MICC

Movimiento Indígena y Campesino de Cotopaxi - MICC

MICC is a political movement of indigenous people and small scale farmers in Cotopaxi, Ecuador. Its goals are to improve the lives of these communities in terms of their health, education, housing and access to water, land and a nutritious diet.

The movement works in a culturally sensitive manner with respect for the local customs of the communities. It also aims to ensure that all the grassroots community groups affiliated to the movement are able to participate and contribute in a fair, equal and democratic way.

MICC campaigns to ensure that the rights of indigenous people and small scale farmers are protected within the constitution and in national and international law. For example, MICC campaigns for equal access to drinking water and water for irrigation. Among other issues, MICC has also highlighted the lack of government assistance to small scale farmers, who have no subsidies or support systems made available to them.

Progressio and Movimiento Indígena y Campesino de Cotopaxi

Fernando Ruiz is a forestry engineer from Columbia working on a Progressio project to help marginalised communities in the Ecuadorian Highlands manage natural resources.

He is working with communities that live in difficult conditions with high levels of poverty and malnutrition. Located at over 3000m above sea level, they farm small plots of land and now face increasing problems due to contamination of irrigation water and soil erosion.

Fernando is carrying out training and workshops with the communities to strengthen their capacity to manage water, land and seeds in a fair and sustainable way. He is also helping to monitor and improve land productivity, agro-biodiversity and access to water in the Highlands. Working with grassroots organisations he is also campaigning to influence policy-makers at a local, national and international level.

Read about our other partner Fernando works with on this project, IEE.

Find out more on the MICC website (In Spanish, opens in a new window)