Econexus will empower 30 Colombian women from 2 indigenous communities whose region has been marred by armed conflict, colonizing expeditions and land loss. Through coffee production workshops and appropriate materials the women and their people will become economically competitive and sufficient. Econexus will combine the women's access to native coffee varieties, ancestral techniques, the region's ideal climate and a existing fair market, to help them sustain themselves even in the off-season.
The Arhuac and Kankuamo communities have been victims of conflict that has destroyed their crops and lands which has decreased the sustenance and nutrition available, thus hindering the peoples' well-being and development. Women are increasingly becoming heads of their families and are in need of a viable, sustainable role in an economy that will grow and help them to support their families. The conflict, in tandem with a lack of economic means and support, has compromised their quality of life.
Econexus will provide 30 women from these communities with the necessary training and tools to include them in and to develop the productive and commercial processes of their communities. The women will learn how to produce, cup and assess their coffee's quality. They are generally unaware of the quality of their product and therefore do not receive fair prices for it. In understanding their product's value they will be able to attain a fair price on a secured by Econexus.
The women will be able to gauge their product, receive a fair price for it, and sustain themselves and their family. They will have the resources to provide their families with proper nutrition, thus eliminating malnutrition and other health issues. Additionally, the strengthening of the communities' economies will help to eliminate destructive conflicts.
