The University of Cuenca carried out Capacity Building initiatives throughout 2021 based on the results of the Coaching sessions developed in 2019. In view of the Covid 19 pandemic, some changes were made, more specifically in the study areas since it was decided to focus in two living laboratories instead of three. This was founded on the opportunity of the capacity building to strengthen the relationships between urban and rural areas. Thus, eight capacity building sessions were developed monthly throughout 2021. In addition, an introductory session was also carried out at the beginning of the year to refresh the objectives, consensuses and results achieved during the 2019 coaching sessions.
Timeline of the capacity building process carried out by Universidad de Cuenca in 2021
- Introduction to capacity building simultaneous sessions
Date: Friday, January 22, 2021
Location: El Vado, Cuenca and Susudel, Oña.
The ILUCIDARE introductory training session took place on January 22, 2021. Although the capacity building was planned for 2020, the Covid19 pandemic led to a rescheduling in 2021. Despite the harsh conditions, the restrictions related to the pandemic made evident the close link and interdependence between urban and rural areas. Thus, the capacity building process became an opportunity for joint initiatives. As a result, the two "engine groups" from the urban and rural areas of El Vado and Susudel respectively met, each in their own territory, and through a virtual connection they got to know each other and observed the activities underway.
In El Vado, the project "Huertas de la Buena Vida" -Gardens for good life- (video)was presented, while Susudel showed "La Placita" (video), a way of using public space.
Spanish version available here.
Introductory simultaneous session in Susudel.
Introductory simultaneous session in El Vado, Cuenca (Hogar Miguel León elderly and youth house).
- 1st joint Capacity Building
Date: Friday, February 26, 2021
Location: CEMUART, El Vado, Cuenca
In this first joint session on Friday 26 February, the Susudel engine group travelled to Cuenca to work together with El Vado at the cultural centre CEMUART. Here, the lecture given by Antrop. Gabriela Eljuri emphasised the importance of urban-rural integration which, for example, is evident in squares and spaces for meeting and reciprocity. Likewise, the initiative of urban gardens was presented as therapeutic, enjoyable and potentially touristic spaces, as well as an alternative for economic activation. Susana Condo and David Jara presented this initiative and the multisensory garden at Hogar Miguel León. The participants had the opportunity to visit some gardens in El Vado and to jointly formulate a SWOT matrix around urban-rural social cohesion activities.
Video summary of this session.
Spanish version available here.
Visit of the vertical gardens at CEMUART, Cuenca.
Plenary session during the Capacity Building. Presentation of the SWOT by the participants of the “engine groups”.
- 2nd joint Capacity Building
Date: Saturday, March 27, 2021
Location: Susudel
The event on Saturday 27 March took place in the parish of Susudel with the presence of the engine group of El Vado. Xavier Guerrero spoke about the concept of "community tourism" as a sustainable option for urban and mainly rural communities. The “Casa Hacienda” of Susudel was visited to learn about its history, as well as to demonstrate its potential community use. In addition, they visited the garden of Mrs. Patricia Mora and along the way the groups exchanged experiences and knowledge about plants, irrigation systems, ancestral techniques, among others. The session coincided with the "pinshi", an ancestral tradition of community gastronomy, which consists of a system of retribution in which the "prioste" offers the food ready for the community, which, in exchange, provides raw food.
Video summary of this session.
Spanish version available here.
Participants in the church of Susudel during the lecture about community tourism.
Participants in Susudel on their way to the “pinshi”.
- 3rd joint Capacity Building
Date: Saturday, June 12, 2021
Location: Hogar Miguel León, El Vado, Cuenca
The session on Saturday 12 June at the Hogar Miguel León (geriatric and youth's home) in Cuenca, consisted of the construction of a multi-sensory garden and tunnel (prototype) designed as a model for future initiatives. Medardo Padilla, an EDEC-EP technician, spoke about the selection of species, planting, supervision, and maintenance of the gardens, emphasising their potential therapeutic use, as well as their viability for entrepreneurship, internal consumption and other components of the circular economy. Besides, Architect Fernando Ávila, described the construction process, techniques, materials and maintenance of the tunnel. This practical process was recorded on video and in the manual "Do It Yourself". At the end of this session, young people from Hogar Miguel León performed a traditional dance in commemoration of the feast of solstice “inti raymi”.
Video summary of this session.
Videos of the construction process: part 1 and part 2.
Spanish version available here.
Participants at the garden of Hogar Miguel León in Cuenca.
Traditional dance performance by young people from Hogar Miguel León in Cuenca.
- 4th joint Capacity Building
Date: Friday, July 23 and Saturday July 24, 2021
Location: Susudel
The sessions took place over 2 days. On Friday 23 July, the Susudel engine group was trained in the installation, assembly and maintenance of dismantlable structures to cover the spaces of the square and the church atrium for community use. On Saturday 24th, together with the El Vado engine group, the training was on composting for both urban and rural areas. On the occasion of the national day of the Andean condor, activities were carried out under the dismantlable structures. On the one hand, children carried out workshops on earth painting, ceramic pigs, theatre and reading, while older adults received recognition for their active participation in community activities.
Video summary of this session.
Video of the construction process of the dismantlable structures.
Video of the elaboration of compost.
Spanish version available here.
Training on the setting up of the dismantlable structures (prototypes) in Susudel.
Activities carried out under the dismantlable structures (prototypes) in Susudel.
- 5th Susudel Capacity Building
Date: Thursday September 23 and Saturday October 02, 2021
Location: Susudel
On Thursday 23 September and Saturday 02 October, the community of Susudel met to reflect on the potential activities to be developed around the parish church using the prototype of dismountable structures that were built. At first, the architects Fausto Cardoso, Alicia Tenze and Gabriela Barsallo presented a summary of the community-academic work of the last 10 years, emphasising the learning generated and through participatory workshops they identified, among other things, the importance of practical work that would bring the community together. Thus, the construction of a wood-fired oven is visualised as a participatory activity, which allows the use of public space and the transfer of knowledge of both earth construction techniques and local gastronomy.
Video summary of this session.
Spanish version available here.
Presentation given by UCuenca to refresh the participatory activities carried out in Susudel.
Workshop to plan the activities to be carried out such as the community oven.
- 6th Joint Capacity Building
Date: Friday October 15, 2021
Location: Hogar Miguel León, El Vado, Cuenca
On Friday 15 October at the Hogar Miguel León, the two engine groups meet for a virtual training session on "Circular Economy and Creative Industries", conducted by members of IMEC, and on "Communication and Dissemination" by KEA European Affairs. These institutions belong to the international consortium -ILUCIDARE- and joined the training with the aim of showing the possibilities of local projects to be creative and sustainable. To this end, after the presentations, workshops were held highlighting the built elements or the proposed ones. In this way, the dismantlable structures as the community oven were the topics for Susudel, and the multisensory tunnel and the network of urban gardens in El Vado. The ideas on how to build desirable future scenarios and a first brainstorming on how to achieve them was carried out.
Video summary of this session.
Spanish version available here.
Plenary session after the workshop on the future scenarios at Hogar Miguel León.
Participants of the capacity building session.
- 7th Capacity Building (closing session of El Vado)
Date: Thursday November 18, 2021
Location: Juan Bautista Vásquez Library, University of Cuenca
On Thursday 18 November at the Juan Bautista Vásquez Library of the University of Cuenca, the closing of the training with the engine group of El Vado took place together with members of the international consortium of ILUCIDARE. Examples of innovative initiatives achieved through agreements in other parts of the world were presented and the results of the local workshop in October were recounted. Then, workshops were developed to elaborate future strategies to keep the initiatives of the urban gardens and the multisensory garden and tunnel of the Hogar Miguel León active. The latter was visited by the participants, as well as the gardens at the home of Mrs. Nidia Vásquez and the cultural centre CEMUART. The day ended with a demonstration of the "harvesting" of urban compost.
Video summary of this session.
Spanish version available here.
Presentations at the capacity building session at University of Cuenca library.
Workshop with participants of the engine group of El Vado and ILUCIDARE international members.
Visit to the multisensorial tunnel at Hogar Miguel León.
Visit to the urban garden of Nydia Vázquez.
- 8th Capacity Building (closing session of Susudel)
Date: Saturday November 20, 2021
Location: Susudel
On Saturday 20 November, the Susudel engine group met with members of the international consortium of ILUCIDARE for the closing training session. At first, examples of innovative initiatives achieved through agreements in other parts of the world were presented and the results of the local workshop in October around the built structures in Susudel were recounted. Later, workshops were developed to elaborate future strategies for the good use of the dismountable structures, and for the community oven, the latter of which was completed on the same day. Together with this construction, the initiative of children who made their own mini oven was undertaken. This encourages the intergenerational exchange and an appropriation of public spaces. Finally, a tour of the Casa Hacienda and the potential community spaces took place.
Video summary of this session.
Spanish version available here.
Welcome scenario for the capacity building in Susudel.
Introduction of the participants in Susudel
Construction of the wood-fired community oven in Susudel.
Construction of the mini wood-fired oven made by children.
Workshop to establish strategies for the use of built elements in Susudel.
