Global Reach: Past Grantees

Despite economic growth in recent years, poverty in Peru remains pervasive. The tourist economy in Cusco, for example, while beneficial to local merchants, has negatively impacted the environment and thus threatens the future of Machu Picchu. As a result, Cusco’s economy is in need of sustainable business development strategies for the next generation, backed up by an enabling environment for young people to formalize their entrepreneurial ventures. Founded in 1990 with the goal of improving quality of life for at-risk Peruvian youth via small-scale entrepreneurship, the Colectivo Integral de Desarrollo (CID) provides young people with training in vocational and business skills, accompanied by other necessary elements to get a foothold on the economic ladder: access to credit; mentoring; and work with families, universities, and local government to create an enabling environment for youth entrepreneurship.