NextBillion.net - Development Through Enterprise - A Call for Action in Latin America - Comments

Thanks very much for your

Francisco Noguera — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 20:43:42 -0500

Thanks very much for your contribution, Paul. Indeed, I am a strong believer in the power of the models you suggest and specially of accessible tools like those offered by IDE or Kickstart. Only through such initiatives, complemented with efforts in education and helth care (for example, through programs like Partners in Health which have proved successful in countries like Peru) will this communities start walking a sustainable path out of extreme poverty. I will review the outcomes of the FOC Conference in detail and look forward to continuing this conversation.

Development of rural Latin America

Paul Rigterink — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 15:42:52 -0500

I worked as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cordoba, Colombia which has similar problems as the Choco. Attached are some ideas that may be of use to Colombia in the future which I presented to top officials in the Colombian Government at the Friends of Colombia Return Peace Core Volunteer conference (see http://www.friendsofcolombia.org/.) They were very interested. More details and other ideas are presented on my web site http://home.comcast.net/~prigter/site/ 1. Creation of demonstration Backyard Poultry Farms (similar to the 30,000 backyard poultry farms created by the UN FAO in Afghanistan) 2. Production and use of drip irrigation kits (2,000,000 sold in India for $1/each) (Larry Arnold, Inter-American Foundation, noted the importance of drip irrigation in Guatemala during the FOC conference). (see below) 3. Creation of fruit tree nurseries that give Bottom of the Pyramid farmers an advantage in selling their products on the world market. (See my web site for details), 4., Colombian students could contribute articles to a Spanish language wikipedia or a “Friends of Colombia” wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombia http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombian_cuisine 2701655.html?referrer=emailarticle... Feel free to ask me any questions. Thanks again for your work. ------------------------------------------------------- Appendix – Micro drip irrigation International Development Enterprises has developed inexpensive micro-drip irrigation systems for many water scarce areas. These systems include drum kits, bucket kits, kits made with double layered plastic bags (called Family Nutrition Kits), as well as customized micro irrigation systems. In particular, International Development Enterprises India (IDEI) has developed customized systems, costing from $5 for 20 sq.m. to $80 for 1000 sq.m. that will enable a family to grow produce for their own use or for a cash crop. In addition, IDEI sells a variety of treadle pumps for use by small farmers in areas where water is available at or near the surface. Equally important, IDEI has developed a program called “Integrating Poor into Market Systems (IPMAS)” that provides help in overcoming market constraints as well as water constraints. Programs of this nature need to be developed for major refugee centers (including the World Vision Center at the Nelson Mandela school outside of Cartagena) so that the most poor can get back on their feet after an economic or political disaster. It is suggested that major NGOs should buy large quantities of IDE equipment as well as other needed supplies and use it to develop nurseries and small gardens at refugee centers to demonstrate to the poor that the technology can significantly improve their income. In addition, major NGOs should supply some of this equipment to villages used for resettlement, schools, and community centers so that the refugee and other poor people can begin to work their way out of poverty. These ideas will only work if the proper supply chains and training also are provided. http://www.ide-india.org/ide/pt/index.shtml http://www.ide-india.org/ide/drip.shtml http://www.ideorg.org/

Thank you

Francisco Noguera — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:14:13 -0500

Dana, thanks very much for your comment. It sure helps! I'm sure there must be a number of programs working in Choco and other areas with similar problems. We need to spread the word and make them visible so I'm glad to learn about your program and hope that NextBillion will allow many others to learn about it as well.

A project working in Choco...

Dana — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 07:45:42 -0500

Hi, Just wanted to let you know that there is an Ashoka fellow working in the Choco region and you can support her project with donations through GlobalGiving-- here's the summary and link: By using ecologically, socially, economically, and culturally compatible species, Analogue Forestry allows 12 communities to protect ecosystems, grow food and profit from selling forest products. Project page is here: www.globalgiving.com/1220 The most recent update from the project was posted in February 2008 and can be found here: http://www.globalgiving.com/pr/1300/proj1220a.html#progressReports Hope this helps! Dana Ledyard (full disclosure-- I used to work at GlobalGiving)

A Call for Action in Latin America

Francisco Noguera — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:48:41 -0500

Today's main headline in the online version of El Tiempo, Colombia's largest newspaper, reads as follows: "Government abandonment and malnutrition ramble in Chocó, where 17 children starved to death"

In a couple of hours, another headline will replace Chocó's tragedy and few will remember these events and, more importantly, acknowledge the pressing challenge that they represent. I can't let these news go by without at least sharing my thoughts with a community that discusses precisely what is needed in such remote and often forgotten areas: active involvement of the private sector to build creative and sustainable solutions to the urgent needs of the poor.

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