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Minga Peru is an award-winning nonprofit organization working to improve the lives of women and families in the Peruvian Amazon. This region is rich in natural resources with the most biodiverse rainforests in the world, but women and families there struggle with very high rates of poverty, HIV/AIDS, domestic abuse, and social injustice.
Minga Peru connects, educates, and empowers women. Evaluations have shown that in communities where Minga Peru works, women are more active in community and political leadership; there has been a decrease in violence against women; there has been an increase in knowledge about HIV/AIDS and the prevention of other diseases; and women have – for the first time – created income-generating small businesses that provide for their families and contribute to rainforest conservation.
“Minga” means “collaborative community work,” and that spirit is the heart of our model. Our integrated model is built on three core initiatives: intercultural communication, women’s leadership training, and income generating projects:
“Bienvenida Salud” (“Welcome Health”)
Our intercultural radio program “Bienvenida Salud” has been on the air for more than 12 years. Through the airwaves, Minga Peru connects over 100,000 people across this extremely remote landscape, which is home to 492 communities and 13 distinct ethnic groups. Each program is developed in response to listener questions and stories with information about health, gender equality, domestic violence, cultural identity, income-generating activities, citizen participation, and the sustainable management of natural resources.
Women’s Leadership Training
Our most active listeners attend leadership trainings and become part of a regional peer learning network. To date, 1,000 women from 43 rural communities have been trained as community promoters and are active members of local networks.
Income Generation
Financial empowerment is the third aspect of Minga’s model. Minga Peru trains and supports women to launch income generating projects that allow for their financial security and autonomy. Our projects sustain and honor the natural resources of the rainforest, and are focused in four areas: handicrafts, agroforestry, fish farms, and poultry farms.
You Can Help
Help empower women in the Amazon through Friends of Minga Peru.
To learn more about Minga Peru and how you can support its work, please contact The Resource Foundation at 212-675-6170. Donations may be made to Minga Peru through The Resource Foundation by clicking here.
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