WASHINGTON - Vice President Kamala Harris and the Partnership for Central America today announced more than $950 million in new private sector commitments in response to her Call to Action for Northern Central America, bringing the overall total to more than $4.2 billion since May 2021.
Harris has received donations from over 47 companies, including Target and Nestle, which made a substantial $950 million contribution.
Target plans to boost spending in the region by $300 million over a decade and increase the use of vendors from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Nestle said it will support 7,500 coffee producers and strengthen its supply chains, the White House said in a statement Monday.
Harris was appointed to be the "immigration czar" by President Biden and this new plan is one of her largest initiatives yet.
Instead of exhausting all resources toward border patrol, Harris aims to address issues that cause migrants to want to vacate their homes to begin with.
Harris noted a lack of jobs, violence, and corruption usually force people to flee, which is something she hopes to reduce.
People generally do not want to leave home. And when they do, it is because they are either fleeing some harm or because staying home will mean that they cannot satisfy the basic needs of their family and themselves,” Harris said Monday during the announcement.
Harris plans to use the $4.2 billion to help address the root causes of migration by creating economic opportunity in the region.
These investments are creating jobs, connecting people to the digital economy, expanding access to financing for small businesses, providing training and education for youth and workers, and improving economic livelihoods for people in the region, according to a press release from the White House.
Harris began accepting funding for the initiative in 2021 and since then, 47 companies have made contributions.
Here are a few companies confirmed to have made a contribution by the White House.
- Chegg, an online-learning platform providing support to students who either cannot access the formal education system or have limited opportunity to benefit from such a structure, has committed to certifying 100,000 young adult learners with its online learning platform and technical skilling certification programs in Honduras by 2030, with a particular focus on underserved women. Additionally, Chegg and the Partnership for Central America will collaborate on bringing academic support and language learning tools to over 10,000 learners annually looking to upskill and access jobs in the modern digital economy.
- Columbia Sportswear Company has committed to purchase up to $200 million in products, which will create more than 6,900 jobs in the region over the next five years, in an industry where these jobs are primarily held by women.
- Nestle, Nespresso’s parent company, and Nescafé have committed to supporting more than 7,500 coffee producers in implementing regenerative agriculture practices, strengthening and further developing a supply chain of responsibly grown coffee, and training coffee producers to create and establish productive businesses in collaboration with USAID and fellow Call to Action partner, CoHonducafé.
- Root Capital has committed to lend an additional $1.4 million to small businesses in Guatemala in partnership with USAID as part of the Guatemala Entrepreneurship Development and Innovation (GEDI) Initiative, which will help these businesses grow and access capital. In partnership with USAID, Root Capital has also committed to channeling a minimum of $80 million in loans to agricultural small and medium-sized enterprises with high-growth potential in Honduras.
- Target has committed to increasing its spending by $300 million in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras by 2033. They will deepen existing relationships with vendors and intend to expand vendor relationships that have a presence in all three countries in the region.
More information can be found in the initial Fact Sheet announcing the Call to Action on May 27. The Partnership can be contacted at support@centampartnership.org.
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