SECOND INDIGENOUS AND AFROECUADORIAN PEOPLES DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

closed

The project aims to promote the empowerment and improved access to natural and financial resources for indigenous and Afro-Ecuadorian communities within the framework of their own development. The project has the following five components: Component 1) will benefit indigenous and Afro-Ecuadorian membership organizations with the following technical assistance (TA) and training activities: (1) management capacity building; (2) strategic and local participatory development planning; (3) legal, management, and technical training; and (4) equity in gender and generations. Finally, (5) it will provide technical assistance to local governments in order to help them improve their targeting and participatory practices and increase cofinancing of investment subprojects. Component 2) will help target groups improve their human capital as well as their knowledge base and cultural assets, thus contributing to increased incomes. It will include the following activities: (i) a scholarship program for higher education; and (ii) training and technical assistance subprojects for culture-based initiatives in tourism and handicrafts among others. Component 3) will help the target population improve management of natural resources through increased access and control of land, water and other natural resources vital for their livelihood. Component 4) will finance demand-driven small-scale investment subprojects by eligible communities for: (i) investment studies; (ii) social investments; (iii) community productive investments; (iv) and environmental/natural resource management. Component 5) will increase Government of Ecuador's (GOE's) capacity to formulate intercultural policies and programs taking into consideration the concerns of indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples.