La Samaria
Community Development
2021- 2022
La Samaria is a FairTSA Banana producer in Columbia, and they are starting off the first year of their FairTSA Fair Trade Community Development Project with three separate initiatives. This includes a water purification system, a housing improvement program, as well as classroom construction for child education. The detailed projects include direct and effective efforts to improve the daily lives of their workers. The conditions of the local housing there is difficult, with things such as unsafe electrical wiring and mud walls.
Our fair trade partner La Samaria proposed a developed housing improvement program with quality standards oriented to meet the needs of their employees at the banana farms. They identify common areas of improvement for all applicable houses, with strong and useful solutions and construction. The areas include roofing, electric work, construction of facades and terracing, water piping, as well as water storage systems to mitigate seasonal damage and utilize their natural resources more effectively.
Creating community to thrive in
With FairTSA Fair Trade Community Development La Samaria is also creating a community water purification system safe for human consumption. This project not only provides easier access to a basic living necessity, but it also strengthens their skills in self-management and creates responsible management positions. It provides safety for immune sensitive groups such as chidden and the elderly. It is also the first time that this resource of access to clean water will be readily available here to over a thousand inhabitants of the local community.
Thirdly, the classroom project pictured at the bottom shows the update to the safe, spacious, and comfortable place where folks can gather to learn. There was an unveiling ceremony, and we wish that we could have attended! It is exciting to see direct action directly from the support of our Fair Trade consumers and organizers. FairTSA looks forward to more wonderful projects as we grow together.
