Intercultural training strategy to strengthen the access of the Muisca Xua Cha Indigenous Council of Soacha to funding calls

Abstract

This research aimed to design a project formulation training program for members of the Muhysca Xua Cha Indigenous Council (CIMAX) in Soacha, to strengthen their capacity to access public and private funding opportunities. The methodology was based on an ethnorelativist and social constructivist approach, with an exploratory, descriptive, and participatory character. Mixed methods were used to collect data, including interviews, surveys, focus groups, and participant observation, allowing for the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data that reflected the community's real needs. Among the main findings, it was discovered that over 80% of the participants were women, and although they had a good level of formal education, most lacked prior experience in project formulation and exhibited low digital skills. Structural barriers were identified, such as a lack of legal recognition, administrative difficulties, and the imposition of regulations foreign to ancestral practices, which limit their access to funding resources. Furthermore, the need arose to strengthen internal cohesion and promote more structured collective work. The findings revealed that difficulties in accessing funding are not merely technical, but also cultural and structural, and that any training strategy must integrate ancestral knowledge, administrative capacities, and the strategic use of digital tools. A contextualized, participatory, and intercultural training program was proposed to promote organizational autonomy, respect for cultural identity, and the development of projects as instruments of community life. This comprehensive approach not only seeks to improve individual and collective skills, but also to uphold the right of the Muisca people to autonomous and sustainable development, based on their cultural richness and history of resistance.