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Key Points
In 2025, the Corazón de Ají initiative—launched in 2023 with a group of Indigenous women that later became known as the Tejedoras de Saberes—continued. They took on the role of community leaders in Mitú (Vaupés) to promote ancestral practices related to food sovereignty, child nutrition, and the care of pregnant and breastfeeding women. They organized and facilitated a series of ten meetings in their communities, during which they shared educational and audiovisual materials developed since the project’s inception. These materials were incorporated by the ESE Hospital San Antonio de Mitú into courses on motherhood and fatherhood. In addition, the women leaders participated in the Fair of Flavors and Knowledge—organized by the Sinchi Institute for Amazonian Research—and continued to collect information on medicinal plants for the care of women and children. At the same time, they strengthened their organizational and communication skills
The process charted a course forward for the Sinergias community, as it laid the groundwork for the creation of a Leadership School, designed as a strategy to increase the participation of women and young people in knowledge sharing, community care, and local leadership.
In addition, in 2025, the project also made progress in strengthening Sinergias’s organizational capacity, notably through the international recognition it received as one of the winning initiatives of Action for Women’s Health.
Why was it necessary?
Vaupés has some of the highest rates of child malnutrition and undernutrition in Colombia, affecting primarily indigenous populations. This situation is exacerbated by the low cultural relevance of national dietary guidelines, the limited adaptation of health services to the Amazonian context and their scarce presence in scattered rural communities, as well as by the growing dependence on external products. The need to continue the Corazón de Ají project was, therefore, evident: women’s leadership needed to be strengthened as a central pillar for disease prevention, the transmission of knowledge, and community autonomy in health and care.
Who participated?
Led by Sinergias, the project was carried out with the support of the Nous Cims Foundation. A key partner was the ESE Hospital San Antonio de Mitú, as well as the leaders of four Associations of Traditional Indigenous Authorities, along with women, grandmothers, young people, and other community members. Working sessions were held with AATIAM, and the process gained regional visibility through recognition by OPIAC. Sinergias strengthened its sustainability capabilities through fundraising training with Innpactia. Also participating were the Takaka collective, which supported the strengthening of communication skills, and the Office for Women, which provided guidance on productive projects.
