Proposals from the Development Marketplace Ecuador 2007

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Young Entrepreneurs and Youth Get Involved were the categories for this competition.  The 27 best proposals are listed below in alphabetical order for each category. For projects description click here

Awards for Young Entrepreneurs

The following 19 finalists were selected to compete in the marketplace in two categories: Products and Services. For projects description click here

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Thanks to the sponsorship of the Small Grants Program for Civil Society, the eight winners of this contest were also invited to present their proposals at the Marketplace. For projects description click here

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PROJECTS DESCRIPTION

1. Using knowledge of medicinal plant properties
2. La Compañía Interscholastic Competition
3. DUGRACO
4. 21st century rural entrepreneurs
5. Life-saving water filter
6. Organic production and ecotourism farms
7. Strengthening production and marketing management among artisans
8. Ecological farms and fertilizer production
9. Youth with learning disabilities
10. Youth for rural community-based development
11. La Esperanza – a microenterprise for processing fruits and vegetables
12. Hands building a future
13. Semi-precious stone engraving and hand-crafted jewelery
14. Estrella de Mar Cultural Revival Center
15. Link to my culture
16. Strengthening tourism services in the Yunguilla community
17. Strengthening youth support at the Huancavilca Foundation
18. Infocenter: development information and service center
19. Educational Cultural Project: “Playing with Grandpa” 
20. Participatory training for young women and rural teenagers in sexual and reproductive rights in Valle del Chota
21. Public Education Policies and Accountability Watch Groups
22. Geo Youth Ecuador
23. Minga for building youth community engagement
24. Environmental Policy Observatory
25. Sexual and reproductive health education program
26. Quito Young Volunteer II
27. Filming short movies – stories about youth

1 Organization: Corporación de Desarrollo Grupo Salinas

Using traditional knowledge of medicinal plant properties to create products for human use

Aims at recovering ancestral knowledge of the medicinal properties of plants, promoting the cultivation of medicinal plants, and providing them with added value while preserving the environment. The project will be implemented by a group of 28 indigenous youth averaging 17 years of age from different ethnic backgrounds (Saraguros, Pilahueños, Chachis, etc.) from homes run by the Fundación Salesiana in Salinas (Bolívar Province).

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2 Organization: Fundación Junior Achievement Ecuador

La Compañía Interscholastic Competition: Special Version for Entrepreneurs at Public Schools. Dare to Become an Entrepreneur!!

Seeks to carry out the first “La Compañía” Interscholastic Competition for 300 high school students from at least 10 public and municipal schools in Pichincha. Its objective is to provide students with the practical tools needed to build their own company, give them the basic skills needed to join the business world, promote entrepreneurs’ participation in the community, and stimulate the creation of at least 15 socially responsible and innovative companies.

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3  Organization: Fundación Agencia de Desarrollo Empresarial "ADE"

DUGRACO

In order to restore part of the Lojan culinary tradition, this project aims at creating a small company run by entrepreneurial women who make traditional sweets: Dulces de Antaño. These sweets, advertised as a healthy snack, will be made using local, natural ingredients and will use environmentally-friendly recyclable packaging. The target group is Ecuadorians living in Madrid, especially children and youth.

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4 Organization: Asociación de Participación Social Quillán

21st Century Rural Entrepreneurs

In an effort to create employment opportunities and recover local skills, the projects aims at starting a community tourism program in the rural community of Quillán (Tungurahua Province) offering walking and hiking paths, dining, handicrafts, and other services. The project also includes local training activities and will be run by 12 youth between the ages of 15 and 32, benefiting a total of 63 local households.

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5  Organization: Colegio Técnico Yachana

Life-saving water filter

Aims to provide a simple and easy-to-use water purification system that will benefit about 50,000 children between 2 and 15 years old from around 1,500 mixed-grade schools in marginalized rural and urban areas in four Amazonian provinces: Pastaza, Napo, Orellana, and Sucumbíos. The project’s objective is to fight diseases produced by drinking contaminated water. The water filter will be produced, distributed, and promoted by trained students.
 
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6  Organization: Asociación Agropecuaria Artesanal Nueva Esperanza

Organic Production and Ecotourism Farms in the Puerto Rico and Nueva Esperanza Districts.

Seeks to increase the income of 120 youth and protect the environment in the districts of Puerto Rico and Nueva Esperanza (Pichincha Province) based on two components: production and tourism. The former relates to the organic production of exotic fruits on family farms and the production and sale of jams. The latter component will promote an interactive ecotourism program between the community and visitors.
 
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7  Organization: Escuela Politécnica Nacional

Strengthening Production and Marketing Management among Artisans in the San José de Chaltura Parish.

Aims at helping 16 poor young lathe operators in the Chaltura Parrish (Imbabura Province) by providing them with additional machinery to create better quality wooden handicrafts at lower prices. An additional project goal is to establish marketing contacts and stores for these youth in different cities throughout the country, with a long-term goal of exporting.
 
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8  Organization: Corporación de Productores y Comercializadores Orgánicos

Ecological Farms and Organic Fertilizer Production

With the overall objective of increasing the income of 100 youth from the Bio Yallishun Ñukanchik Kawsaypi Intercultural Youth Center (Chimborazo Province) and improving their household diet, the project has two goals: create 20 ecological farms cultivating crops and small livestock, and developing an organic fertilizer microenterprise to collect these farms’ waste and convert it into fertilizer.

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Youth with Learning Disabilities and their Families Contributing to the Community by Producing Ecological, Organic, and Pure Fertilizers and Flower Seeds for Sale

Focuses on creating jobs for people with learning disabilities and their families through the production and marketing of organic fertilizer (humus, worm waste) and flower seeds. The project’s first phase will be implemented by 15 youth with learning disabilities who belong to the institution, supported by unemployed parents. The foundation is based in Cotocollao, north of Quito.
 
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10  Organization: Fundación Mariana de Jesús

Youth for Rural Community-based Development

Aims at promoting local development of four rural communities in Pichincha Province by developing business initiatives created by youth that focus on the sustainable management of natural, cultural, and financial resources. In order to accomplish this, training will be provided to 100 local youth between 15 and 24 years of age, opportunities will be identified, and a business proposal will be implemented by groups of youth. A total of 70 extremely poor rural households will benefit.

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11  Organization: Fundación para el Desarrollo Socioambiental "FOES"

"La Esperanza,” a Microenterprise for Processing Organic Fruits and Vegetables

The project’s purpose is to improve the living conditions of youth from the “Chilco La Esperanza” community (Tungurahua Province) who have already received training in preserving produce. The goal is to establish a microenterprise called “La Esperanza” for the sustainable processing of organic produce. At the outset, this initiative will benefit a group of 70 people, 54 of whom are between 15 and 28 years old.

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12  Organization: Fundación de Defensa Ecológica de Muisne Esmeraldas Fundecol

Hands Building a Future

This initiative is aimed at involving youth with disabilities in reviving and developing the traditional Esmeralda culture by producing the area’s typical handicrafts and native musical instruments like marimba, bombo, cununo, guazá, and maracas. The project will create alternative employment sources for vulnerable groups. It will work with 40 youth aged 15 to 25 years old who will have the opportunity to become microentrepreneurs.

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13  Organization: Asociación de discapacitados Virgen de la Nube

Semi-precious Stone Engraving and Hand-crafted Jewelry Made by People with Disabilities

In order to find a solution for people with disabilities who wish to join the workforce in the Cariamanga Parrish (Loja Province), this project will strengthen their skills in making handcrafted goods. The project will support the production of semi-precious stones and hand-crafted jewelry in an artisans’ workshop. It aims to meet the labor and social integration needs of approximately 43 people with an estimated projection of 271 beneficiaries in the future.
 
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14  Organization: Federación Afroartesanal de Recolectores de Productos Bioacuáticos del Manglar

Estrella de Mar Cultural Revival Center

This project seeks to equip the “Estrella de Mar” Cultural Revival Center and train its 20 members who sing and dance to the traditional music of the northern sector of Esmeraldas Province. This group will then train other youth in Esmeraldan traditions and encourage the revival of the area’s cultural identity by gathering information from 17 communities and publishing a book based on their findings. Twenty-six youth between the ages of 16 and 20 will benefit directly from this project and at least 40 other youth will be trained.
 
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15  Organization: Asociación Vivir

Link to My Culture! Youth, Boys, and Girls Promoting Cultural Identity

The goal of this project is to help promote national identity by publishing a collection of short and simple essays written by youth about the ideas of outstanding Ecuadorian writers. Youth will be invited to participate through a competition and the winning essays will be distributed to 900 children between 8 and 10 years old in 4th and 5th grades in Tumbaco public schools (Pichincha Province).

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16  Organization: Corporación Micro-empresarial Yunguilla

Strengthening and Diversifying Tourism Services in the Community of Yunguilla

Aims at strengthening and diversifying tourism services offered in the Community of Yunguilla (Pichincha Province) by creating environmental education facilities for children and advertising them regionally and nationally. The project will increase the income of approximately 300 people in Yunguilla, 120 of whom are between 13 to 29 years old and who will be the direct implementers. The project will also give close to 2,000 children and youth from Quito’s schools the chance to visit the countryside and have an educational experience.
 
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17  Organization: Fundación Huancavilca

Strengthening Youth Support at the Huancavilca Foundation in Guasmo de Guayaquil

Focuses on strengthening the Youth Support unit at the Fundación Huancavilca, a unit that works to rescue marginalized children in Guasmo (Guayas Province) through music and sports. This strengthening will be accomplished by hiring a sports trainer and purchasing sports equipment and musical instruments to improve the scope and quality of the services provided. A total of 150 children and their families will benefit from this project.

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18  Organization: Fundación Recursos para el Desarrollo Sustentable – REDES

Infocenter: Development Information and Service Center

In order to promote development in Pimampiro (Imbabura Province), this project seeks to establish an infocenter that increases community access to information and communications technology. The Huayrasi Youth Cultural Group runs this center, which has already implemented an on-line high school pilot project with urban youth at risk of not receiving a decent education. The group is seeking to expand these services to rural areas, where they would directly benefit 4,000 people, over half of whom are youth.

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19  Organization: Fundación MIRARTE

Educational Cultural Project: “Playing with Grandpa”

Plans to strengthen education and identity among children and youth from Otavalo (Imbabura Province) by opening a research center that revives local cultural traditions (legends, folklore, symbols, cuisine, dress, etc.). The center will also support revitalization workshops and cultural caravans in 14 urban and rural schools in the town of Otavalo with a total of 4,134 beneficiaries and participants.

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20  Organization: Fundación de Desarrollo Social Afroecuatoriano “Azúcar”

Participatory Training for Young Women and Teenagers in Sexual and Reproductive Rights in Valle del Chota

Proposes to fight the wave of early pregnancies in the Valle del Chota and Catacachi communities (Imbabura Province) and in parts of Carchi Province by starting a sexual and reproductive rights training program. This program will involve prevention and education workshops that will be carried out with external technical support. The project will be implemented by young women with African heritage.

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21  Organization: Corporación Participación Ciudadana Ecuador

Public Education Policy and Accountability Watch Groups

Aims at monitoring public education policies and transparency in the way they are managed by forming youth clubs in four high schools in Guayaquil. The clubs will monitor policy implementation and demand accountability from leading executives. Eighty teenagers and young students will participate directly and 10,000 youth and their families will benefit indirectly.

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22  Organization: Fundación Ecuatoriana hacia el Progreso Alternativo – FEPA

Geo Juvenil Ecuador

Seeks to create a national dialogue and information sharing network for youth that encourages their participation in environmental policies, plans, and strategies.  The project will have 11 regional focal points coordinated by youth between the ages of 15 and 28 who will be responsible for carrying out workshops and discussion forums. These regions are defined based on the distribution of the country’s 33 protected areas.

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23  Organization: Asociación Educativa Movimiento de Estudiantes Campesinos Indígenas del Tungurahua.

Minga for Building Youth Community Engagement

Proposes reviving ancestral traditions like the minga, a gathering of community members to carry out a task benefiting the entire community; community loans; the community roundtable; and community solidarity by creating youth groups that spread local values, customs, and traditions. A total of 240 indigenous youth and 225 parents from the Quisapincha Parish (Tungurahua Province) will participate directly. Ten communities from the parish will benefit indirectly.

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24  Organization: Students’ Federation of the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador

Environmental Policy Observatory - Ecuador

The project will design a system to monitor the level and quality of environmental spending as well as compliance with environmental goals to which the country has committed. Educational centers will be opened in Quito and Guayaquil. This observatory will also serve as a base for supporting the development of public policies. Project tools will include quarterly reports, a webpage, workshops, and conferences. The direct target group is 10,000 students between 15 and 26 years old.
  
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25  Organization: Asociación Ecuatoriana al Noroccidente de Pichincha por el Desarrollo Comunitario (Aenpidec)

Sexual and Reproductive Health Education Program for Youth from the Town of San Miguel de los Bancos. “Cool, let’s talk about sex”… Respect Your Body and Your Future!

Aims at creating a local network of youth trained in sexual and reproductive health that will increase awareness of the issue in rural and urban schools in the town of San Miguel de Los Bancos (Pichincha Province). The direct beneficiaries will be 25 youth between the ages of 15 and 19, approximately 500 students attending the town’s two largest schools, the municipality, and local health center patients, among others.

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26  Organization: Fundación Servicio Ignaciano de Voluntario "SIGVOL"

Quito Young Volunteer II

The project will train 1,700 youth from schools, universities, and community organizations, among others, as volunteers to help disadvantaged groups. Activities will be carried out in three lines of action: strengthening social programs in Quito’s Metropolitan District; promoting youth involvement; and contributing to meet the Millennium Development Goals.

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27  Organization: Coordinadora Ecuatoriana para el Accionar Juvenil “Cepaj”
 
Filming Short Movies – Stories about Youth

Seeks to promote debate and citizen participation among youth in five of Ecuador’s provinces, strengthening their political and cultural skills in order to make them recognized stakeholders. The project will promote the right to freedom of expression by creating oral and written stories that will be presented in the 3rd National Youth Stories Contest (film and literature). A total of 250 youth from different provinces will participate.

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