Minga Peru: Promoting the economic autonomy and leadership of young people in the Loreto region of the Amazon project

Help Peru supports Minga and its work in the mestizo and indigenous Kukama and Kukamiria communities on the banks of the Marañón and Ucayali rivers. These communities are hampered by extreme poverty, human trafficking, violence, and labor exploitation. Families have few opportunities to improve their living conditions.

Help Peru supports the youth entrepreneurship program that benefits 260 young people from 18 communities, who strengthen their leadership and communication skills, and builds their self-esteem and entrepreneurial spirit. They receive technical training to start and manage their enterprises focused on fish farms and organic vegetable gardens. The products from these enterprises are first used to improve household nutrition and any excess is sold at market, providing the youth with disposable income for school supplies, etc. The project participants learn about planting and harvesting techniques, organic pest and disease control, seed storage and handling, and financial management. The program is complemented by the youths’ involvement in the production and broadcasting of the program “Bienvenida Salud,” which reaches an audience of 120,000 listeners in the region.