The city of Tumaco lies on Colombia’s Pacific coast and is fiercely contested, as it is one of the municipalities with the highest coca production in the country. Drug traffickers, guerrilla groups, and paramilitary units compete for control over the lucrative cultivation areas and smuggling routes. These armed actors force small farmers to grow coca and recruit young people from Tumaco’s poorer neighborhoods. Since infrastructure and professional opportunities are lacking, drug trafficking and prostitution often seem like the only way to earn a living.
Facts
| Project activities | Expansion and operation of the snack bar "Piqueteadero". Gastronomic training for teenagers of the Centro Afro Juvenil center. |
|---|---|
| Project goals | Neutral and safe meeting place for the residents of the Nuevo Milenio neighborhood. Empowerment and enhanced job opportunities for the youth of the neighborhood. |
| Beneficiaries | The Nuevo Milenio neighborhood has around 8'000 residents. Direct beneficiaries are the operating team of the Centro Afro Juvenil and the young people who frequent the center. |
| Running time | Since 2023 |
In the Nuevo Milenio neighborhood of Tumaco, the situation is particularly dire: medical care and drinking water are scarce, as are public gathering places. There is no restaurant for the approximately 8,000 residents of the area.
The snack bar "Piqueteadero" of the Centro Afro Juvenil, a small youth center, has been expanded since 2023 into a gastronomic meeting point and event venue. A take-away option was created, and about 20 seats and kitchen infrastructure were set up to expand the food offerings – no small feat in a neighborhood that lacks even running water or a sewage system.
The youth from Nuevo Milenio now have an attractive place to meet and exchange ideas in their neighborhood without the pressure to consume.
- Since 2023, three young people from the center have annually completed culinary training in cooking, service, and marketing.
- They acquire the practical and theoretical skills needed to work in the "Piqueteadero" and actively contribute to its development. The successful completion of the local hotel management school also enables the youth to pursue a career in gastronomy or run their own small gastronomic business.
- The first graduates of the local hotel management school have already opened their own businesses and gained work experience in restaurants. They have found a source of income and a niche to support themselves and their families.
- In August 2024, a Csf volunteer visited the project on-site and conducted various training sessions for volunteers and graduates, as well as workshops on nutrition in the neighborhood. Meal plans were developed, and hygiene and safety protocols were introduced.
In 2025, "Pique" will be able to execute its first regular catering contract with the "Jóvenes de Paz" project, providing meals for 60 young people each Monday to Friday. With this, the project's goal is achieved, and "Pique" will generate a monthly income to support the youth center. It is currently run by the young people who completed their hotel management school thanks to the project.
Cuisine sans frontières continues to support the project with expertise and contributions to fixed costs. Help us in this endeavor.
Facts
| Project activities | Expansion and operation of the snack bar "Piqueteadero". Gastronomic training for teenagers of the Centro Afro Juvenil center. |
|---|---|
| Project goals | Neutral and safe meeting place for the residents of the Nuevo Milenio neighborhood. Empowerment and enhanced job opportunities for the youth of the neighborhood. |
| Beneficiaries | The Nuevo Milenio neighborhood has around 8'000 residents. Direct beneficiaries are the operating team of the Centro Afro Juvenil and the young people who frequent the center. |
| Running time | Since 2023 |
