Community Entrepreneurship, Rural Development, Agriculture
Type:
Project
ASOCUCH is a network of local organisations which involves and empowers rural women, men, producers and young people; advancing to a territorial management model from rural entrepreneurship and good practices with the environment in rural Guatemala. ASOCUCH is a second-level association that was formally born in the year 2000 and that associates 20 Community Based Organisations (CBOs), between associations and cooperatives and 70 groups of women with an entrepreneurial vision, with a coverage of 10,908 members. ASOCUCH provides the CBOs with tools –administrative, financial, technical, political and human, to advise them in their organisational, productive and economic processes for the generation of local capacities that promote better living conditions.
This project seeks to improve the living conditions of 500 indigenous families living in poverty in the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes in Huehuetenango, Guatemala, members of 3 rural organizations with incipient and subsistence productions, associated with ASOCUCH. This will be achieved by improving the agricultural production systems of potatoes, broccoli, honey, sheep and birds, to increase their productivity with the implementation of best agricultural and beekeeping practices, and strengthening the organisational, administrative, financial and business capacities of the 3 small producer organisations, who will be in charge of providing access to financing and commercialising the production with the support of ASOCUCH. In addition, the project will build the capacities of ASOCUCH with the creation of marketing and market access units that will improve market access for the 20 organisations that comprise it.
SCF Provided a Grant to Fund
1. Administrative and business capacity building of 3 rural producer organisations.
2. Boosting productivity in value chains (potatoes, broccoli, honey, sheep and poultry).
Definition of the business model and creation of the ASOCUCH marketing and commercialisation unit
The Goal is to Achieve
1. Producer organisations have operating regulations and policies in place with strengthened credit portfolios and access to seed capital.
2. Increase in productivity and sales while families implement GAP and GMP
Emergency Fund
After the passing of the ETA and IOTA storms, more than 65 communities that integrate more than 6,000 indigenous families from the municipalities of Barillas, Santa Eulalia, Soloma, San Juan Ixcoy and Chiantla from the department of Huehuetenango and Nebaj from the department of Quiche, were totally isolated and without food, since the roads were completely destroyed and many continue to make long journeys on foot in order to have access to products of daily consumption, crossing ravines that were caused by the large number of landslides that occurred because of these storms.
SCF is doing their best to help these people that are currently in a very fragile situation. Support actions in at least 5 affected communities are essential, families need food rations to alleviate the food shortage for an adequate period that allows them to recover their crops, and provide materials for the reconstruction of houses or rehabilitation of those that can be reinforced in their structure. The proposed activities will be implemented through ASOCUCH with the technical team and with the support of local grassroots organizations.
