by Jesús Tejeda A program in Ecuador is a classic example of how electrification in isolated rural and urban areas can raise living standards and boost economic growth. Each morning at 4 a.m. as the cocks begin to crow, women in the Prado communities of Ecuador's Pichincha province put on their woolen pants, wrap-around shawls, and bowler hats, and head into the hilly … [Read more...] about Cows and kilowatts: opportunities for development
What does and doesn't work in development
When Cholera Strikes: A Coordinated Emergency and Longer-Term Response
by Meri Helleranta A rapid response and partnerships between the Haitian Government and key institutions, including the IDB, helped to curb the cholera epidemic, decreasing the number of new cases per week from 14,000 in January 2011 to fewer than 1,000 a year later. Five years ago, in October 2010, Haiti was hit by a serious cholera epidemic. Coming only nine months … [Read more...] about When Cholera Strikes: A Coordinated Emergency and Longer-Term Response
Knowledge without borders
by Joaquim Tres Training and reducing trade costs improve regional integration and competitiveness in Latin America and the Caribbean. Truck driver Eduardo Escobar regularly drives his containers across the border between El Salvador and Honduras at the El Amatillo crossing. Just like him, 200 truck drivers cross the border each day. But while carrying out the … [Read more...] about Knowledge without borders
Best invention ever? Hands down, the washing machine … after electricity, of course
By Irani Arraiz* Imagine life without access to electricity. No TV, no fridge, no washing machine! (Have you ever had to consistently wash all your clothes by hand?) When I was a child, I spent summers in my grandpa’s ranch in the plains in Venezuela, without access to electricity (because of the ridiculously low population density). I loved being in contact with … [Read more...] about Best invention ever? Hands down, the washing machine … after electricity, of course
Empowering communities helps reducing crime in Trinidad and Tobago
By Dana King* Trinidad and Tobago shows how working with the community is the best weapon to fight crime. Betheem Gardens is a low-income neighborhood and crime “hotspot” that sits on the outskirts of Port of Spain and runs alongside the East/West corridor highway and Trinidad’s largest landfill. For those that live in this community, the stigma associated with the … [Read more...] about Empowering communities helps reducing crime in Trinidad and Tobago