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.