On Friday, February 18, 2022, we inaugurated the Collection and Processing Center of the «Bioenterprises in the Northern Amazon» project. This bamboo infrastructure was built by the Raíz Ecuador Foundation – CAEMBA in Wa’iya, a Siekopai community in Sucumbíos, Ecuador.
The inaugural event was attended by several local and provincial authorities from Sucumbíos.
It will serve for the Siekopai Women’s Association (ASOPROASIENW) and also the Siona women to use these facilities to collect and process bioenterprises from neighboring communities such as Nea pia (black chili), casave (yucca), fariña, and chontaduro, ancestral Amazonian delights.
The infrastructure is based on CAEMBA bamboo panels, and its interior meets the necessary sanitary standards for the production of products viable for commercialization.
Organizations involved
Several collaborators and local and provincial authorities were present at the event. The construction of the Collection and Processing Center was funded by Alianza Ceibo, the Amazon Emergency Fund, the Small Grants Program of Ecuador of UNDP Ecuador, in coordination with the Support Program for the National System of Protected Areas (PASNAP) of the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Ecological Transition of Ecuador, the German Development Bank (KFW), and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ Ecuador).
We also thank the Provincial Government of Sucumbíos for their logistical support and provision of materials for construction.
Other organizations involved in this project include the Lianas Center Foundation and Canopy Bridge, to whom we also extend our gratitude.
