Connecting Honduran children to a world of opportunity through the Giga initiative

TEGUCIGALPA, M.D.C., Honduras, 12 de abril de 2022 – To support the digital transformation in Honduras and strengthen education systems, enrich teaching and learning, drive participation and innovation, and empower children and young people by providing equal access to the digital world, UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) are implementing the Giga initiative in the country, through a pilot project that will initially target 24 public schools.

Giga, launched in 2019 by UNICEF and ITU, aims to connect every school to the Internet and every young person to information, opportunity and choice. The Giga initiative combines UNICEF’s experience in education and procurement and ITU’s expertise in regulation and policy to allow children to develop digital skills and access online learning content.

According to the National Statistics Institute (INE) in Honduras in 2019, 59.3% of the population lives in poverty, while 36.7% of that population lives in extreme poverty.  Moreover, the Boston Consulting Group reports that 44% of schools are not connected to electricity and only 6% of schools are connected to the Internet, most of which are in urban areas.

Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic forced school closures and for two years now, children’s education has been severely disrupted. Although efforts have been made towards digitalization, school and overall connectivity remains limited. Online classes are not a viable option for most children in the country.

In Honduras, a pilot project will begin in April 2022 in 7 departments of the country, providing connectivity to 24 public schools in different municipalities. This will allow for a more informed and complete roll out of Giga, which seeks the participation of the communities and schools involved to achieve sustainable connectivity for the rest of the schools to follow. Telecommunications company América Móvil (Claro) will serve as the supplier of Internet connectivity for an initial 2-year period.

The Ministry of Education is accompanying the implementation process in coordination with UNICEF, by assisting in the mapping of schools, supporting monitoring and systematization, and maintaining constant communication with departmental and municipal officials to ensure a smooth transition towards digitalization.