In the communities with which Natün partners with, Indigenous women possess knowledge, skills, and experiences that are integral to their lives and the communities themselves. Over the years, these women have developed technical skills and knowledge that allow them to create handcrafted products with a distinct identity, not only preserving traditional practices but also generating income and contributing to the well-being of their families.
Natün’s Economic Development work has also been a learning process. Since 2022, the team has supported participants in developing their entrepreneurial skills, exploring different ways to transmit knowledge and strengthen their abilities. Initially, the training relied primarily on a traditional teaching methodology. However, the experience gained working with the communities revealed that participatory and hands-on methodologies were better suited to their contexts and learning styles.
This process led the team to progressively incorporate the Emprende, Crece y Lidera (Entrepreneurship, Growth and Leadership) methodology. The goal was for participants to not only receive knowledge but also learn from their own experiences, analyze their abilities, identify opportunities, and apply what they learned to their own realities. The new entrepreneurship guides are part of this evolution. They represent not only new training materials but also the result of several years of learning and adapting the Economic Development work to the needs and experiences of the communities with which Natün partners with.
Learn and Launch: A Practical Guide to Building Your Business contextualized and systematized by Henry Alonzo, entrepreneurship technician. The first part of the methodology, Entrepreneurship (turning skills into opportunities), seeks to accompany the participants in the process of recognizing how the skills they develop in technical courses can become business ideas.Instead of focusing primarily on theoretical concepts, the guide uses practical exercises to help participants better understand their strengths and interests, develop a business model, explore marketing and sales strategies, and calculate costs. The goal is that, upon completion of their technical training, participants will not only acquire new skills but also have a clearer understanding of how to use them to develop a business project.
At the moment, 130 participants in Natün’s technical courses use the guide as part of their training process, accompanying them as they develop and refine their entrepreneurial ideas.
In the following video, Henry Alonzo explains why the guide was created and the needs he identified among the participants.
The second part of the process, Grow began in 2023, providing closer support to rural businesses. This experience allowed for the identification of various challenges to sustaining their businesses, including cases of over-indebtedness. Based on this support, individual tools were developed to better understand each business, identify strengths and areas for improvement, and guide decision-making. Over time, these lessons were systematized and led to the Practical Guide for Rural Enterprises: Entrepreneurship and Business, consolidated and systematized by Vanessa Vásquez, Entrepreneurship Coordinator,
This is a guide that seeks to strengthen and expand ventures, based on four key areas: organization and social capital, market development, production and finance. Through practical activities, participants are encouraged to take a closer look at their businesses, recognize both their strengths and areas for improvement, and develop strategies that can contribute to long-term sustainability. Currently, the guide is being used by approximately 30 female entrepreneurs participating in Natün’s Economic Development program.
For Vanessa, the goal goes beyond strengthening individual businesses. When women gain the knowledge and confidence to manage and grow their businesses, they can increase their economic autonomy, support their families, and contribute to the well-being of the communities.
“This guide is more than a practical guide; it is a path towards Indigenous autonomy for the participants and towards a dignified life in their communities.”
In the video below, Vanessa explains the purpose of the guide and how it can help Indigenous women strengthen their businesses and move towards greater economic autonomy.
From knowledge to opportunities
The path taken by Natün Economic Development has also been a learning journey. What we have today did not arise from a single idea or a recipe that worked from the beginning. It has been the result of listening, experimenting, learning from experiences, and, above all, understanding together with the communities which forms of support best respond to the realities.
In this process, we’ve learned that women don’t start from scratch. They already possess knowledge, skills, experience, and expertise that are incredibly valuable. Our work aims to add new tools to all that already exists, so they can find new ways to leverage it, strengthen it, and turn it into opportunities.
Today, Learn, Launch, and Grow represents precisely that path: recognizing what women already know, accompanying them in what they want to learn, and providing them with tools that allow them to continue building their own paths.
Because in the end, Entrepreneurship doesn’t always begin with a business. Sometimes it starts with knowledge, a skill, an idea, or simply with the possibility of imagining that what we already know how to do can open up a new opportunity. And that is precisely the path we want to continue building together with the communities.
