On August 15th past the Sowing the Future in the La María Indigenous Community was begun in the town of Valparaíso, a social responsibility project belonging to COMFENACLO Antioquia and its employees, which is co-financed by the Generalitat Valenciana through the Spanish DNGO Petjades, the SENA, the indigenous community which will be benefited by the project and the Government of Antioquia through the Agriculture Secretary and the Indigenous Management. 

The projects goa lis to strengthen social and financial conditions and support the nutritional diet of 30 indigenous families which make up the La María indigenous community, emphasizing training, technical assistance, community organization and material support for the production and sale of exotic flowers and foliage. 

The project began with the cultivation of 7.500 hills of exotic flowers, 10.000 foliage plants and 1.200 hills of turmeric on four and a half hectares of land.  These activities are part of the planting and harvesting strategy which also includes, as protection of the main plantations, the planting of plantain, soursop, guava and mandarin trees, which besides supplying shade also support the nutrition of the families which benefit from this project.  Alongside these plantations there will also exist short cycle crops such as corn and beans.  The beneficiaries also received sets of tools per family and others for community use.  The initiative also includes training and qualification strategies, the sale of exotic flowers and foliage, and a community savings fund. 

Between November 24 and 26, the project was visited by a committee from the Spanish DNGO Petjades, an institution which co-finances it.  The result of this visit was very satisfactory, because they experienced first hand the Indigenous Community’s deep commitment with the project’s development and the good results that are arising from its implementation.