African Descendants

African Descendants

Africandescendants comprise nearly 24% of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean, with poverty and extreme poverty rates approximately 60% higher than other groups.47 They also face high levels of exclusion and discrimination.48 People of African descent are often concentrated in the poorest urban areas in the region, where access to transportation, public services, and job opportunities is scarce and exposure to crime and violence is often widespread.49 These inequalities make African descendants more vulnerable to COVID-19, as concentration in urban centers and overcrowded housing with inadequate sanitation, water, and health services inhibit social distancing and pandemic protocols.50 At least 18% of active grants in FY 2020 served these communities, making the IAF a leading partner.

Example: Garifuna communities, descendants of Africans and Indigenous peoples, face longstanding economic and social marginalization in Honduras, which contributes to high rates of migration out of these communities.51 Garifuna organization and IAF grantee Gemelos Honduras used IAF funding to provide technical assistance, market development, and small loans to help Garifuna and Indigenous Miskitú people create viable enterprises that improve their livelihoods. Gemelos partnered with publicprivate entity Instituto Nacional de Formación Profesional and Cooperativa Ceibeña to establish an intensive business development training program for 110 Garifuna and Indigenous entrepreneurs in the municipalities of La Ceiba and Jutiapa. After completing the training program, Gemelos provided support to legally register their businesses and obtain operating permits. Cooperativa Ceibeña also managed a revolving loan fund to provide these businesses with credit to grow. Gemelos’ partnership with the cooperative ensured sound management of the credit fund, as well as additional financial management training, access to small business fairs, and other benefits such as a scholarship program for the children of participating families. Gemelos has also partnered with local universities to obtain marketing support from students and negotiated with a television station for two hours of weekly programming to celebrate Garifuna culture and showcase their enterprises.

CACMU, Ecuador. (See page 23.)

Example: Young Peruvians of African descent face barriers to civic and economic participation. IAF grantee Ashanti Perú Red Peruana de Jóvenes Afrodescendientes (Ashanti Peru) promotes Afro-Peruvians’ economic and social inclusion through activities aimed at strengthening the civic engagement and leadership skills of youth from impoverished districts of Lima. Ashanti Perú led a nationwide campaign encouraging people of African descent to participate in the national census that resulted in Peruvians being counted as African descendants for the first time in 2017. Ashanti Perú also mobilized Afro-Peruvian youth to encourage their communities to participate in the 2019 Household Survey. In partnership with Asociación Negra de Defensa y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos (ASONEDH), Ashanti Perú has worked with 450 young Afro-Peruvians to develop their skills to engage their local officials effectively and share what they learned in over 100 communities. As a result, 92 African-descendent youths have actively participated in local-level councils and civic engagement platforms where citizens’ initiatives are discussed and funded, calling for improved education and health services. Thanks in part to Ashanti Perú’s efforts, the Ministry of Education has included Afro-Peruvians’ contributions to Peru’s economy, history, and culture in its secondary education curriculum.