SME Development Pilot for Sustainable Tourism and Handcraft in La Guajira, Colombia

Summary

Aid to Artisans received a grant from the JPMorgan Chase Foundation to conduct a pilot project aiming to transform a small local guesthouse, craft stores and tourism related services on the Guajira peninsula, a remote, ecologically and culturally interesting area in the northeastern part of Colombia, into a sustainable SMEs through business training, product development and linkage to Colombian and international tourist markets. This pilot project seeks to stimulate, sustain, and promote economic independence for the Wayúu indigenous community in the target region with will eventually be replicated in other communities.

With its focus on improving the lives of the Wayúu by working directly with local entrepreneurs, this project relates directly to ATA’s mission of working with local entrepreneurs in creating businesses and generating sustainable income, by means of business training, market-based product development and market linkage. In collaborating with its longtime partner CREATA, ATA will:

Develop and promote a typical three or four room Wayúu lodge or “rancheria” to accommodate tourists overnight in the one selected Wayúu community in La Guajira.
Train community members in preparation of local foods and accommodation services that will appeal to tourists. Improve local handcraft markets with better merchandising, display and marketing tools to increase craft sales. The inclusion of craft in the tourism value chain will create sustainable market opportunities for the Wayúu artisans.
Support communities to develop business plans and special marketing activities, and encourage the communities to develop ways to share their culture and traditions with visitors, such as dancing, religious costumes, dreams, Wayúu medicine, their special relationship with the dead, and their respect for nature. This activity will foster cultural awareness and preservation.

If successful, this model will be duplicated in other parts of La Guajira and in other parts of Colombia.

Accomplishments as of Sept 30, 2014

A thorough assessment was conducted in La Guajira visiting 4 “rancherias” determining market trends to understand target market preferences, examining the existing infrastructure, assessing the existing and potential services, and evaluating the current business management practices used by each rancheria.
2 rancherias in Santa Rita and Aiwa were identified to have the most potential infrastructure to implement the pilot project.
CREATA established partnership with the Colombian tourism organization Mambe which works with sell handmade products and promote eco-tours in Colombia. Through this partnership, Mambe identified an expert, Sandra Milena who has more than 15 years experience in community tourism in Colombia.
CREATA received an initial training in understanding the Colombian tourism value chain.
In July 2014, Sandra Milena and Andrea Alvarez, visited Santa Rita and Aiwa to implement immediate training and infrastructure improvement for both Rancherias. This included training in customer service and hospitality, cleaning, hygiene, and maintenance, kitchen “mise en place” and waste management. The immediate steps in improving the infrastructure of the 2 Rancherias were: change bed sheets, adding mirrors in bathroom, adding wall shelving, wall painting, fixing doors, and building of composter.

Current Needs

This project seeks matching funding for scheduled work in Northern Colombia. These funds are needed to implement more training workshops, to expand their tourist, regional, and international market access, to identify new buyers, and encourage new buyers visits.

Project Lead in the US

Maud Mabika
Senior Manager – ATA Programs
maudm@creativelearning.org

Field Contact

Mauricio Rincon
Director of CREATA
mrf@creata.org.co

Partners & Collaborators

ATA wishes to recognize CREATA for its efforts in working with low income artisan groups to increase their income and livelihoods. For more information about CREATA please check their website: www.creata.org.co