This was the first project funded by IFAD in Colombia. The objective was to improve the social and economic conditions of small farmers in the Arauca department through integrated community development.

The goals of the project were to:

• establish a line of credit for small farmers, including many who had never before benefited from loans
• improve infrastructure and communication in the area by building rural roads
• improve and expand rural primary education facilities by building rural schools, contracting for teachers and providing didactic materials
• improve rural health and sanitation by enlarging local hospitals, training staff and providing medical and sanitation equipment
• reduce the incidence of malaria among the population by providing medicines and insecticides
• increase the amount of data available on the area to facilitate planning for development
• facilitate credit for and development of indigenous communities
• provide support for project activities and management
   

As a result of political violence in the project area, implementation of the various activities was not completed.
 

Source: IFAD