An Evaluation of the La Libertad Dry Forest Project
Ciro Flores, Project Officer, accompanying Zoila to the intervention area located in the Cañoncillo Forest (Image: Sept 2021)
Zoila Aurora Cruz Burga, an independent consultant, visited Pascasmayo from the 30th of September until the 4th of October to perform an evaluation of La Libertad Dry Forest project. Zoila inspected the reforested areas and evaluated the different activities developed in the project. Interviews were conducted with the A Rocha Peru project team and project beneficiaries across 6 localities. The evaluation identified the current status of the project and provided a basis for its development in the coming years. The evaluation was positive and showed that the results have been achieved to a large extent and to the satisfaction of the beneficiary villagers and small farmers. Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the project but we were able to adapt and deal with this unforeseen event. Many beneficiaries provided their own testimonies of the benefits of the Dry Forest project. One testimony stated, “Before we were blind to what it means to protect the forest, now I give more importance, I do the operations myself, I talk to the members. Before we used to go to the forest and throw away bottles, now we don’t. I don’t leave garbage in the forest anymore.”