Blended Livelihoods in El Salvador
For years, TWP worked in the Apeneca-Illamatepec Biosphere Reserve in El Salvador with our local partner, AAP, helping with reforestation, fire mitigation, environmental education, and food sovereignty projects.
Last year, as our partnership with AAP sunsetted, we wanted to keep investing and diversifying our efforts in El Salvador. We had the privilege to meet Asociación Mangle and Asociación Cincahuite, located in the Bajo-Lempa Jiquilisco Bay on the Pacific Coast of the country, a region that is prone to floods, hurricanes, and high levels of poverty.
These two sister organizations caught our attention not only because of their alignment with our mission and key priorities, but also because of their diverse programs, inclusiveness, and unique purpose.
This year, we funded a 6-month pilot project with these organizations on two main projects: 1) strengthening resilient agriculture led by women in Bajo Lempa, and 2) mangrove reforestation in the Jiquilisco Bay led by local fishing cooperatives.
Asociación Mangle has been working with both women and men to produce healthy food in harmony with their environment. Diversified farms, agroecological practices, family gardens, and chicken farms, amongst other initiatives, have been implemented to reduce family vulnerability and help improve food sovereignty.
Asociación Cincahuite has had an incredible transformation from being a fishing community that used explosives, often leading to overfishing, to now practicing single-line clean fishing methods that protect vulnerable fish species and provide them a dignified livelihood, along with protecting their most vital ecosystem, their mangrove forest. Mangrove forests act as key fish nurseries and replenishing zones for healthy fish species to grow and thrive, as well as protecting local coastal communities from storm surges caused by hurricanes or heavy rains. Protecting their forest means safeguarding their lives and their jobs.
For the first time in TWP history, we have created a program where we connect the ridge to the ocean, supporting blended livelihoods, where both inland and coastal communities can thrive!
