Working days in Ricaurte
I was the last week for first time in Ricaurte, a little population between Tumaco and Pasto (the capital city of Narinho Department). In this city Alianza por la Solidaridad (ApS) have several projects which involve Awa indigenous population affected by the armed conflict.
Some of these projects are related to livelihoods, and their target is improving the situation of more people providing them productive activities. In this way they can obtain economic and food resources to go ahead and to develop their own lives in all aspects (personally, familiar and community). Some examples in this area are agricultural projects (mainly fruits as pineapple and lulo), ranching (ships), and fish culture production (tilapia). These mentioned projects were the ones I could visit and see during one of the days we were there. And I could also collaborate in the delivery of different products related with them in order to improve and maintain the good development of these different projects.
In other way, APS has developed some other projects related to infrastructure, the area in which I work directly. And in this moment it is going to begin one more project about housing because 50 houses will be constructed for 50 families in this community. The construction process will begin soon, so our work was visit all the locations where will be the houses and explain the families how will be situated the future house. We talked and inform them about how they had to prepare the ground to make easy the first phase of the constructive process (foundations). And also in these days we realized about several aspects to take into account in the next phases of the constructive process and also in the future to avoid problems. We have communicated all these aspects to the political representative (governor) in order to discuss and find solutions themselves by their own. Of course we transmitted our own opinion from the technical view but they have the last word and it is normal and fair because they will be the ones who live there and who have to agree with all aspects related with their houses and the urbanization of their community. This is of course a complex process but it is the only way to achieve their acceptation and implication during the project. If that is not done is much more difficult that after the project will be implanted they will maintain it, which means that it could be likely an unsustainable project.
The construction will finish in the end of the year and I will be here until middle December. So I hope I will see how all these process go on. Some of the main goals in this moment are: drawing plans, preview costs and begin materials buying process. And of course visit the place to inform and see how is going the construction. In all these tasks I hope to be able to collaborate as much as possible and learn yet more.
Jorge Núñez.
