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IMFN
Enhancing livelihoods in a Mayan Q'eqchi' community
In 2006, the Laguna Lachua National Park is recognized as a globally important wetland.
To the north of Guatemala, since there has been high pressure towards natural resources,
and currently the geographical location that the protected area has, since there has been an accelerated deterioration of natural resources.
Then, with sustainable alternatives uses and production project, with an emphasis on environmental conservation, a large part of the national park remains intact.
It is necessary that all actors of a territory can join forces and work together for good management of resources and preserve the landscape of this ecoregion.
We are working together promoting projects and programs that mainly benefit the community,
without leaving aside the environmental aspect, so in a sustainable development perspective.
The Lachua Model Forest aroused as an alternative of comprehensive development within the Lachua ecoregion.
Rocja Pontila is a q'eqchi community, mainly dedicated to their main crops which are corn, bean, cardamom and cocoa.
We have been developing ecotourism projects, cocoa projects, forest conservation,
in what was its conservation project of Laguna Lachua National Park and sustainable development in its influence zone.
What we are offering here is the rebirth of Icbolay. We have boats to go sightseeing, we have guides and there are also caves.
We still have a lot of birds and they also live in groups, we like watching the birds.
The community is very isolated from other communities; we can say that we are the last ones.
We have a small technological center where we have some computers and solar panels, through which the community has tried to look for this support.
The model forest has been supporting us with training to be able to produce cocoa,
we have also a place for fermentation, and a dryer to fry it, this also generates income to the community when we sell it
and we think that this is a way of support that the Model Forest has given us, to be able to seek development through it.
This process of development of the communities, in which the model forest has had a great contribution,
especially in the organization and government processes, I could say, that in some way, different stakeholders working in the place were united,
this now allows a communication process, to see the spaces that can be used,
how can we work them in an organized way and try to avoid all conflicts, between one or several of the stakeholders.
The model forest contributes to improve the relationship and seek participation mechanisms and improve territory management processes.