Forty community leaders from Puerto Asis have completed the second stage of the Putumayo Soñado public-private-community partnership. We developed the initiative alongside the Javeriana Cali University’s Institute of Intercultural Studies, aiming to strengthen community leadership and promote sustainable development in the region.
Community leaders taking part in the project strengthened their leadership skills for over a year, and designed projects to support development in Puerto Asis. Experts from Javeriana Cali led the training process, in which participants had the opportunity to design nine projects focusing including road infrastructure, biodiversity protection and sustainable production focused on the promotion of integral development in Puerto Asis.
Representatives of the Putumayo Government’s Competitiveness Department, the Puerto Asis Mayor’s Office, the Regional Ombudsman’s Office, the National Institute of Land Transit and Transport, the Putumayo Chamber of Commerce and other key entities attended the closing ceremony.
“In the course of the program we have seen how each of the leaders have strengthened their capacities to create and design projects that not only transform the reality of Puerto Asis, and also how they dream of long-term sustainable development for this region,” La nueva Amerisur Neighbor Relations coordinator Mayrene Forero said at the ceremony. “That is precisely the legacy we want to leave: initiatives that promote the integral and sustainable development of our neighboring communities.”
Juan Camilo Lopez, a researcher at the Javeriana Cali Institute of Intercultural Studies, said: “This project is a clear example of how intersectoral collaboration can lead to true social transformation, ensuring that all members of the community are not only heard, but also empowered to lead change.”
Luz Mery Hermida is a community leader from the rural area of Puerto Asis, and added that: “Thanks to Putumayo Soñado we have made new connections in the community, discovered new colleagues and renewed our commitment to our communities. At the end of this training, we, as leaders, are committed to taking advantage of this opportunity and continuing to work for the sustainable development of our territory. A very important lesson is that collective work will be the key to our efforts bearing fruit.”
Implementing Putumayo Soñado reflects our commitment as a Company to help create a legacy of prosperity in Putumayo while respecting and promoting human rights, and contributing to the consolidation of peace in communities.
