Transforming Communities: Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Action
In the heart of the Cusco region, a transformative impulse has emerged thanks to Work4Progress (W4P) , a program funded by Fundación la Caixa , to generate decent and sustainable employment , especially for vulnerable women and young people.
In Peru, the platform promotes entrepreneurial initiatives through responsible partners, organized into integrated networks. Currently, there are three main networks: World Vision , Fundación Entreculturas, and Fundación Codespa.
Since October 2021, World Vision Peru has successfully implemented the first phase of the project "Women and Youth at the Forefront, Innovation and Entrepreneurship" , which seeks to transform rural communities through innovative methodologies, and with an inclusive and sustainable vision for development.
The achievements of the initial phase go beyond business transformation, leaving a significant mark on the lives of the communities . This project focuses on empowering rural women by passing on the textile art learned from generation to generation.
Their goal is to turn this knowledge into additional income, empowering them not only as individual entrepreneurs, but also as leaders of associations formed by and for them .
Tangible impact: Empowering textile artisans
The results are more than just statistics; they are stories of transformed lives: 117 textile artisan families, the protagonists of this change , have doubled their annual income thanks to their participation in formalized associations. Furthermore, they have embarked on a path toward digitalization, incorporating fashion innovation into their products and technology into their production processes.
Furthermore, they have established relationships with the formal financial system, opening new doors for business growth, and most notably, they have ventured into digital commerce, exploring new opportunities in the market.
This project is a collaboration that transcends borders. It operates using a quadruple helix collaborative approach, involving actors from the public sector, private sector, academia, and civil society. Key partners, such as CITE Textil Camélidos Cusco, Caja Cusco, and local governments, have joined forces to energize the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Together, they are creating an environment conducive to the flourishing of community-based businesses.
With the success of the initial phase still resonating, we enthusiastically embarked on the second phase of the project in October 2023. This new stage promises not only to consolidate the achievements already made, but also to open new horizons for inclusive and sustainable development.