“Life Planning” begins in Dulce Gloria

Over the past several weeks, UAC has been leading development of a Life Plan in the Ashéninka community of Dulce Gloria in the remote headwaters of the Yurúa River. As its name implies, the Life Plan is a strategic planning tool to guide future investments and development in a community. Through a series of participatory meetings, planning activities and workshops conducted over a few months, the community works to answer three basic questions: Who we are? What do we want? and How do we do it?

The Life Plan will identify priority, future needs such as a new school, health post or water well, while also strategizing about project utilize their abundant resources in both a sustainable and profitable manner. The first stage of the process begins with surveys and meetings with sub groups as well as community-wide assemblies to gather extensive background information.

The Life Plan looks at realistic possibilities for putting into action their vision of a better future with an improved standard of living. The process is designed around participatory activities in which local knowledge is consolidated and information exchanged in an open manner, respecting the different opinions of the old, the young, men and women.

The Life Plan is a key component of the UAC-Dulce Gloria partnership agreement signed earlier this year. Upper Amazon’s team has been trained in Life Plan methodology and relies on coordinators from Dulce Gloria to translate between Spanish an Ashéninka when necessary to ensure clear understanding among participants and more effective planning.

Among the key results so far is the community’s broad agreement that protecting their communal territory and natural resources is of the utmost importance as they work towards a better future.