The Andean Region
Countries in the Andean Region (Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru) have made great progress in reducing poverty in the last decade, yet millions still live below the poverty line. More than 20% of people face systemic challenges in gaining the skills and employment they need to overcome poverty, especially women, indigenous and isolated rural communities. While Peru and Colombia have the highest GDPs in the Andean region, they are also among the most unequal countries in the world.
NESsT’s investments in the Andean Region focus on social enterprises that incorporate innovative business models, technologies and sound environmental practices to bring jobs and greater income earning opportunities to the people who are most in need.
WITH YOUR HELP
We’ve invested in 129 social enterprises across Argentina, Chile, Ecuador and Peru.
49,926
dignified employment & income generation opportunities created
US$17 million
invested
515,832
lives improved
As of December 31, 2022
See Our Work in Peru

Learn How NESsT Social Enterprises Fight Poverty in the Andean Region
Agil is a tech enterprise that brings affordable e-commerce solutions to small, micro, and family-run enterprises in the HoReCa (Hospitality, Restaurants, and Catering) industry in Chile and supports food delivery drivers to earn a sustainable income.
Building upon three generations of beekeeping tradition, Andes Bee sources sustainable honey and bee products from small beekeepers in Chile, paying them fair prices while promoting and advancing their work.
Collecting trash from Chilean companies and households and transports sorted waste to corresponding valuation facilities, all while offering transparent waste management services and training programs to its clients.
sells 100% recycled textile products through more than 250 women-led businesses across Chile.
Connecting people with disabilities with job openings at corporations with a commitment towards building inclusive and equitable workplaces.
creates software products that enable people with disabilities to participate in digital and physical spaces that are not fully optimized for accessibility. Its inclusive technology supports people with visual impairments to navigate indoor and outdoor spaces and to access online resources.
produces, processes, and commercializes lupine and its byproducts, for both animal feed and human consumption.
a Certified B Corporation outsourcing company that connects essential workers to consumers who are interested in finding immediate help with everyday tasks.
is a grocery e-commerce enterprise founded in Chile that is committed to increasing earnings for small-scale farmers.
Founded in 2007, Wen Kimey (formely known as “Meliñir”) is a Chilean social enterprise based in Lonquimay, Araucanía that produces and commercializes pine nut products – the enterprise consists of four Mapuche families and sources from over 100 collecting families from the Quinquén and Pantuco Pedregoso communities.
sells agricultural and cosmetic products made from sustainably cultivated Amazonia plants.
Bogotá-based social enterprise Amazóniko operates a collaborative recycling platform that provides everyone involved in the recycling process with knowledge, tools, and incentives to prevent waste from ending up in landfills.
Asoprocegua builds thriving, sustainable livelihoods for farming communities in Guaviare, Colombia. It supports small farmers to cultivate Amazon fruits such as açaí that are naturally produced in forests and can be sourced without cutting down a single tree.
Bioingredientes Amazónicos (“BioIncos”) sources wild fruits from Indigenous communities in the Amazon Piedmont in Colombia and transforms them into natural oils for use in the cosmetics industry.
Chunaky Baru is an Indigenous-led association dedicated to advancing the livelihoods of artisans in the San José community in the Colombian Amazon.
Colombian enterprise Disruptia uses AI-driven technology to bridge the skills gap in Latin America. Its accessible training services support youth, women, ethnic minorities, migrants, and people over the age of 50 to find dignified work.
Federación Campesina del Cauca (FCC) sources organic, Fair Trade coffee from close to 500 smallholder farmers operating in Cauca, Colombia, over 30% of whom are women. FCC ensures its members earn a living income and supports them to become more climate resilient by diversifying their income streams.
Fundación Hilo Sagrado supports Indigenous artisans in Colombia to make and sell handicrafts that preserve the knowledge, culture, and traditions of their communities. Profits are directly reinvested in community development projects to improve local livelihoods.
offers online bootcamps to train students in full-stack software development or data science, providing affordable and flexible financing options, including income-share agreements that enable students to pay for their tuition after landing their first job in tech.
Novatio brings clean energy solutions to remote farming communities in Colombia. Rural families receive hands-on support to use sustainable fuel for cooking and domestic tasks to reduce household pollution and protect their health.
Colombia-based enterprise Okolo produces eco-friendly reusable diapers and promotes their environmental and health benefits. It also runs a Brand Ambassador program that provides flexible income opportunities to mothers.
Associación Intercomunitaria Painü (“Painü) was founded over ten years ago in Leticia, Amazonas to improve the livelihoods the Indigenous communities of the Yahuarcaca Lakes while protecting their territory and recovering and preserving ancestral knowledge.
AFIMAD (The Indigenous Forestry Association of Madre de Dios) is an association formed by Amazon nut collectors as an alternative solution to the unsustainable
Café Origenes' mission is to sell traceable, ethically-sourced specialty coffee and ensure fair pay for producers who are often excluded from the traditional coffee value chain. Today it supports 64 coffee growers and their families.
provides small coffee farmers with solar-powered technology to roast their beans, and purchases and distributes the roasted coffee, resulting in 70% more revenue for the farmers.
Coordinadora Rural de la Papa del Perú (CORPAPA) was founded to support the livelihoods of traditional potato farmers in Ayacucho.
produces high-quality empanadas that are sold in coffee shops and convenience stores throughout the country
Trains and employs survivors of domestic violence and women who are incarcerated to produce a line of trendy ethical fashion products.
Kemito Ene is an Indigenous-led cooperative of producers of the Asháninka nationality, from the Ene River basin, dedicated to the sustainable production and marketing of certified organic and fair-trade cacao beans, cacao-derived products, chocolate, and roasted and ground coffee beans.
Runs a Llama Trek Service, Intercultural Education Programs, and a Llama Park to support high-Andean communities with accessing sustainable income.
Plastic Corporation uses single-use plastic waste and reclaimed plant fibers as an alternative to lumber to make products such as furniture, playground equipment, and construction materials, contributing to a robust local circular economy.
Cooperativa La Perla de los Andes is an agricultural cooperative made up of 90 smallholder farmers in Ancash, Peru that supports local farmers in the Huaylas province to grow the ancient Andean legume tarwi.

Are you ready to change the world with your social enterprise?

NESsT News in the Andes
The NESsT Team in the Andean Region
Our Supporters in the Andean Region
Thanks to our incredible partners and donors who help us fight poverty in the Andean Region.
Contact
Avenida Benavides 1944, Piso 09
Miraflores, Lima, Perú
p: +51 1 415 9487
e: peru[at]nesst.org
f: /nesstperu