Building Local Capacities to Empower Resilient Communities
Aware of the importance of strengthening skills and knowledge to foster territorial development, in 2024 Prodeco continued its training programs to reinforce the technical, organizational, and vocational capacities of communities within its area of influence in the regions of Cesar and Magdalena. This strategy was carried out in partnership with the National Learning Service (SENA), the country’s leading public technical training institution aiming to build lasting capacities that enable progress toward a diversified and sustainable economy.
Training for agriculture and cattle projects
On one front, 168 people from six community associations that currently implement agricultural and cattle production in Cesar (ASOBEMPRE, ASOPRAPS, ASOPROPASO, APETOSCA, ASOJAGUAIB, and ASOPAAAB) were supported through a comprehensive training process aimed at improving their technical and organizational skills. Through 18 specialized courses, members received training in key topics for the operation and sustainability of local productive projects, such as occupational health and safety, integral brigades, dual-purpose cattle ranching, aquaculture biosecurity, animal feed production, and swine and fish management and reproduction.
As expressed by Dagoberto Bula Caro, community leader of ASOJAGUAIB in the municipality of La Jagua de Ibirico: “This process was an opportunity to grow as an organization and as individuals. Thanks to the support of Grupo Prodeco, today we know how to improve our processes, take better care of our animals, and think about the future of our business. We feel more prepared and motivated to move forward.”
Training for fishing projects
Additionally, in 2024, a diagnostic of fishing practices and gear used by local associations in Magdalena was carried out to promote more responsible and sustainable techniques. As a result, 142 fishermen were trained in responsible fishing, good manufacturing practices, and comprehensive maritime safety.
As part of this effort, the Strengthening Pathway Program for artisanal fishermen was completed in the communities of Don Jaca, Santa Marta’s urban sector, and the airport area of the same city, benefiting 28 fishermen with socio-business support and the delivery of fishing gear and commercial equipment. This initiative seeks to empower artisanal fishermen, improve their working conditions, and strengthen their livelihoods.
In Ciénaga, work plans were also agreed upon with three federations comprising 31 fishermen’s associations. These plans, designed in a participatory manner, aim to improve practices from fishing operations through product transformation. Their implementation continued in 2025, consolidating a path toward more responsible and sustainable fishing.
Training for arts and trades
The capacity-building program also included training in arts and trades for 206 people from neighboring communities, of whom 124 received official certification. The courses covered areas with high potential for job creation and entrepreneurship, such as basic training in recreation, leisure and free time; pastry and baking; fruit and vegetable processing; coffee-based beverage preparation; rural traditional cuisine; Colombian cuisine; and construction. These spaces not only allowed participants to acquire technical skills but also opened new economic opportunities for local families.
As explained by Hilda Arrieta, president of the Red de Mujeres de El Paso (Redmupas) and participant in the pastry course: “Before, I saw baking as a hobby; today it is my source of income. Thanks to the course I took, I have managed to transform my passion into a livelihood for my family.”
Through these initiatives, Prodeco reaffirms its commitment to promoting sustainable local capacities, contributing to the transition of neighboring communities toward a diversified economy with greater autonomy and productive vocations that endure beyond mining.