miPáramo® Emprende in Santurbán

On the way to visit the Cácota lagoon, (an aquatic ecosystem 5 km from the urban area), the miPáramo® team was accompanied by some property owners located in the region, followed by their children whose average age was 22 years, in During the walk, the young people asked what level of studies each one of us had, with great expectation they listened to the summary that we made, at the end and with a sad face and a feeling of nonconformity, we heard expressions that distressed us. "We couldn't study so much, because we had to stay here to take care of and run the family business," while I looked at it in the impressive setting of the water, the clouds and imposing frailejones, accompanied by the feeling of peace, tranquility and plenitude that provides an environment like this. After this visit and added to many similar experiences, the justification for the project emerged:

  • Make visible the effort and dedication of families who are guardians of water, mostly with a clear female leadership, who carry out countless agribusinesses in order to survive.
  • Strengthen their capacities, to scale their ventures and be able to access more profitable markets.
  • Preserve the cultural tradition and increase the attachment to its territory.
  • Involve young people in entrepreneurship, providing them with innovative tools for personal and family development.

miPáramo® Emprende, is an initiative that aims to strengthen entrepreneurship in the territories that miPáramo has prioritized, each one of them goes through three phases, first it is linked to miPáramo®, signing voluntary agreements to conserve, restore and/or carry out sustainable production, obtaining constantly over time, benefits in support, environmental education or well-being; then in a second phase, they become innovators, developing skills in composting, integrated soil management, good agricultural practices, creation of virtual communities and others that allow them to understand sustainable agricultural practices as an integral part of ecosystem conservation, the water and biodiversity. In this stage, producers and local leaders are also trained and trained in good practices and sustainable agriculture, generating a demonstrative effect in their community.

In the third phase (miPáramo® Emprende), the agribusinesses with the greatest potential are identified, in order to support them and promote sustainable productive activities and ancestral knowledge, in order to help improve their quality of life.

We are proud of the work that Eduin Navas does in Shambalá (Ecotourism in Mutiscua), with routes of different levels of physical effort, horseback riding, visits to historical places, food service and experiential experiences with the inhabitants of the region or listening to his little daughter who recreates for us the diversity of fauna and flora of the region. Casablanca, in Cácota with different activities available from Nature Tourism. And if it is a great adventure, you have to visit Los Salados, where Ariadna Osorio invites us to discover the Los Salados lagoon complex, in the mountainous system you can see the falls of the waterfalls sculpting the rocky relief, being sources of the generation of ravines and feeding of the lagoons, when climbing you can enjoy the cold water of the waterfalls, strong winds and ice cream; the landscape of the lagoon complex is admired, at times the mist covering its waters is delighted.

We support the creation and strengthening of nurseries in the region, sites from where the traceability of the reforestation task begins with native species of the region, the Araque sisters from their nursery teach us that nature provides plants with different medicinal properties and help us to use and propagate them.

An important vocation of the women of this territory is sheep wool weaving, which they themselves raise, shear and process, to later turn them into fashion or household items, 22 women gathered in Asomerced, (Association of Artisan Families of Mutiscua), take care of 18 hectares of forest and in their free time they weave garments that can reach national and international markets. In Cácota, pottery is important and to support them, miPáramo® Emprende accompanies them to improve the quality of the pieces and obtain markets where their work is visible.

In Agronegocios, a variety of activities and products have been found that confirm the agricultural vocation of the region, with an emphasis on vegetables and fruit trees.

We find special stories like that of Milena and her husband Albeiro, who carefully raise and care for bees in an artisanal way for the production of honey and pollen, but without ignoring the importance of the work that this species performs for the ecosystem.

We accompanied Jenny Anteliz, in the village of La Aradita de Mutiscua, in her migration from egg production to organic agriculture, in the first stage of potatoes and recently greenhouse vegetables, in which she controls the conditions of soil and water use .

In traditional fruit growers, such as Rosa Helena, we find their interest in processing them to produce jams and sandwiches, allowing this activity to increase their household income and improve their quality of life.

We are excited to have Gladys Echavez in Pamplonita in miPáramo® Emprende, who produces Organic Coffee and with our support, she will be able to reduce the water she uses for the benefit of her product by up to 70%.

In Mutiscua, one of our prioritized municipalities, around 50 tons of whole or boneless trout are produced, which are marketed in Norte de Santander and in different areas of the country; miPáramo® Emprende developed a special cycle of activities for them, in which we integrated: Improvement of trout filleting and packing techniques, creation of new products to offer in different markets and strengthening of the closure of the value chain, to achieve it José Domingo Castillo Meneses, agronomist and chef, with extensive experience in trout management, born in the territory and kitchen leader of one of the best restaurants in Cúcuta (Spezia), will accompany this process, which will close with a master class with restaurants in the area of influence.

In order to generate value in the ventures and make them visible, miPáramo® Emprende strengthens the creation of products with the support of a food engineer and a multidisciplinary team from the University of Pamplona, to help them in their process of obtaining sanitary registration; and in marketing management, we help them create their brand, design promotional pieces and product catalogues, we train them and accompany them in the process of taking advantage of social networks and available media.

A space has been created where young people, women and our beneficiaries can proudly display the product of daily labor and the fruits of a territory rich in biodiversity. We designed a low-impact market in the city of Pamplona, in which our Entrepreneurs can sell their products to intermediaries and final consumers, positioning their brand as a testimony of the drive, perseverance and dedication of the guardians of the forests and water of the Páramo de Santurbán.

      

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Una joven familia dedicada al campo y apasionada por la naturaleza, en particular por las abejas.