JUNE 2018

Olade wins the prestigious National Energy Globe Award 2018 for Guatemala

We are proud and celebrate with you this important recognition received by Olade and Guatemala, reflecting a committed work with our region that has contributed substantively to the development and quality of life of more than 800 people in three rural communities in Guatemala (Batzchocolá, Laguna of Batzchocolá and Visiquichum).

Through rural energy projects we reach vulnerable segments to improve the quality of life of isolated communities through access to electricity. But the effect is even greater than this, since the health benefits of an entire community are improved, work is done on the conditions and minimum infrastructure necessary for education centers, and, fundamentally, the community is empowered to give greater added value to its traditional and valuable work.

The award has been granted for the implementation of Olade’s own rural electrification methodology -Rural Energization Project Management Methodology with Inclusion of Social Variables and Corporate Social Responsibility- a tool that incorporates the social and gender approach as an important element in the process of management and administration of rural energy projects.

What we do is work effectively to take advantage of and reinforce the socio-cultural characteristics of isolated communities and take into account the elements of their environment. This allows ensuring the sustainability of the projects through dynamic participation throughout the process and the empowerment of the project that is directed for the community and developed by the community itself.

This approach has contributed considerably to increasing the probability of success that we have obtained in the three countries that have implemented the methodology; Guatemala, Bolivia and Guyana; countries in which more than 4,000 people have benefited.

Latin America and the Caribbean has an electrical coverage of 96.7%. Despite this high percentage of electrification compared to other regions, there are still 20.5 million people who do not have access to electricity (preliminary value for 2017 statistics, the 2016 value corresponded to 21.8 million), of that value we estimate that more than 60 % lives in isolated rural areas. That is why I want to express to you that we are clearly very pleased with this international recognition, but this in no way means a task accomplished, but rather reaffirms and motivates a commitment already made with our region in terms of access.

 

Receive from Quito, Ecuador a cordial greeting.
Alfonso Blanco
OLADE’s Executive Secretary

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