Basic information
Experience
Do
Impact
Start collaboration:
2022
Directly impacted families:
20
Indirectly impacted families:
150
Project description
Closed off to the world for more than 50 years due to the Colombian conflict, San Vicente del Caguán became a demilitarized zone in the 1990s offering a safe haven to rebels to regroup and embark on new futures. Since then, the community has been confronted with much prejudice and many locals too, who had nothing to do with the conflict, have also been marginalized. But since the peace agreement in 2016, many FARC guerrillas have put down their guns and taken up oars in the adventure travel industry, often leading rafting tours on the area’s uncharted rivers. Situated on the Caguán River and Pato River, Caguán Expeditions was set up as part of the peace process to offer former guerrillas and their families training and employment in the tourism industry, providing not only rafting expeditions but also a homestay experience and treks through the Amazon jungle to sites that are historically significant with the aim of encouraging reconciliation and building lasting peace.
Travelers who stay at Caguán Expeditions can enjoy a homestay experience with local families, traditional meals and rafting on the river Caguán. They can hike walking trails, which along with the Museum for Former Rebels, reinterpret the recent conflict by re-examining Colombian history and the status of former guerrillas.
Involvement of V Social
Supporting Caguán Expeditions since March 2022, the VSocial Foundation has helped the community project strengthen its product, provided training and workshops, and connected this social enterprise to international travelers and other supporting organizations. By funding visibility projects as well as the La Paz Rowing Festival For the Rivers of Manigua, VSocial helps Caguán Expeditions live up to its motto of “Remando por la paz” (Paddling for peace) through tourism, peace and reconciliation.
Start collaboration:
2022
Directly impacted families:
20
Indirectly impacted families:
150
Support for Caguan Expeditions
Nov 2023
EUR 1,673 - Participation in the first V Social Encounter
Nov 2023
The inaugural annual gathering of projects funded by V Social in Colombia is scheduled for November. During this event, 17 project members hailing from various corners of Latin America will convene in person to engage in discussions about lessons learned and to strategize for the upcoming year, 2024. Our primary goal is to empower the beneficiaries with a more influential role in decision-making within V Social, allowing them to shape the organization's priorities and focus areas. This approach places a greater emphasis on the voices of those we serve. Notably, for many participants, this event marks their first opportunity to travel outside their home country, adding an extra layer of significance to this transformative gathering. The allocated amount for this support is an estimate derived from the total costs incurred in organizing the gathering.
Oct 2023
EUR 2,000 - Provision of community tourist lodging
Oct 2023
Two rooms were fully equipped to provide lodging services at the Caguan Expeditions headquarters, including beds, mattresses, bedding and additional equipment.
Sep 2022
EUR 1,500 - Festival de Rafting "Por los Rios de la Manigua"
Sep 2022
Financing was provided for the process of strengthening and developing capacities for the festival's tourism operation and commercial strategy.
Your impact
San Vicente del Caguan
Country: Colombia
Directly supporting over 20 former FARC guerrillas and another 10 local men and women, Caguán Expeditions also benefits over 150 others indirectly through the supply chain, such as restaurants and transportation providers. The community enterprise brings economic opportunities to this rural area, while also improving local residents’ quality of life. Crucially, Caguán Expeditions also helps to change the way marginalized locals and former guerrillas are considered, contributing to peace-keeping in the area.
Their story
