Basic information
Experience
Sleep
Impact
Start collaboration:
2019
Directly impacted families:
90
Indirectly impacted families:
47
Project description
Situated around Ecuador’s highest volcano, Comunidad del Chimborazo is a cooperative of three indigenous communities offering accommodation and guided treks up Chimborazo as well as traditional meals, transportation and crafts, and that, by working together, are able to promote indigenous culture in the region. The Comunidad del Chimborazo provides a unique community tourism experience that also benefits many other families in the supply chain, as well as creating real community and economic alternatives for the region, helping to prevent younger people from migrating to larger cities in search of employment. The Comunidad del Chimborazo also continues to expand its services with the creation of a network of farmers, who supply restaurants around the region.
Travelers can stay overnight at Casa Condor, a hotel managed by the indigenous community and which preserves many indigenous traditions, including ancestral meals and crafts, such as the manufacture and dying of Alpaca wool. Mountain climbers can also venture up some of the routes easily accessible from Chimborazo, including the Ruta del Último Hielero (Route of the Last Icemaker), before enjoying hearty traditional, local meals in the evening.
Involvement of V Social
The VSocial Foundation has been working with the Comunidad del Chimborazo since February 2019 and has supported the community project in obtaining its community tourism certification, as well as financing training and workshops, and providing strategic development, technical, administrative and operational advice to strengthen the tourist products offered by the community.
Start collaboration:
2019
Directly impacted families:
90
Indirectly impacted families:
47
Support for Comunidad del Chimborazo
May 2024
EUR 1,002 - Marketing laboratory Ecuador
May 2024
We conducted a three-day marketing training session with two representatives from each of the six supported community projects from various regions of the country. With this, we aim to support the internationalization of the community projects. This initiative addressed a key need voiced by the Community-Based Organizations in our network during last year's V-Conecta, our first in-person gathering of Latin American organizations in Colombia. Topics included economic development, market segregation, sales skills, sustainable tourism practices, and cultural, natural, and heritage resources. We covered travel expenses, food, and participation in the marketing laboratory held in Yunguilla, Ecuador.
Nov 2023
EUR 2,400 - Participation in the first V Social Encounter
Nov 2023
Olmedo, leader of Cordtuch, promoter of the Community Based Tourism Organizations at Chimborazo, participated in the inaugural annual gathering of projects funded by V Social in Colombia in November. During this event, 16 projects hailing from various corners of Latin America convened in person to engage in discussions about lessons learned and to strategize for the upcoming year, 2024. Our primary goal was 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 placed 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.
Jul 2023
EUR 3,000 - Enhancement of lodging facilities and kitchens
Jul 2023
Resources were allocated to enhance the infrastructure of the lodging facilities and upgrade the kitchen equipment within the local community network Cordtuch. This initiative aimed at both improving their existing installations as well as the overall service provided.
Your impact
Chimborazo
Country: Ecuador
Hosted by three communities, the Comunidad del Chimborazo directly benefits more than 90 families, with another 47 local families benefiting indirectly by providing services to the community including guides, transportation, crafts and meals
Their story
