The Erasmus+ project “KA2- Cooperation for innovation and exchange of good practices”  enters its final stretch with the sharing of the progress made by the teams of each country, as well as the update of its results in a meeting held in Lisbon (Portugal). The meeting was attended by representatives of universities and NGOs from the five participating countries (Portugal, Spain, Turkey, Colombia and Brazil).

In addition, the research carried out by the partners has been brought together and the complete information for the  book that will gather the final data extracted from the project and will be published in the second half of the year. The document will serve as a basis for future training pathways structured around this methodology of social intervention,  participatory evaluation.

The head of International Cooperation Projects at Fundación Magtel, Rocío Ciero and the Projects Technician of the entity, Ana Roldán have explained the practical application of participatory evaluation, using as an example the emergency humanitarian crisis that resulted from the eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on La Palma.

Secondly, the Foundation’s speakers argued that there is a need to generate several training plans for technicians and workers in the third sector, using participatory evaluation tools, with the aim of implementing this methodology in Spanish NGOs in order to tackle humanitarian response interventions.

In this way, the Spanish team, formed by Fundación Magtel and Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED) has made progress in research on humanitarian intervention in Spain and the application of participatory evaluation as an innovative methodology in our country. This work on the development of joint online training actions will be completed in 2023.

La entrada InovHumRe Project partners met in Lisbon to provide updates on the results of each partner country in the initiative se publicó primero en Fundación Magtel.

The gala in pictures

La entrada Fundación Magtel presents its awards for the best initiatives in social action se publicó primero en Fundación Magtel.

Funded by the European Union, the Community initiative seeks to improve the quality and effectiveness of humanitarian action

The Magtel Foundation is one of the partners committed to support the Erasmus+ project “KA2- Cooperation for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices” (Innovation in Humanitarian Response: InovHumRe 2020-1-PT01-KA203-078796). Funded by the European Union, this initiative aims to improve the quality and effectiveness of humanitarian action by improving training for students and professionals within the field. To achieve this, a curricular unit on the assessment of humanitarian aid and the development of learning tools will be launched.

Since NGOs with experience in humanitarian response will jointly create the structure and content of the curricular unit—including the learning tools and textbook—the results will be based on work in the field and geared towards the learning needs of both students and humanitarian professionals, i.e., NGOs.

The partnership between universities and non-governmental organisations working to promote the social inclusion of refugees and migrants ensures the involvement of stakeholders in the development of materials. This will have an impact on the requirements for successful inclusion of a group that faces serious risk of segregation and discrimination.

The participatory evaluation seminar was hosted by the Magtel Foundation at their Cordoba headquarters last Tuesday. This activity was organised within the framework of the Erasmus+ project (KA2) and featured Rocío Ciero, the coordinator of the seminar and the foundation’s project technician, as a speaker. Antonio Lopez Pelaez, professor of Social Work and Social Services at UNED (Spanish National University of Distance Education), presented the project alongside Ciero, and together they outlined the different NGO experiences in participatory evaluation.

This seminar, along with the session organised for Thursday this week, serves as a working session for the Spanish team and Spanish social organisations, allowing them to “test the water” and establish a direct conversation with NGOs working in the field of emergency humanitarian aid and/or care for refugees.

Yesterday, Eduardo Garcia Carmona, a representative of the Prolibertas Foundation in Cordoba; Santiago Gonzalez Avión, director of the Asociación Diversidades [Diversity Association], and Alvaro Morcillo Soto, general coordinator of the Asociación de Apoyo al Pueblo Sirio [Association for Support to the Syrian People (AAPS), contributed their views and experiences to the participatory evaluation.

Tomorrow, Thursday 16 September, Raquel Pelta, lecturer in design research and history at the University of Barcelona, will also appear. She will focus on participatory evaluation from the perspective of co-design. Francisco Javier Garcia Castilla, lecturer in Social Work at the National University of Distance Education (UNED), and Angel de Juanas Oliva, lecturer in the Department of Education Theory and Social Pedagogy within the Faculty of Education at UNED, will also explore online methodologies for participatory evaluation.

To finish off, there will be a round table discussion in which the contributions to the project, from the Spanish experience, will be shared by the whole team.

The seminars held in Cordoba on 14 and 16 September were made possible thanks to the participation of 3 Spanish NGDOs. The results of these discussions will be presented to other European project partners in Ankara (Turkey) on 22 September by the representatives of Turkey, Portugal, Colombia and Brazil.

La entrada The Magtel Foundation partners with Erasmus+ for their KA2 Cooperation for Innovation project se publicó primero en Fundación Magtel.

The Magtel Foundation is participating in a project to improve the crop systems used in Peru’s Cedropampa community. The aim is to provide 15 families with the necessary equipment and training to install a sprinkler irrigation system in their small agricultural operations.

Thanks to this initiative, Cedropampa residents will be able to increase production by harvesting twice yearly as opposed to only once per year. This will enable members to earn more money, thereby lowering the social exclusion levels of this village, one of the poorest in the Andean nation.

The planned actions are aligned with the community’s traditional practices and the Andean world view promoted by the harmonious and positive relationship between nature, humans and Mother Earth. As part of this project, efforts are made to train farmers, use natural compost and restore traditional crops.

Additionally, the “Cedropampa Irrigation Committee” was created by the community’s Quechua women. This community organization is backed by the Salcabamba municipality. Female participants are receiving training and technical assistance on how to manage and maintain the irrigation systems, as well as on the efficient use of water. This strengthens the social and active presence of women in rural areas along with their role in local governance, and it also helps reduce gender inequality.

Cedropampa community

Cedropampa belongs to the Salcabamba district and is located between the Western and Eastern Ranges of the Andes Mountains, in Peru’s central region. According to the 2007 census, this village is made up of approximately 100 families with limited resources and without access to basic services such as a public water system. However, Cedropampa has a significant amount of water resources and extensive farmland for agriculture that require a project of this type to optimize their use.

The project gave priority to 15 indigenous families, with a special focus on women and girls in light of the discrimination they frequently face. Additionally, there was always a team of professionals who speak Quechua, the residents’ mother tongue, making it easier to communicate and respect the cultural diversity.

Participating entities

The project to improve shared water use is the result of efforts by the Posadas City Government and the Magtel Foundation. The local partners in Peru are the Proyecto Solidario por la Infancia and the Salcabamba municipality to which Cedropampa residents belong. Funding is provided by the Cordoba Provincial Council as part of its 2016 call for International Cooperation for Development.

The Magtel Foundation provides the technical consulting needed for the project’s management and execution, along with the experience obtained by its parent company, Magtel, in similar water cycle management projects.

Preliminary analysis

The joint effort of the Spanish and Peruvian entities resulted in a preliminary analysis of the situation. The main issues identified were the limited resources among families, the minimal involvement of women in the community’s local development and the insufficient access to water for irrigation purposes.

Using this analysis, a project was designed that would address these needs, taking into consideration the proposals received from the Salcabamba community, which was actively involved in the project, and from the participating public and private institutions.

La entrada The Magtel Foundation participates in a project to improve the crop and irrigation systems for the Cedropampa community in Peru se publicó primero en Fundación Magtel.

The results of this project, which is financed by the Seville City Government, were presented at the Cooperation Meeting for Non-Volunteers held in Hogar Virgen de los Reyes

The Magtel Foundation has teamed up with the Peru Solidarity Project to carry out the initiative “Support, prevention and risk mitigation in Andean communities affected by strong rainfall in Cuenca (Peru).” The main goal of this project is to provide 50 families living in extreme poverty with guidelines and basic infrastructures that will enable them to face natural disasters more safely.

The results of this initiative, which is backed and financed by the Seville City Government, were presented at the Cooperation Meeting for Non-Volunteers held in Hogar Virgen de los Reyes. The event was attended by the Director of the Seville City Council’s Cooperation Service, Macarena Smith, and the Project Coordinator, Rocío Ciero.

Aid for more than 180 people

The Cuenca region is frequently affected by high levels of rainfall that cause flooding and landslides with serious consequences for the community. In fact, local homes, small agricultural operations and the nearby school were seriously damaged by a recent Cuenca landslide. This is in addition to the emotional damage to the more than 180 members of these communities. All of these factors contributed towards putting into motion this humanitarian initiative.

To help alleviate the situation, the project focused on two aspects. The first was to teach families techniques for preventing, preparing for and effectively responding to natural disasters with the aim of improving the safety, resilience and sustainability of these communities. This involved psychological therapy and emotional recovery initiatives, particularly for children, following the latest natural disasters in the region. There were also two early response simulations that made it possible to put into practice the knowledge acquired.

The second line of work focused on building infrastructures and utilities that would restore basic living conditions for the families participating in the project. The measures implemented include installing an artificial well that enables locals to store rainwater that can later be used for crop irrigation during periods of drought. Seeds and organic compost have been provided to 50 female heads of household to help restore their agricultural fields, which were seriously damaged and even destroyed by rain.

Other initiatives include building 50 eco-friendly greenhouses (each measuring 86 ft² / 8 m²) to help families supply their own food and sustain themselves, as well as 50 livestock modules to raise guinea pigs and chickens in stables adapted to the Andean culture.

Cuenca district

The Cuenca community is located in the Huancavelica province, in the heart of Peru’s South-Central Range and approximately 9,840 feet (3,000 meters) above sea level. It has a population of 392 residents, mostly women and children with limited resources. In fact, at least 50% are malnourished and forced to begin working at an early age, resulting in elevated school dropout rates. The main economic activity primarily consists of livestock and subsistence agriculture, which must be restored so families may support themselves.

To carry out the project, 50 Quechua families were selected—for a total of 188 people (49 boys, 41 girls, 48 men and 50 women)—and work was done alongside 10 local authorities and 6 civil defense entities.  Additionally, there was always a team of professionals who speak Quechua, the residents’ mother tongue, making it easier to communicate and respect the cultural diversity.

Participating entities

The “Support, prevention and risk mitigation in Andean communities affected by high rainfall in Cuenca (Peru)” project is the result of a partnership between the Magtel Foundation and the Proyecto Solidario por la Infancia as its local counterpart in Peru, with funding from the Seville City Government (Office of Equality, Youth and Relations with the University Community for Development Cooperation).

The Magtel Foundation provides technical consulting and experience from its parent company, Magtel, which has completed water cycle management projects. For this initiative, in addition to coordinating the project, it has also provided an engineer with experience in technology, geomembranes, wells and greenhouses, who has ensured the correct technical execution.

La entrada The Magtel Foundation and the Peru Solidarity Project train 50 families from Peru’s Cuenca district on what to do in the event of a natural disaster se publicó primero en Fundación Magtel.