TEGUCIGALPA – For generations, the Pan-American Agricultural School – Zamorano has taught promising students the latest in the agricultural and environmental sciences, and contributed greatly to the sustainable agricultural development in Honduras and across the region. As part of its support for this important institution, the U.S. Government has awarded a new US$ 711,500 grant to Zamorano to upgrade its entire campus water system by making water from the Santa Ines Mountain, currently used for irrigation, available for human consumption. Zamorano is also contributing approximately US$ 700,000 in funding and in-kind contributions to the project.
Throughout a 40-year public-private partnership, the U.S. Government has granted more than US$ 20 million to Zamorano, through USAID’s American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA) program. Over the past decade, the U.S. Government and Zamorano have together funded the construction of on-campus student housing for 400 students, enabling Zamorano to increase its enrollment by 50 percent.
U.S. funds have also helped to purchase equipment and build alternative energy installations.
“Zamorano is a shining example of collaboration between the people of Honduras and the United States. This recent grant to improve the water system of Zamorano is a symbol of our continued interest. We are proud to continue to positively influence young leaders in Honduras and across Latin America through this institution,” said Ambassador James Nealon.
The goal of the ASHA program is to support construction and equipment funding for academic and medical institutions outside of the U.S. through a competitive annual grants process. Last year, ASHA provided 34 grants to school, libraries, and hospitals in 24 countries.
Zamorano President Jeff Lansdale stated, “Zamorano expresses its gratitude to the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office of American Schools and Hospitals Abroad and to the people of the U.S., for their generosity in providing support to the university over several decades. This support has enabled Zamorano to grow, mature, and improve the breadth and quality of its academic programs; expand and modernize its research, production and processing facilities that constitute the core of the ‘learning-by-doing’ pedagogical philosophy; and improve the quality of life and security for students, staff, and their families. This latest award focuses on the sustainable and responsible utilization of water resources for the entire university campus, resulting in a comprehensive water system that will also serve as a teaching/learning model in Zamorano’s academic, applied research, and outreach programs and projects.”
