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Case Study

Photo: USAID/Rocio Sanz

A new road is constructed that connects Ortega with Popayán in Cauca, Colombia. The completion of the 10-mile road brought a dramatic change to the lives of Ortega residents. Now they can travel to the capital and return the same day.

Challenge

For decades the municipality of Ortega in the state of Cauca seemed nothing more than a remote place on the Colombian landscape. But for Ortega’s 34,000 residents, getting to the state capital Popayán was a rough journey of more than eight hours by horse over difficult, unpaved roads and mountain trails.

Initiative

USAID signed an agreement with the Colombian government to build a new road connecting Popayán with Ortega and other surrounding municipalities. The Colombian government matched the $532,000 USAID contributed to the project.

Results

The completion of the 10-mile road, which stretches from Ortega to the Dinde canal, brought a dramatic change to the lives of Ortega residents. Now they can travel to Popayán and return the same day.

Ortega and surrounding communities have benefited greatly from the road and other related efforts, which include the construction of a fully equipped health center and the improvement of local electricity networks and education services. In addition, many federal and regional institutions that had never had a representative in Ortega — like the Attorney General and the County Clerk — are now establishing local offices. These improvements have transformed Ortega from being a remote and dangerous place to a more vibrant municipality that is becoming a center for development in the region.

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