HIAS Helps Women’s Agribusiness Collective Expand in Ecuador

When Aziel first came to Ecuador, she believed it would only be temporary. She needed a safe place to make a living—a stopgap until conditions in her home country improved. She moved from place to place looking for work, hoping to eventually return home and resume her life.

“In my home country, I had many opportunities, and many things had to be put on hold,” Aziel said.

Across Ecuador, HIAS works with displaced people and host community members who face economic insecurity, limited employment opportunities, and heightened risks of exploitation and abuse—particularly women. Through an agribusiness initiative supported by UNHCR since 2017, HIAS Ecuador helps program participants build emotional stability, strengthen community ties, and create sustainable livelihoods in border regions and marginalized urban areas.

As Aziel was struggling to make ends meet, she learned about HIAS’ agribusiness initiative, which combines entrepreneurship training with mental health support for displaced people like her.

“At the time, I looked for other ways to generate income and even thought about going somewhere else, thinking that changing locations would help,” Aziel said. “But I was able to experience that being in one place allows for emotional and physical stability, and this has also helped me to achieve financial stability.”

Starting in May 2022, HIAS Ecuador held a series of mental health workshops in the La Paz region in Carchi province, a rural area near the northern border with Colombia. The training and ongoing support focused on fostering spaces for personal and group empowerment, addressing topics related to violence prevention and teamwork.

“[I learned about the] types of abuse that we as women experience on a daily basis, sometimes without realizing it,” Aziel said. “When we heard about this, we realized that we had been abused, but we didn’t know it. It was very important to learn to set boundaries as women, to know how to say no.”

By the end of August 2022, Aziel’s prospects had entirely changed. HIAS Ecuador awarded scholarships to participants from the group, including Aziel, one of the founding members of INTIVA, a collective agribusiness specializing in herbal infusions and dehydrated fruits. INTIVA brings together five women of different nationalities—Colombian, Venezuelan, and Ecuadorian—demonstrating how displaced people and host community members can build shared economic futures.

“When we started … everything was new because we are from different countries and it was difficult for us to adapt at first,” said Tatiana, another member of INTIVA. “However, now we have bonded, because if we continue with our differences, we will not get anywhere. Thanks to the training, we have managed to solve problems and overcome our differences, and now we are close-knit as colleagues.”

During 2023 and 2024, HIAS helped INTIVA purchase equipment to expand their production. Simultaneously, Aziel, Tatiana, and their fellow business co-founders participated in financial education and business management training programs. These activities strengthened their ability to manage their finances, plan for growth, and sustain their business over time.

“Personally, I have also realized that the lessons on how to manage finances have had an impact not only on INTIVA, but also on us on an individual level, because we have also been able to practice it in our homes and learn how to manage money,” Tatiana said.

Each member of INTIVA also received seed capital grants, which the team used to invest in improved production equipment—an important step toward a more self-sufficient and sustainable business model.

“I think the initial seed capital was very significant, because it helped us become what we are today,” Aziel said. “Even though we are not yet in large supermarkets, it has helped us get to where we are now and bring all our product ideas to fruition.”

This past year, as the initiative entered its final consolidation stage, HIAS Ecuador provided training on teamwork, conflict resolution, and effective communication, with the objective of improving group cohesion.

“It became clear that the group had achieved a significant level of autonomy and cohesion, enabling it to continue managing the business more independently,” said Darwin Querembas, HIAS’ Agribusiness Technician in Tulcán. “Strengthening all of their skills allowed the associative venture to improve its ability to deal with crises, manage disagreements, and respond efficiently to unforeseen events.”

Most recently, HIAS provided scholarships to the collective to learn how to promote their business online. The group learned about managing social media, using AI, and marketing.

“All the support has been significant, whether small or large,” Tatiana said. “It has all come at the right time and at the right moment. Because there were times when, without moral support, we could not have done it, or without financial support, we would not have been able to get our machines.”

The unique agribusiness initiative brought together diverse entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams collectively. Today, INTIVA is not only growing its business—it is building stability, confidence, and a shared future in Ecuador.

“Beyond our shared ambition with my colleagues to start a business, HIAS presented an idea that incorporated all of us to feel encouraged to take the first steps,” Aziel said. “We have been given the chance to turn our efforts into a reality.”