Rural Alternative Schools (ERAs): Building Peace Through Collaboration Networks in Colombia

Rural Alternative Schools (ERAs) are productive and educational collaboration networks, developed by OEF’s program PASO Colombia in rural territories affected by armed conflict. They provide peasant communities and ex-combatants with agricultural training; technical assistance; and access to land, capital, and markets, and they promote Commercial Collaborative Partnerships (CCPs) to help participants sell their products.

To learn more about the ERAs and see an interactive map of the schools around Colombia you can visit PASO Colombia’s website.

Satisfaction Survey

After the first year of implementation of the ERAs, the research firm Cifras & Conceptos was hired to evaluate the perception and satisfaction of its participants. 90 percent of them rated their experience as positive or very positive. PASO Colombia is very pleased with these results and is using the feedback provided to improve its work and back the expansion of the ERA model to cover 20 municipalities by the end of 2019. 

Summary:

Rural Alternative Schools (ERAs) are productive and educational collaboration networks, developed by OEF’s program PASO Colombia in rural territories affected by armed conflict.