region from fast socio economic development in the past decades. A reputation of crime and violence has hardly helped.

Most countries of the region are considered poor to very poor. The income of a large majority of the population still depends on agricultural activities such as growing corn, beans and coffee. The poor living conditions motivated millions of Central Americans to migrate illegally to North America. The financial transfers to their families have now become a mayor source of income for Central America.

In recent years the sharp fall in international coffee prices has increased rural poverty levels. With the signing up of the Free Trade Agreement with North America (December 2003) the future of rural incomes have become even more insecure due to importation of cheap, subsidized, American products. Other economic alternatives are rather scarce for the vast majority and migration is expected to increase.

Strohalm made a strategic commitment with the region for local development based on stimulating local economic activities and local trade, through the implementation of complementary monetary systems. At this moment Strohalm has projects in Honduras and El Salvador.

For more information about Strohalm´s activities in Central America please contact:

• At the Central Office :
Peter Moers ([email protected]) - General Project Coordinator
• In Central America :
Koen De Beer ([email protected] ) – Regional Advisor

Country Reports:

Honduras
El Salvador