Sustainable Development for Youth in Rural Nariño

The project supports vulnerable and at-risk youth in nine municipalities of the southern department of Nariño to generate and benefit from licit and sustainable economic initiatives leading them to a dignified life. The project aims to increase the sustainable economic options for youth in the nine-targeted municipalities and provides training and technical assistance to develop income-generating projects to access markets and to enhance production of agricultural and non-agricultural goods. The project also provides youth with access to economic inputs through a combination of subsidies and credit. In particular given the rural area of the intervention the project focuses on ecological production (both crops and small-scale livestock) but maintains enough flexibility to support relevant and strategic non-agricultural initiatives identified by beneficiaries and project staff. In order to facilitate the above-mentioned activities the project provides complementary training and technical assistance to strengthen family and social dynamics as a strategy to prevent recruitment by illegal armed groups. The initiative also strengthens local government and civil society institutions in order for them to better support youth as agents of sustainable economic development and peace.