October 5, 2011
New Project Won: Colombia—USAID Afro-Colombian and Indigenous Program
ACDI/VOCA has been awarded a $61.4 million cooperative agreement from USAID/Colombia for a new Afro-Colombian and Indigenous Program (ACIP). The initiative will aim to improve the social status and raise incomes of Afro-Colombian and indigenous populations in targeted rural and urban areas.
ACDI/VOCA will use an integrated approach focused on local participation that responds to the needs of these ethnically and geographically diverse communities by
- improving the legal environment
- increasing employment in targeted sectors in urban areas
- strengthening governance in rural ethnic territories
- promoting respect for cultural diversity and identity
Marginalized Populations Face Hurdles
Afro-Colombians constitute approximately 11 percent of Colombia’s population of 45 million, and the Colombian government legally recognizes 82 indigenous communities, which constitute 3.4 percent. Because of armed conflict in Colombia and the lack of economic opportunities, many Afro-Colombian and indigenous populations migrate or are displaced to urban areas.
In both rural and urban areas these groups face significant hurdles. They are among the most marginalized groups in the country and suffer from a host of social problems including inequality, racism, exclusion, violence, humanitarian crises and breakdown in social structures and identities. Many suffer from poverty and lack access to resources for bettering their situation.
USAID Program Will Advance Community, Promote Ethnic Pride
USAID has worked with ethnic minorities in Colombia for over a decade through various programs.
However, ACIP marks the first stand-alone program developed for the sole purpose of improving the lives of Afro-Colombian and indigenous persons.
For more information on ACDI/VOCA’s work in Colombia.
