Yachay Tech student Doménica Garzón, participated in the Study of the United States Institutes (SUSI) program of the US Department of State during the summer of 2018. She participated along with two other Ecuadorian students from Universidad Central del Ecuador and Escuela Politécnica de Chimborazo. Through this program, the Department of State and the Institute for Trade and Development (ITD) gave them a mini-grant for the development of their project called Co-Emprende. The project implements the knowledge developed during the SUSI program about social entrepreneurship and applies it through preparatory workshops for indigenous communities.

Co-Emprende’s goal is to strengthen the capacities of community leaders through an electronic application that works with offline information. The community can access relevant and useful information for their needs and count on mentors across the country who are willing to solve all their doubts. The pilot plan of the program was developed in the Tamia yura Community located in the province of Napo, in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

The project lasts around 5 months and its model allows it to sustain itself over time due to its innovation and low cost. The program includes 7 Yachay Tech students who belong to the Rikuna Geological Research project. In addition, it includes several mentors from different provinces of Ecuador, supported by the World Change Makers program of the United States Embassy.

The central points aim to contribute to ecotourism, social entrepreneurship, and sustainable innovation. Those are the first steps for the construction of a sustainable model of community social entrepreneurship that respects the community’s culture, language, and ancestral traditions.