The Comparte Network supported the Livelihoods and Food Security Task Force of Cáritas Latin America and the Caribbean in conducting a territorial internship in the Valle del Cauca region, Colombia, as part of the project developed in collaboration with Cáritas LAC. This internship is part of an ongoing process to strengthen Cáritas’s territorial interventions by analyzing sustainable and innovative practices observed in economic-productive experiences of organizations with similar goals. In this regard, the Comparte Network organized visits to economic-productive experiences within the network.
During the first session, the team participated in a discussion with the Instituto Mayor Campesino – IMCA (a social center of the Comparte Network), where they shared the history, milestones, and lessons learned over more than sixty years of work in the region. IMCA’s extensive experience with various groups and organizations highlights the evolution of learning communities and partnerships, constantly progressing through both accumulated experience and the changing conditions of the institution and its surroundings. This exchange of perspectives also helped identify similarities and differences across the realities of different Latin American countries, enriching the collective understanding of the challenges and opportunities in food security and livelihoods.
The team visited the agroecological farm Campo Alegre, where Doña Marlén and Don Marino shared the story of their family farm, emphasizing the importance of working in community and building support networks. For them, agroecology is not just a means of production but a way of life—a message that resonates deeply in the work of Cáritas LAC and Comparte Network.
The group also had the opportunity to visit the Chocoguayabal chocolate production farm and plant, an example of a well-planned social enterprise with a forward-looking vision and a gradual, locally-aware growth approach. This case offers valuable lessons in productive model planning and transitions, essential for the economic and social development of communities in the region.
As a final part of the internship, the team visited the community aqueduct and water treatment plant located in Restrepo’s town hall. The community board shared their experience in fostering cohabitation and effective negotiation between the local population, authorities, and multinational companies in the area. This example demonstrates the importance of preparation, intergenerational collaboration, and the ability to establish strategic alliances.
Mariano Yarza, Secretary of Pastoral Work of Cáritas Mexicana, expressed his satisfaction with the learning experiences gained: “We are very pleased to have participated in this internship. We learned a great deal about regional realities that allow us to improve or develop our work more professionally. Reflecting on complex realities in challenging contexts, like those in Colombia, has shown us that the Colombian reality is similar to the Mexican one in many ways, and their work methodologies can help us generate interaction and reflection dynamics in our own communities.”
This internship, which included representatives from Colombia, Paraguay, Brazil, and Mexico, highlights the importance of strengthening the knowledge and capacities of national and diocesan Cáritas teams in Latin America and the Caribbean, contributing to the development of more resilient and self-sufficient communities in an increasingly complex socio-economic and environmental context.