Economically Empowering Women & Kids in Cartagena

The Sustainable and Productive Communities project launched in January 2026 with energy and purpose. In just three months, we have directly engaged artisans, eco-guides, students, teachers, and community leaders in Punta Arena — and this week we take our first steps toward the island's remaining three communities: Caño del Oro, Bocachica, and Tierrabomba.

Behind every activity in this report is the same conviction: the women of Tierra Bomba have the talent, the knowledge, and the will to lead their own development. This project exists to give that conviction structure, resources, and reach.

Objective 1 — Artisanal and Artistic Production Network                                               

Seven artists and artisans were selected and formally integrated into the program, each completing a detailed diagnostic of their technical, financial, and commercial capacities. The first training workshop was delivered covering sustainability, design innovation, entrepreneurship, and circular economy principles. Participants also gained early market exposure through local and national entrepreneurship fairs, connecting their products with new buyers and audiences.

Objective 2 — Community Ecotourism Routes

This quarter's landmark achievement was the formal registration of ASOPAV — the Asociación de Mujeres Punta Areneras con Alma Verde — with the Cartagena Chamber of Commerce. This gives the women eco-guides official legal standing, enabling institutional partnerships and access to funding opportunities that were previously out of reach.

Three training workshops were completed in route management, guiding techniques, and biodiversity knowledge. Internal committees were organized to strengthen autonomous route management, and a joint session with the Secretary of Tourism of Cartagena deepened the official institutional alliance supporting the route.

Most visibly, ASOPAV represented Punta Arena at ANATO 2026 — Colombia's premier national tourism fair in Bogotá — connecting with international buyers, presenting their community tourism model, and generating concrete business opportunities. Their presence at ANATO marks a turning point in the national positioning of Punta Arena as a sustainable tourism destination.

Objective 3 — Environmental and Cultural Education

The program "Know to Conserve and Protect" launched at IETB Punta Arena in February, with outreach initiated toward the island's other three schools. Four hands-on workshops were delivered to 8th grade students on local fish species and marine ecosystems. Illustration of the Birds of Punta Arena field guide began in January and will deepen through a collaboration with students from UNIBAC.

Three cross-community exchange activities brought the quarter to life: a cultural exchange day with the COJOWA community in Punta Arena, a collaborative beach cleanup in Cartagena, and a full-day field outing combining birdwatching, trail cleanup, and watercolor workshops with students from three institutions and the women eco-guides. Documentation of women's oral histories and their role in the island's culture also began this quarter.

Looking Ahead — Q2 2026

This week we expand to Caño del Oro. Q2 priorities include completing the artisan cohort of 10 participants, advancing the Birds of Punta Arena guide toward publication, and deepening the ecotourism route as tourist season begins. In April, an international consulting team from Berlin joins us to support artisans in product development, quality standards, and commercial strategy.

The communities of Tierra Bomba are building something real. Thank you for being part of it!