Madrid City Council is working with the Elecnor Foundation in Ilumina Project

In order to fight poverty and boost human development in developing countries at the same time, Madrid City Council and the Elecnor Foundation entered into a collaboration agreement three years ago to implement technological cooperation projects and to carry out other projects relating to the prevention and promotion of health.

This morning, the Regional Director of the Family and Social Services Department, Lola Navarro, signed an addendum to the agreement entered into by Madrid City Council and the Elecnor Foundation in order to set up a collaborative environment to implement cooperation project and programme identification activities, technical consultancy and support for their implementation. These activities relate to new technologies, the use of renewable energy, basic living standards and the sustainable management of natural resources. Their context is always the poverty of priority countries, and they are carried out in accordance with the cooperation objectives of the Madrid City Council.

The addendum signed today develops the agreement to include the work the Elecnor Foundation is carrying out in the San Juan de Flores Municipality (Honduras) via the ILUMINA Project, co-financed by AECID, the objective of which is to contribute to achieving better levels of development, and of social and economic growth for the population thanks to accessing clean, sustainable energy from photovoltaic solar panels. With the active participation of the San Juan de Flores Municipality, this energy provision is in addition to educational material for schools in the region, and institutional and technical cooperation activities in relation to public health.

The books and audiovisual material provided aims to improve the quality of teaching in this region of Honduras, facilitating the acquisition of knowledge and values that contribute to pupils' overall education. In addition to this material, teaching will be given on respect, living together, equality, drug addiction prevention, environmental sustainability and risk prevention.

Health and prevention

In relation to technical education activities for public health, they are in line with the collaboration agreement entered into in 2011 by the Family and Social Services Department and the autonomous body Madrid Salud for carrying out joint activities in relation to the prevention and promotion of health. Madrid Salud will contribute its specialisation, technical knowledge and experience to the San Juan de Flores Municipality via these activities, developing technical cooperation activities for public health issues indicated in the public management improvement processes, contributing to strengthening local capabilities.

NGOs have collaborated and contributed selflessly to implement this agreement, for example Codespa, Red Cross, Entreculturas, the Drug Addiction Help Foundation and Intered. Furthermore, the activities were supported by the Directorates-General of Emergencies and Civil Protection; Urban, Coordination and Environmental Education Departments in the environmental, safety and mobility sector; the Directorate-General of Equal Opportunities; and the Directorate-General of Family, Childhood and Volunteering in the family sector.