Alumni
TOGETHER Program
We launched the TOGETHER Program in 2016: Students and alumni dedicate a few months of their lives to help to strengthen economic initiatives in developing countries based on social-economic and solidarity-based principles.
Alumni commit to 3 years.
Alumni spend 3 weeks and students 3 months in the field to work intensely with the target institution.
Alumni also serve as tutors for students working in the field and hold bi-monthly remote meetings with them to monitor their progress with the assigned project.
Some TOGETHER projects
Madre Tierra Amazonia – Oxfam Intermon
“Companies Change Lives” Program | Bolivia
Madre Tierra is a limited liability company owned by two associations of smallholders. It sells frozen pulp and other derivatives from two tropical, autochthonous and ecological fruits which are in high demand: açai and cupuazu. Madre Tierra is a mature company with the potential to provide a sustainable livelihood to 300 families of farmers. Its business model is wholly sustainable environmentally.
- One of its biggest challenges continues to be access to an adequate logistics infrastructure to transport its goods at a reasonable price.
- The programme focuses on strengthening the company’s ability to sell fruit pulp.
Paraguay · CATEURA
Mil Solidarios | Paraguay
In 2007 and with help from the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (AECID), a Family Care Centre was created in the Bañado Sur district in Asuncion, the aim being to support 25,000 poor and extremely poor people living in this area of the country’s capital. CATEURA was later founded in 2018 to sell jewellery made by local women from recycled materials (sourced from the municipal dump, the largest in Paraguay and located in Bañado Sur).
Collaboration focuses on:
- Providing the women the skills and knowledge they need to carry out their activity and facilitate their economic Independence and empowerment.
- Define the appropriate product, supply chain and sales strategies.
Suyusama
Red Comparte | Colombia
Fundación Suyusama is a social organisation which created the Self-Managed Savings and Credit Groups (Grupos Autogestionados de Ahorro y Credito, GAAC) in 2012: They comprise groups of people in rural areas who save together and take out small loans from those collective savings.
TOGETHER project consultants study the design of sustainable business models which are relevant for the setting and the socio-economic and cultural dynamics of rural and Indigenous families. The aim is to create a solidarity-based business model to strengthen local economic circuits as well as local capacities and opportunities. Consultants also analyse the most coherent savings and credit mechanisms for this.