A Leap Into The 21st Century: Yungas Valley Bolivia

In the Yungas Valley of Bolivia, thousands of people celebrated as the President of Bolivia and the USAID country director flipped on the ceremonial switch that brought power to some 100 villages in the region.

NRECA International, with funding from USAID, completed Phase I of the Rural Electrification.for the Alternative Development of the Yungas after eighteen months of construction. More than 10,000 households in 350 villages will be electrified when all three phases of the program are completed in 2006. “Having electricity helps our country leap from the 17th to the 21st Century,” said Carlos Mesa, president of Bolivia, during the ceremonies of December 1st. “This would not have been possible without the help of the United States government and the rural electric cooperatives of NRECA.”

Power was actually turned on in October of 2004, a few months before the president and dignitaries traveled over 650 miles for the inauguration. Since that time, the villages have experienced a transformation from quiet, small towns, to bustling, commercially vibrant zones where people are using electricity to start and expand small businesses. “I couldn’t help but notice the changes since I’d been there just a few weeks ago,” said Colin Jack, director of engineering for NRECA International. “There were stores selling cold drinks with ice, and ice cream; the restaurants had TVs and music.”

The local beneficiaries were well aware of the enormous opportunity that had been given to them and how it will help transform generations to come. “Electricity has come, I have seen it and received it,” expressed one villager. “Now young people will not immigrate to the city; crime will decrease and we will have the opportunity to work.” The villagers also know that health and education will greatly improve. “My children and grandchildren will be healthier because they will not have to breathe the smoke of the candles and kerosene,” said one. Another one has been saving for a long time to be able to buy a computer for his 16-year old girl. “I want my child to learn and receive the education we neverhad. She will also be able to help me keep my production accounts on the new computer and that willhelp my business.”

The War on Drugs

The Alternative Development Program is a U.S. government initiative that seeks to provide poor farmers with the proper infrastructure and training to cultivate alternatives to cash crops such as coca, a key input of illicit drug production. The initiative is adapted to meet the needs of each specific country. In Bolivia, the program focuses on three major activities: eradicating coca; providing training and agricultural inputs to farmers for the cultivation of alternative crops; and financing for core infrastructure, such as roads and electricity, to sustain the economic development and stimulate economic development that is not associated with the illicit drug trade.