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39akzente 3/15 COMMITMENT > Contact Klaus Hornberger > klaus.hornberger@giz.de mittee chairman Orozco. But many of the villagers complain: after all, in tropical tem- peratures food such as milk and meat spoil rapidly without refrigeration. New objective: more electricity for more people That is not a problem for Macial Borges and his small family. ‘Four light bulbs and a radio,’ is all he has – but it’s enough. ‘I pay the mini- mum,’ says Borges, a muscular, 35-year-old construction worker in a pristine white shirt. Borges lives with his wife and young son in a spacious but simply furnished wooden hut on the edge of Ocote Tuma. Newly hatched chicks run about beneath their feet. A small transistor radio is the focal point of the house. It sits on a table right opposite the entrance, like a modern altarpiece. Above it hang the family portraits, a mirror and the blue-and-white flag of Nicaragua. ‘Our six-year-old can now do his home- work after dark,’ says Borges, ‘and I’m plan- ning to buy an electric sewing machine for my wife.’ The couple hope that will bring them some additional income. Freddy Orozco and the committee are currently deliberating on developing and op- timising the electricity supply so that it re- mains stable and sufficient to meet everyone’s needs. They do not want to restrict the ongo- ing influx of new families. Options include a more powerful generator, a second turbine, or further restrictions on electricity consump- tion. For the time being, however, the capac- ity of the power plant will be increased thanks to the technical assistance of a Nicaraguan non-governmental organisation that special- ises in renewable energies. ‘We can tease a few more kilowatts out of the plant yet,’ says Orozco. But one thing is for sure: no one in Ocote Tuma will ever want to go without electricity again. CAPITAL: Managua POPULATION: 6.1 million1 GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT: USD 11.2 BILLION2 ECONOMIC GROWTH: 4.6 per cent3 HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX RANKING: 132 (out of 187) Source: 1 2 3 World Bank 2013 THE POWER OF RENEWABLES Project: Energising Development (EnDev) Nicaragua Commissioned by: Members of the EnDev energy partnership Partners: Nicaraguan Ministry of Energy and Mines, rural communities Term: 2006 to 2018 EnDev Nicaragua is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Directorate-General for International Cooperation at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the UK Department for International Devel- opment, and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. The programme provides support to more than one million people without access to a modern elec- tricity supply with developing renewable energy sources. It provides electricity to private households, schools, health centres and businesses using photovoltaic sys- tems and micro hydropower plants. 2,700 solar systems had been installed in Nica- ragua by late 2014, resulting in benefits for 15,660 people. 10 hydropower plants supply energy to 5,519 inhabitants in rural areas. 245 educational and social insti- tutions now have electricity for the first time. NICARAGUA www.giz.de/en/worldwide/396.html El Salvador Nicaragua Costa Rica Honduras Panama Source: 123