Through the REDD+ Project’s “Fondo Transformando Vidas” program, the reserve’s youth are pursuing higher education to guide the territory’s future.
The stories that transform the Resguardo Indígena Selva Matavén carry the faces of its youth. Today, the Laguna Negra community, especially the Laguna Negra Cacao sector, is celebrating a milestone that fills the entire territory with hope: Nerio Dasilva Silva’s graduation as a Public Accountant from Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios (Uniminuto).
Nerio carries more than just a diploma; he carries the dream of a community that firmly believes in the power of knowledge. His path to higher education became a reality thanks to the ethnic higher education program “Fondo Transformando Vidas”, an initiative driven and funded by the REDD+ Matavén Project to open academic doors for indigenous youth.
Knowledge to Protect the Homeland
Nerio’s journey represents that of many young people who wish to contribute to the growth of their environment. By training in areas such as accounting, these new professionals return to Matavén with key tools to lead transparent management, autonomously administer resources, and strengthen community organization.
The project’s planning understands that family well-being and childhood development are the heart of conservation. When a young person from the reserve becomes a professional, local governance grows stronger, and the care of natural resources is backed by technical expertise managed by the inhabitants themselves.
Nerio Dasilva’s achievement proves that protecting the forest goes hand in hand with the growth of its people. Every class, every passed exam, and every new indigenous professional is a firm step toward a more dignified, autonomous, and prosperous future for the entire Resguardo Indígena Selva Matavén.