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|---|---|
| Title/Description | Microenterprise and Community Development Project |
| Country | Chile » |
| Specific location (city, region, etc) | Santiago |
| Actors/Partners | ACNUR - VICARIA DE PASTORAL SOCIAL, FOSIS (FONDO DE SOLIDARIDAD E INVERSION SOCIAL DEL MINISTERIO DE PLANIFICACION), MUNICIPIOS |
| Funding | Public » |
| Funding (detail) | FOSIS TRANSFIRIO UN TOTAL DE USD$200,000 A LA VICARIA PARA LA EJECUCION DE UN PROGRAMA (DE DISEÑO Y FUNCIONAMIENTO) REGULAR DEL FOSIS, EL CUAL FUE ADAPTADO A LA REALIDAD Y NECESIDADES DE LOS REFUGIADOS |
| Objectif(s) | Microenterprise General: To deepen and develop intervention strategies in the Metropolitan Region (Santiago’s northwest range) from a territorial and community approach incorporating social and economic axes to establish a comprehensive and differentiated intervention model to bolster the integration of asylum-seekers and refugees. Specifics: Enhance and strengthen independent work experiences in a period of seven months (July 2009 to January 2010) through proper selection, training, financing, counseling, monitoring and evaluation of 47 projects; Promote and strengthen individual income generating microenterprises for asylum-seekers and refugee families. The activities will improve their quality of life and contribute to their social integration in Chile. Community development: 1. Integration with the health, education, employment and socio-cultural networks of the northwest and center communes of Santiago, Iquique and Alto Hospicio to provide information and training on refugee issues; 2. Strengthen participation in community support networks through social and cultural activities in order to foster cultural exchange and strengthen the identity of refugee groups. 3. Strengthen the social capital of refugees and asylum-seekers and enhance the foundation of social and systemic integration. Methodology The Microenterprise project consists of four stages: 1. Enterprise selection process: visits to the homes of applicants, evaluation of the feasibility of the proposed venture and the entrepreneur’s profile, to decide on the final selection of beneficiaries; 2. Workshop on business management and entrepreneurial skills to improve the chances of success and sustainability of the 47 enterprises selected and to develop business plans as the final product of this stage; 3. Purchase materials, supplies, and/or equipment whose ownership will ultimately be transferred over to the beneficiaries at the conclusion of the project. The contribution to this implementation was $400,000 for beneficiaries of the strengthening existing businesses, $150,000 for new business ideas and $227,778 for the innovation ideas; 4. Monitoring and support through individual and group counseling in both the field offices and at the vicariate offices, to identify strengths and weaknesses of entrepreneurship, business development and making commitments and agreements set forth in a action plan. Four individual counseling and four-group counseling were held. The project has three lines of entrepreneurial initiatives: i) Business Ideas: additional earnings to dependent work income; ii) Strengthening for new projects, and iii) Innovation: continuation of projects that developed a new line. Community development project: A web search is conducted followed by a formal approach via email and telephone requesting meetings with the management of each institution or organization to learn about their work and experience in refugee issues. Bilateral meetings, awareness workshops and training on refugee issues are then held, with participation of public officials and residents of the neighborhood and the community in general. |
| Results/Impact | The project has directly benefited 100 families/300 people. |
| Why is this considered a Good practice? | The project has become a strategic and fundamental pillar establishing a methodology that has facilitated the opportunities for social inclusion through its labor, productive, and social community components. The figures yielded by the productive component of the project are significantly high: 40% of the enterprises show an increase in income. The work undertaken in the Metropolitan Region and the experience developed have received positive ratings. |
| Pertinent MPA/BPA Component | Resettlement » |
| Theme (s) | Microfinance » Income Generation » Governments, states, municipalities » |
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