Job Satisfaction In The Field

Senior Audiovisual Journalist | Investigative Journalist

Cocorná: Rebuilding After Displacement Through Agro-Industrial Innovation and Community Resilience

In 2007, the residents of Cocorná were forcibly displaced due to armed conflict. In response, FEST (Families on Their Land) emerged as a government initiative to holistically support victims of displacement who chose to return voluntarily and rebuild their lives.

A decade later, Antioqueños returned with renewed determination, launching community projects and forming associations that transitioned from artisanal production to agro-industrial ventures. Once left uninhabited by violence, Cocorná is now home to residents committed to reclaiming their lands, culture, and livelihoods. Through cooperative efforts, they created a model for direct sales to consumers, scaling their operations to embrace sustainability and market growth.

FEST has played a central role in the socioeconomic stabilization of displaced households, promoting food security, improving living conditions, and fostering human and social capital.

In 2016, Social Prosperity and the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) implemented complementary projects to strengthen these community-led initiatives. Their support spanned health, education, housing, sanitation, and food security, contributing to sustainable outcomes through strategic alliances and long-term engagement.

These efforts were part of a larger portfolio of development storytelling initiatives that reached over five million viewers across North and Latin America through institutional platforms, including distribution on Discovery Channel’s Hecho en Colombia. The visibility of Cocorná’s recovery has helped amplify the voices of communities reclaiming their futures after displacement.

Recovered Communities And Culture

Senior Audiovisual Journalist | Investigative Journalist

Resilience and Recovery in KM 28, Chilvicito, and Pindales: A Decade of Community-Led Transformation

In June 2009, violent clashes between illegal armed groups forced residents of KM 28, Chilvicito, and Pindales—villages along Colombia’s Pasto-Tumaco Road—to flee to urban centers, leaving them displaced and without the resources to navigate unfamiliar environments.

Despite years of hardship, a group of women leaders initiated a return to their ancestral lands, determined to rebuild their culture, livelihoods, and food systems. With a focus on sustainability, they developed local solutions to improve productivity, strengthen community leadership, and increase food self-sufficiency.

Through the FEST (Families in Their Land) program, Social Prosperity and the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) supported thousands of displaced Colombians, contributing to long-term stabilization by investing in food security, infrastructure, and human capital. In KM 28, Chilvicito, and Pindales, the community constructed three eco-huts with vegetable gardens and recycling centers, while leading educational and participatory initiatives tailored to local needs.

The Colombian government implemented hundreds of complementary projects spanning health, education, housing, sanitation, income generation, environmental sustainability, and institutional strengthening—building a comprehensive support network for displaced families.

These efforts, part of a larger portfolio of development storytelling and multimedia campaigns, have reached over five million viewers across North and Latin America through institutional platforms, including a PSA broadcast on DIRECTV. The success of these interventions is rooted in rigorous implementation, strategic alliances, and respectful, long-term collaborations with local communities.