In order to face the effects of extreme poverty at the rural level, we have implemented RURAL ECO-TECHNOLOGICAL CENTERS, called “ECO-TECHNOLOGICAL YACHAYWASIS” as a model of social enterprise that promotes the development of rural areas of Peru in a holistic way , innovative and self-sustainable (www.yachaywasiecotecnologico.pe).
In our YACHAYWASIS, small farmers and their families can visualize and begin to dream of using a wide variety of APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGIES to achieve their economic, social and environmental development in a comprehensive and sustainable way. Having dreamers allows our model to promote an entrepreneurial attitude among farming families to eradicate poverty in rural areas.
The PROMOTION OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP for small farmers is achieved through the formulation of BUSINESS PLANS that, through the use of appropriate technologies and the technical assistance provided by the YACHAYWASIS, allow the small farmer to give added value to their current production, which is articulated to the market by our YACHAYWASIS, establishing a two-way relationship of CLIENT – SUPPLIER – CLIENT between YACHAYWASIS and FARMERS in order to achieve FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY of both parties.
Our model also provides technical assistance to farmer groups organized by production chains to ACCESS THE FINANCING of their business plans through public and private FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS that provide reimbursable and non-reimbursable financial opportunities. In the future, our YACHAYWASIS will also provide direct credits as part of the model, in order to achieve a social impact on a larger scale.
Finally, the holistic development approach of the YACHAYWASIS model allows us to contribute to the integral and sustainable development of poor small farmers, addressing 10 of the 17 United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as detailed below:
- SDG1: Our farmers are overcoming poverty by improving their productivity and adding value to their products using technologies
- SDG 2: Our farmers diversify their production for food security and use green technologies in their farming and housing practices.
- SDG 5: Women participate in the value added chain of many products such as the transformation of alpaca fiber, green gardens for vegetable production, etc.
- SDG 6: To ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation, drip and spray irrigation systems are the technologies most implemented by our farmers. We also promote the use of biodigesters as rural sewerage systems.
- SDG 7: Our Yachaywasis are distributing green technologies to produce energy for housing and production, such as solar water heaters, photovoltaic kits, wind power generators, methane gas biodigesters.
- SDG 8: The use of technologies for value-added products allows our farmers to enter new markets for their inclusive and sustainable economic growth, as well as the generation of new jobs especially for women.
- SDG 9: Our Yachaywasis are a resilient infrastructure that promotes inclusive and sustainable industrialization and encourages innovation for small farmers.
- SDG13: Green technologies distributed by our Yachaywasis for housing and agricultural practices are reducing CO2 emissions that contribute to fighting climate change and its impacts.
- SDG 15: Ecological and sustainable agricultural practices promoted by our Yachaywasis among small farmers are improving the sustainable management of land and water.
- SDG 17: Our Yachaywasis have agreements with regional and local governments, public programs, private companies and international cooperation that have allowed us to implement to date 2 Centers managed by a Governance Committee.
Our goal by 2025 is to implement 20 Yachaywasis to cover 95% of the people living in poor rural areas (4,000,000 inhabitants or 800,000 rural families in Peru), with prospects for expansion for Sustainable Rural Development in Latin America.