Cauca represents approximately 11% of the people affected by violence, kidnapping or displacement from their homes in Colombia. Despite the signing of the Peace Agreements in 2016, the presence of illegal armed groups continues to affect security and the expansion of illicit crops in the region, where there has also been an increase in gender-based violence, threats to and murders of community leaders.
This situation hinders the economic development of agricultural families, especially women, resulting in fewer opportunities and income inequality due to the responsibility of household chores.
In addition to poor housing conditions and the lack of adequate water and sanitation facilities, families face problems such as difficult access to health, (low, moderate, high) levels of poverty and risks for women, children and girls in these areas. Although most of these marginal and steep lands are very good for coffee production, they lack access to basic services such as clean water and adequate sanitation facilities.
The Resilient Housing program, financed by the Starbucks Foundation and implemented together with Caficauca, seeks to improve the living conditions of 1,000 women coffee farmers, restoring and rebuilding their homes, providing water filters, washing stations and biosafety kits to reduce coffee growers’ level of risk when delivering their coffee to buying agencies. It also seeks to train women and their families in equity and gender equality and their empowerment to keep their homes in the best possible condition, especially concerning hygiene and water issues.
