Tipishca, a community dreaming of sustainable growth

Founded just over 20 years ago, the Yine community of Tipishca (2001), located in Madre de Dios (an amazon region of Peru), hides not only a jungle treasure, but also the hope of a population that trusts in its resources and, above all, in themselves. Achieving the title was only the first step, since the main objective is to obtain a sustainable income and greater support from the State, which would allow various improvements for this community, which in turn serves as an inspiration for others who dream of achieving the coveted title.

Javier Fernández and René Sebastián Gaspa are the president and vice president of Tipishca. Both explain that despite the progress made, the community does not have schools that offer secondary education, nor does it have a large work force, in addition to the lack of Internet. However, there is great potential for experiential tourism on an island with a variety of vegetation, as well as aguajales and a chestnut grove that provide products for home consumption.

The variety of wood is also impressive in Tipishca, with species such as cedar, ishpingo, lupuna, wimba, pashaco, huacamayo, muena, as well as hardwoods used for building houses such as quinilla, horcones, pumaquiro, estoraque, etc. The leaders hope to obtain several loans from AgroBanco to start improving the farms and become a modern community with lodges, houses and other spaces that create jobs.

However, the road was never easy. The titling process alone took 9 years due to the community’s location: close to concessions and in an area that had applications to become a concession. Noemí Sebastián, former community leader, worked day and night, even with protests, in order to keep the process on the regional agenda.  Subsequently, with the geo-referencing of the community for 2,536 hectares, benefits were obtained from the State along with actions to prevent invasions by illegal loggers and coca growers.

It should be noted that the titling work was carried out in coordination with the Native Federation of the Madre de Dios River and its tributaries (Fenamad), which is also in charge of implementing productive projects that favor forest conservation. In addition to this, Tenury Facility and the Peruvian Society for Environmental Law (SPDA) worked together to strengthen the legal security of the native community Tipishca in 2021, which today struggles to strengthen its lands in a clear example of what responsible use of our rainforest means.