You are here » Home » Telling Our Story
Success Story
AIsla Grande locals take the lead in developing their island
Improving life for Afro-Colombians
Photo: PADF/Colombia
Isla Grande, one of the Islas del Rosario off the coast of Cartagena, is an isolated paradise. Far more than a tourist attraction, Isla Grande is home to 500 Afro-descendants who are working together to preserve their culture and improve their quality of life.
The walls of 52 homes on Colombia’s Isla Grande in the Caribbean Sea demonstrate how cutting-edge technology can lead to a cleaner future for the island. The walls are lined with plastic bottles left behind by tourists, part of an effort to solve two key ecological problems: sanitation and shelter.
“I give thanks to God for this project!” said Elsida Villalobos, a 43-year-old artisan. ”It has improved our homes and our children’s lives. I have become a better person.”
The island’s clean-up and housing improvements using biodegradable waste products are part of a project supported by USAID. Isla Grande has approximately 500 residents, the largest population in the Rosario archipelago. Accessible only by boat, the island is located an hour from Cartagena. Despite world-class beaches, life is not easy for the Afro-Colombians whose ancestors arrived several generations ago. Average temperatures approach 100°F on the island. Isolated from the city, the residents live without systems for potable water, electricity, sewage, and waste management.
The Afro-Colombian Community Council of Islas del Rosario developed the project in conjunction with Fundacion Surtigas. USAID funded the initiatives through the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF). Because of this project, the Council now is in a much better position to manage the community’s affairs.
The project achieved significant milestones in improving the social and economic conditions of the island’s 182 families. In addition, it installed solar panels to provide energy for 34 families and set up 28 micro-enterprises.
In the words of Ever de la Rosa, Community Council President, “this project made it possible for us to strengthen our community as a whole. We were trained in organization and business management as well as human development and self-esteem. It has helped us change our vision of life.”
Perhaps the most significant outcome of the project is that the Afro-Colombian community of Isla Grande is now driving its own development.
Print-friendly version of this page (344kb - PDF)
Click here for high-res photo
Back to Top ^ | 
RSS Feed for Recent Telling Our Story Updates
