F O C I F C H
Federation of Native Communities of the Upper Slopes of Mt. Chimborazo
The 630 families of the communities associated with FOCIFCH are owners of lands which were declared a National Park by the State in 1988. These direct beneficiaries are quichua-speaking Indians of Puruhae descent who acquired their communal lands through the processes established by the Agrarian Reform in 1972. Their parents and ancestors had worked under the hacienda regimen (co) imposed by the Spanish colonisation programs of the 18th Century and subsequently declared illegal in 1968.
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The FOCIFCH communities are located in the Province of Chimborazo inside Mt. Chimborazo's National Park. The area is within the jurisdiction of the County of Riobamba; Riobamba being the Provincial Capital which is 14 kms. from the project's location and located in the centre of Ecuador in the Andean altiplano and is equally distant from the country's three major cities: Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca. |
Initiatives of FOCIFCH include:
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Signing of an agreement with the Ministry of Environment to jointly develop Mt. Chimborazo National Park respecting the rights of the natives and the region's ecosystems.
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Has carried out nine participatory feasibility studies in as many communities.
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Has implemented the Santa Anita Mechanical Training Centre
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Has legalized with the Government of Ecuador its status as a farmer's organization of second level.
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Has taken the leadership in the creation of a network of bilingual school in the area of their influence where the parents of the students are administratively involved.
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Have implemented reforestation projects.
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Have negotiated a drinking water project for the community of Sanja Pamba
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Have supported an eco-tourism and alpaca project for the communities of San Pablo and Mirador.
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Have signed contracts with CID-England to have a development worker cooperate with the Federation for a 3 year period.
The current leaders for 1999 – 2000 of FOCIFCH are:
|
Position |
Name |
Community |
|
President |
Mariano Toaza |
Pulingui San Pablo |
|
Vice President |
Angel Paguay |
Sanja Pamba |
|
Sec of Communicaciones |
María Angela Pacheco |
Pulingui Centro |
|
Sec. of Finances |
Jorge Jara |
Cuatro Esquinas |
|
General Coordinator |
Aurelio Inga |
Tambo Huasha |
|
Sec. of Discipline |
Pedro Cepa |
Pulingui Centro |
|
Sec of Education |
Manuel Tenemaza |
Pulingui Centro |
|
Sec. of Women |
Maria Gualancañay |
Inti Pacari Group |
|
Sec. of Environment |
Matias Paguay |
Sanja Pamba |
|
Sec. of Commercialising |
Enrique Jaya |
San Pablo |
|
Sec. of Sports |
Reymundo Huilcapi |
Cuatro Esquinas |
|
Sec. of Press |
Angel Toapanta |
Sanjapamba |
InterConnection
