How did it all begin…
In the middle of the year 2001, when the socioeconomic crisis that hit our country, began to show its worst face, The program “A fishing rod for San Antonio de los Cobres” was born. A program that had to make its way outside of welfare and clientelism of any kind. It had to be self-sustaining and objectively contribute to generating genuine jobs.. In an emergency, attack the effects but constantly keep in mind the causes that cause it since that is where the lasting solutions lie..
San Antonio de los Cobres is a town located in the Puna of Salta, approximately 2000 Km. from the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires and at 3750 meters above sea level.
This town is recognized by the tourist landmark “Viaducto de la Polvorilla” located at 4200 meters above sea level., to where the “cloud train” circulates, Today it has little to do with that reality on rails.
High levels of unemployment have their correlation in the high percentages of the population with unsatisfied basic needs.. In this framework, geographical isolation and adverse climatic conditions emerge with thermal variations of up to 40°C. , with temperatures of 20° below zero in winter.
Faced with this reality diagnosed and confirmed in successive field work, We develop a work proposal together with different community leaders, detecting needs, productive niches to exploit and designing projects to develop.
A sociologist and a journalist decided to join forces to get out of isolation and help the inhabitants of the Salta town of San Antonio de los Cobres., located at 190 km from the capital of that province.
In this locality, according to the latest official surveys, he 47 percent of the population, of 5600 population, have basic needs unsatisfied. Besides, supports temperatures that, in winter, they reach up to 20 Under zero grades.
“We soon realized that donations of food and shelter could only solve the emergency., but they would not solve the structural problems linked to unemployment and marginality. This is how the project was born “A fishing rod for San Antonio de los Cobres””, sociologist Jorge Cordone told LA NACION, of 47 years, who promoted the initiative together with the journalist Claudio Destéfano, of 42.
As explained, “The program included productive micro-enterprises to revalue local crafts, two greenhouses that produced vegetables, a sewing workshop and also a tourist development plan for the area”.
“The effort is to restore dignity to the residents and break with the classic idea of welfare.. Unfortunately, People are used to asking without making any effort in return.. That's why, the goal was not to give them the fish, but teach them to fish, hence the name of the program”, continuous.
First, they traced, together with a group of health professionals, of education and social sciences, a diagnosis of the needs and possibilities existing in the community, which allowed the development, For example, of nine community gardens, with the advice of INTA, and the construction of shelters for shepherds in mountain areas.
“One of the immediate challenges was overcoming the distance. So, we install Internet on site, via satellite, to give continuity to the projects”, said. The equipment was provided by the firm NahuelSat SA, and the community post located also allows the school and the local hospital to be connected to the outside.