Ecomapu

Help regenerate Valparaíso’s oldest district with a community tour

Basic information

Experience

Impact

Start collaboration:

2018

Directly impacted families:

Project description

Santo Domingo, Valparaíso’s oldest quarter, has always been the cornerstone of Chile’s second city. Centered around the Iglesia de la Matriz church, destroyed and rebuilt several times following earthquakes and pirate attacks, this district is a maze of cobbled together port workers’ and tradesmen’s houses adjacent to the commercial district of Barrio Puerto, a UNESCO World Heritage site. But while the rest of the city, with its colorful houses nestled on hillsides, attracts visitors from all over the world, Santo Domingo has not been able to harness the benefits of tourism in the same way, and this close-knit community, which has survived for generations together, is under threat from gentrification and uncontrolled tourism. Ecomapu’s Ruta La Matriz is, however, tourism on a human scale, working closely with residents, neighborhood organizations and trade associations to create alternative walking tours of the neighborhood and city. Offering development through tourism and providing an economic alternative to families in the Cerro Santo Domingo neighborhood, Ruta La Matriz gives residents the opportunity to improve their living conditions, while also promoting and preserving the district’s unique culture. On a variety of walking tours that include a food tour through the picás (popular restaurants) of Barrio Puerto, travelers can explore the neighborhood with a local and get beyond the architecture and history to meet locals and discover the culture, food, stories and customs of Cerro Santo Domingo.

Involvement of V Social

Through the provision of tour guides and food, more than ten families are directly involved in this project, which through the supply of workshops, tourism and business training and travelers, has been supported by the VSocial Foundation since November 2018.

Start collaboration:

2018

Directly impacted families:

Support for Ecomapu

Nov 2023

EUR 3,000 - Participation at the first V Social Encounter

Nov 2023

Jacqueline, member of Ecomapu, participated in the inaugural annual gathering of projects funded by V Social in Colombia in November. During this event, 16 projects hailing from various corners of Latin America convened in person to engage in discussions about lessons learned and to strategize for the upcoming year, 2024.

Our primary goal was to empower the beneficiaries with a more influential role in decision-making within V Social, allowing them to shape the organization's priorities and focus areas. This approach placed a greater emphasis on the voices of those we serve. Notably, for many participants, this event marks their first opportunity to travel outside their home country, adding an extra layer of significance to this transformative gathering.

The allocated amount for this support is an estimate derived from the total costs incurred in organizing the gathering.

May 2023

EUR 3,000 - Gastronomy workshop + muralism

May 2023

V Social supported the first mural that was made during a guided neighborhood tour called La Matriz, cooperating with local artists, so that visitors can learn a little more about the meaning of local murals.

In addition, trainings in gastronomy were carried out to design menus based on regional ingredients to foster local producers and to design menus based on traditional practices for the visitors.

Your impact

Valparaíso

Country: Chile

As well as the ten families benefiting directly from the Ruta La Matriz community tour, 50 families also benefit indirectly. The project acts as an idea incubator for tour guides to create their own community tourism projects and for residents of Santo Domingo to discuss and rethink neighborhood issues, such as how to integrate tourism into their community. At the same time, the project is managing to slow down the gentrification of the neighborhood by encouraging local residents to stay and take pride in their neighborhood.

Their story