Sustainable rural development and resource preservation in the Pacific region of Ecuador and Colombia

Project area:

Provinces of Esmeraldas, Manabí, Sta. Elena (ECU); Dpts. Nariño, Cauca (COL).

Period:

01.12.2020 - 30.11.2023

Partners:

Fundación Heifer Ecuador and Fundación A-Kasa.

Funding by:

Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development

Target group:

The direct target group comprises approx. 3,000 rural families from the Pacific coast of Ecuador and Colombia, Afro-Ecuatorians and Afro-Colombians, indigenous people, mestizos and Montubios. They generate their income through small-scale agriculture, tourism and traditional fishing and gathering.

What it is about:

The aim of the project is to secure the livelihood of the rural population in the mangrove and dry forest ecosystems of the Pacific regions of Ecuador and Colombia. The project area is located within the Tumbes-Chocó-Madgalena biodiversity hotspot and has various natural and climate-related as well as socio-economic and development challenges. 80% of the target group is affected by multidimensional poverty. The project aims to strengthen essential skills for food security, income generation and active citizenship of 3,000 families through strengthening production/marketing capacities of the target group and through resource conservation.

Examples of measures:

Training measures and start-up support for local producers and small businesses.

Improvement of local structures – storage, processing, marketing

Development of community-based environmental management plans

Environmental campaign and community work "Mingas" to protect local mangroves

Reforestation and irrigated agriculture

Political participation of local communities and practical conservation of species

Capacity building of local governments and promotion of gender issues

Number of people we reach

Direct: 13,500 people