MERCADO Quarterly Report #01

These departments are part of the Zone of Influence (ZOI), a region targeted by USAID for development. The initiative aims to deliver successful interventions in agriculture, health, and nutrition for at least 15,000 client households in the dry corridor of Honduras. MERCADO focuses on six key components to enable economic growth and nutrition improvements at the household level. These components include technical assistance and training, market access, rural financial services, policy assistance, malnutrition prevention, and health and nutrition services. The initiative is implemented by Fintrac Inc., in association with several partner organizations, including Fundación Hondureña de Investigación Agrícola (FHIA), Escuela Agrícola Panamericana (EAP-ZAMORANO), and the Global Village Project (PAG). The first quarterly report for MERCADO summarizes the principal activities carried out from April to June 2015. During this period, essential mobilization activities were conducted, including the selection and transition of household clients and communities from USAID-ACCESO, the transition of selected members of the USAID-ACCESO technical team, and the administrative procurement of equipment and vehicles. Five implementing partners were subcontracted to provide services starting in the first quarter. Activity management reports were prepared and submitted, including the branding and marking plan, the environmental mitigation plan, the gender integration strategy, the subaward manual, the work plan and PMP, the monitoring and evaluation plan, and the baseline survey. A security plan was also drafted. Meetings and presentations were held with USAID on the work plan, indicators, implementation strategies, and proposed partners. MERCADO will continue to utilize and expand the whole-systems approach developed under USAID-ACCESO at farm, household, and community levels. This approach aims to improve agricultural productivity, increase market demand and access, enhance investment in agriculture and employment opportunities, and improve access to financial services. Additionally, MERCADO will focus on improving nutritional status, especially for women and children, through enhanced access to diverse and quality food and nutrition-related behaviors, improved community and household sanitation and hygiene, and increased utilization of maternal and child health and nutrition services. The initiative is implemented in the dry corridor of Honduras, where poverty and malnutrition levels are high. MERCADO aims to address these challenges by providing technical assistance and training, market access, rural financial services, policy assistance, malnutrition prevention, and health and nutrition services to at least 15,000 client households. The initiative is expected to contribute to economic growth and nutrition improvements in the region.