Social and territorial inequalities can limit access to knowledge, opportunities, participation, the exercise of rights, and the means needed to advance development processes.
We work to strengthen individual, family, organizational, and community capacities, enabling people to actively participate in developing solutions for their own development.
CHANGE WE SEEK
Individuals and communities with greater knowledge, organizational capacities, and tools to make decisions, exercise their rights, manage initiatives, and participate in community development processes.
HOW WE CONTRIBUTE
Depending on the assessment and project design, we may implement actions related to:
CAPACITY STRENGTHENING
Learning and training processes focused on practical, applicable knowledge and skills.
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION
Strengthening mechanisms for participation, collaboration, and community-led management.
HUMAN RIGHTS
Information, guidance, and capacity strengthening to increase knowledge and support the exercise of rights.
LEADERSHIP AND PARTICIPATION
Processes that strengthen the participation of women, youth, and other community stakeholders.
LIFE SKILLS
Socio-emotional skills, decision-making, conflict resolution, and self-care.
ECONOMIC INCLUSION
Development of relevant technical, productive, financial, or entrepreneurial skills when justified by the context and project design.
WHAT WE CAN MEASURE
Depending on each intervention:
knowledge acquired;
demonstrated competencies;
application of acquired capacities;
participation in community mechanisms;
initiatives developed or managed;
leadership;
access to information and rights-related mechanisms;
sustained use of capacities beyond the project period.
PRINCIPLE
Training is not the final result.
Results begin when capacities can be put into practice.
Food insecurity and malnutrition are multidimensional challenges related to food availability, access, consumption, dietary quality, water, hygiene, knowledge, economic conditions, and other determinants.
Our work seeks to strengthen household and community capacities to improve food and nutrition practices through solutions that are relevant and appropriate to the local context.
CHANGE WE SEEK
Families with greater capacities to produce, access, select, prepare, and consume nutritious, safe, and culturally appropriate foods.
HOW WE CONTRIBUTE
FOOD PRODUCTION
Household or community gardens, food production for household consumption, and agroecological practices where appropriate.
DIETARY DIVERSIFICATION
Promoting access to and consumption of a greater diversity of nutritious foods.
FOOD AND NUTRITION EDUCATION
Participatory learning processes with families, caregivers, and community stakeholders.
FOOD PREPARATION
Strengthening practices that incorporate local and culturally appropriate foods.
SEEDS AND LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
Recognizing and valuing local knowledge, seeds, and food practices rooted in the territory.
WATER, HYGIENE, AND FOOD SAFETY
Strengthening practices related to safe water, hygiene, and proper food handling when these are part of the project.
NUTRITIONAL MONITORING
When appropriate technical capacity, protocols, and qualified professionals are in place.
WHAT WE CAN MEASURE
production diversity;
food availability;
nutrition knowledge;
food and dietary practices;
dietary diversity;
hygiene practices;
safe water use;
nutritional indicators when permitted by the project design and methodology;
continuation of practices beyond the intervention.
PRINCIPLE
Providing food can address an immediate need. Strengthening food and nutrition capacities seeks to contribute to a more sustainable solution.
Geographic, economic, social, cultural, and accessibility barriers can hinder timely access to health services and preventive care.
Fundación Ávila Cruz contributes through community-based interventions focused on prevention, health promotion, early detection, and linkage to care, within the scope of its institutional and professional capacities.
CHANGE WE SEEK
People with greater knowledge, stronger preventive practices, and improved opportunities to access health promotion, early detection, care, or referral services in a timely manner, as appropriate.
HOW WE CONTRIBUTE
PREVENTION
Education and community-based actions addressing risk factors and healthy practices.
EARLY DETECTION
Appropriate assessments and screening tests within technically designed projects.
HEALTH EDUCATION
Strengthening knowledge to support self-care and informed decision-making.
COMMUNITY HEALTH
Community health initiatives and services delivered by personnel with the appropriate professional competencies.
CHRONIC DISEASES
Preventive actions, identification of risk factors, and follow-up within the scope of each project.
HEARING AND ORAL HEALTH
Assessment, prevention, guidance, and linkage to appropriate services according to the intervention.
DISABILITY AND INCLUSION
Actions aimed at reducing barriers, strengthening autonomy, and promoting participation and inclusion.
REFERRAL
Guidance or referral to specialized services when an identified need exceeds the scope or capacity of the intervention.
WHAT WE CAN MEASURE
people reached;
assessments conducted;
risk factors identified;
referrals made;
knowledge acquired;
preventive practices;
follow-up;
appropriate use of assistive devices;
changes in specific clinical indicators when supported by an appropriate methodology.
PRINCIPLE
A community health event is not the result.
It is a means to achieve results.
What matters is whether it contributed to improving early detection, knowledge, prevention, follow-up, or access to care.
Sustainable development processes must recognize that culture, knowledge, collective memory, languages, and forms of community organization are fundamental assets of communities.
We work alongside community stakeholders to strengthen processes that promote the recognition, preservation, and transmission of cultural identity.
CHANGE WE SEEK
Communities with greater capacities and opportunities to preserve, transmit, value, and manage elements of their cultural identity and heritage.
HOW WE CONTRIBUTE
COMMUNITY MEMORY
Participatory documentation of community histories, places, and knowledge.
INTERGENERATIONAL TRANSMISSION
Processes that promote knowledge exchange and learning across generations.
TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE
Recognition and strengthening of community knowledge, practices, and traditions.
TERRITORIAL IDENTITY
Recognition and appreciation of places, natural features, collective memory, and meanings associated with the territory.
CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS
Promotion of cultural activities defined with community participation.
CULTURAL MANAGEMENT
Strengthening local capacities to organize, manage, and sustain cultural initiatives.
COMMUNITY-BASED TOURISM
When appropriate, feasible, and decided through community participation, community-based tourism may be explored as a complementary tool for territorial development and the recognition and appreciation of cultural heritage.
WHAT WE CAN MEASURE
people participating;
intergenerational participation;
cultural practices and knowledge documented;
cultural initiatives developed;
strengthened management capacities;
community participation;
mechanisms for cultural transmission;
continuity of initiatives.
PRINCIPLE
Culture is not a resource that belongs to the organization.
Communities must participate in decisions about how their knowledge, images, stories, and cultural heritage are documented and shared.
Disasters can deepen pre-existing inequalities and disproportionately affect communities with limited access to resources, infrastructure, and essential services.
Our interventions seek to contribute to an organized, context-appropriate response based on verified needs.
CHANGE WE SEEK
Affected individuals and communities with greater access to appropriate humanitarian assistance and stronger capacities for preparedness, response, and recovery in the face of emergencies and disasters.
HOW WE CONTRIBUTE
PREPAREDNESS
Information, training, community organization, and capacity strengthening.
NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Identification and prioritization of needs before mobilizing resources.
RESPONSE
Humanitarian assistance based on verified needs and institutional capacity.
ESSENTIAL SERVICES
Support in relevant areas such as food, health, water, hygiene, and other priority needs according to the context.
COORDINATION
Coordination with authorities, organizations, community stakeholders, and other relevant response mechanisms.
RECOVERY
Actions that contribute to restoring capacities and reducing vulnerabilities following an emergency.
RESILIENCE
Learning and capacity strengthening to improve preparedness for future emergencies and disasters.
WHAT WE CAN MEASURE
needs assessed;
people reached;
response time;
coverage;
goods or services provided;
coordination mechanisms;
capacities strengthened;
satisfaction and feedback;
continuity of preparedness mechanisms.
PRINCIPLE
Responding quickly matters. Responding according to verified needs matters too.
