Share:
Photo: Mercy Corps
The money raised in 2010 will go towards funding a fantastic Mercy Corps project in Guatemala, working with indigenous people to help them secure land rights and achieve a better quality of life, free from poverty.
Country Background
Guatemala is an overwhelmingly poor country. 80 percent of the population live in poverty and of that 80 percent two- thirds live in extreme poverty. Millions of Guatemalans still live in homes made of mud and walk hours daily to tend farms for little pay. The main reason for this is that fertile land in Guatemala- the most important means of production in an agricultural economy- is concentrated in the hands of a few with roughly 2 percent of the population owning 70 percent of the country’s productive land.
Since 2003, Mercy Corps has been working to resolve land conflicts in Guatemala and as a result, 8,946 indigenous families have so far been able to secure land and with it their dignity, identity and means of survival.
Sustainable Livelihoods Project
Photo: Mercy Corps
The project supported by the Quadrathlon, will support families to help them maximise the potential of their land, grow sustainable and profitable crops, and generate livelihoods for themselves and future generations. 9000 people will directly benefit from this project and the knock on effect will be to secure a stream of diverse, nutritional food and to increase food security of the population of all 25 communities in which this project works.
Through this fantastic project, 500 families will be incorporated into chains of production which will allow them to increase their income and ensure the legal certainty of their land. Health and nutrition will be improved through education and training. Mercy Corps will measure progress through the following:
•25 producer groups ( 500 families) in poor communities will generate income as a result of their direct links to market
•500 new employment opportunities will be generated in rural communities
•20 new rural businesses will be established
•500 new businessmen and women will implement good productive practices, good manufacturing practices, and good business practices.
•10 productive value chains with high potential at local level have been analysed, identifying bottlenecks and opportunities
Mercy Corps will achieve these results through:
•Extensive training in crop diversification, improving the quality of production to match market demands and making products more competitive.
•Facilitating understanding of the market place, identifying large players, establishing contacts,
•Teaching, in indigenous language, how to identify buyers and build and maintain commercial relationships
•Serving as a model for other neighbouring communities and other beneficiaries, thereby increasing jobs in the region
The next stage of this successful project will run until Jan 2012 and will only be possible with the support of all the Quadrathlete’s. The European Commission has already committed €360,375 of the total budget, conditional on Mercy Corps securing the remaining €120,125.
Every penny from the Quadrathlon will therefore leverage 4 times its value in programme worth!
To view a short five minute film about a similar Mercy Corps project in Guatemala simply click here.
Share: