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INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT:  IMPROVING THE USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES

The main objective of this initiative is to introduce alternative methods of energy in rural communities where many families are bordering on poverty and struggling to survive.

Our foundation wishes to enhance the living conditions of the Mapuche communities. We want to provide skills, training workshops and a Community Resource Center. The program also proposes to investigate alternative ways to improve community resources and introduce innovative ways to rectify current problems which keep the indigenous and rural communities from progressing and living a better standard of life.


What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

A study recently prepared by the government of Chile stated, “This is the best survey since the beginning of the republic”. This survey covered at least 1,800 Mapuche communities, all in rural areas. The survey found “that there were five key areas in need of development: infrastructure, productivity, health, education, culture and cultural identity.”

There exists a great need for abundant water supply for irrigation and human consumption in Villarrica (IX Region of the Araucanía), and one of the main limiting factors towards the development of farm land in Mapuche communities is the high cost of electricity.

It is now a necessity to search for alternative ways to resolve this limitation: "Extraction of water powered by a mixed electrical system".

In recent years, due to environmental, economical and social political factors, there has been a remarkable boom of renewable energies available.

How will this initiative solve this problem?

We propose to initiate the use of solar energy and combine it with the 220Volt main supply used in the household system in order to serve as a sample and support to the community.

The main purpose of the Rural Community Development Involvement project is to strengthen bonds within the community and increase working knowledge of the natural resources available.

The rural indigenous community largely relies on natural resources for survival; guiding and implementing more innovative ideas would help the communities to the resources around them more effectively. We would like to ensure a quality living environment amongst rural communities, along with stable economic opportunities.

With the right tools and resources, rural residents working together can create a sustainable and successful community.