LA CACHAMERÍA
I am “Cachamin”, a cachama that was born in a municipality of Colombia called Turbo, which is located in the department of Antioquia. Some know me by my scientific name: “Colossoma macropomum” and my family is originally from the Orinoco basin and the Amazon.
My fish family lived happily in Turbo in a fish farming system, which was self-sustainable and monitored by a friend named Jesús. We were also frequented by many fisherwomen, some of them were the wives of fishermen from the Urabá area, who were trained in the specificities of aquaponics with native species and in aspects such as the elaboration of market studies and business plans. In addition, on the roof of our fish tank they grew excellent quality vegetables that they were going to sell in the local markets.
This project, in addition to being focused on gender equality and the empowerment of women in the area, represented a source of income for them, women who had always done fishing-related work, but historically had never been paid.
A catastrophe….!
On the night of February 24, 2023, a technical failure occurred with a pipe supplying oxygen to the tank where my family lived, resulting in the death of all the fish and the loss of the associated products.
The economic losses are around $30 million Colombian pesos, approximately US$7,400, and the impacts on the people who have dedicated their time to the project cannot be quantified.
What are the conditions of the project today?
Well… actually, even my friend Jesús had to look for work elsewhere. But he and my fishing friends are waiting for the system to be reactivated. The good thing is that we have all the infrastructure, but to start it up again #ComoPezEnElAgua we are looking for the economic resources to buy fry and vegetables again.
Very easy!
Below you will find “La Cachamería” or “The Little Cachama Shop” – my online store where you can buy the amount of cachamas you wish to donate to the project. Each “Cachama” has a representative value of at least $12. As you add cachamas to your shopping cart, I will indicate the total value of your contribution.
Now, if you want to donate a different value or you want to make the contribution in cash and you are participating in the MMM6 Congress, you can do it directly at the CEMarin stand where one of my friends named Maria will assist you and give you the PIN.
Once I have managed to raise the necessary funds to start #ComoPezEnElAgua again with this project and we can buy the vegetables and bring the fry to the project tank. I promise to send you photos, videos and greetings from all those who have been involved in this project.
I am sure that very soon we will get the necessary resources and you will hear from us.
JUST IN CASE…
It is likely that you know friends, family or good-hearted people who want to support this project, so I invite you to share this “Cachamería” or “Little Cachama Shop” through your social networks to help me tell my story, and to use the hashtag #ComoPezEnElAgua so we can reach more people.
I thank you from the bottom of my Cachama heart for taking the time to enter this space and help everyone involved with this project, which I assure you are many.
NOTE: If you are interested in supporting the revitalization of the project, either personally or from your company, we invite you to contact comunicaciones@cemarin.org.