In 2011, FC celebrated its 50 ^th anniversary. It had an endowment of USD $272.8 million and 126 employees. A total 66,000 people participated in its programs. FC annually invested $17.2 million—$3.7 million from its own resources (dividends from Carvajal Company), and an additional $13.5 million which it raised from third parties, mostly international.

FC felt that, in Ladera, it had proven the validity of its holistic approach to development. To mark the anniversary, the foundation documented its lessons learned, consolidated into 12 principles. They were:

·      focus on the most vulnerable where no other institutions are present

·      go beyond financing social development to design and operate programs; connect to the target communities

·      make sustainability and empowerment long-term goals. FC considered its work done when locals could improve conditions for themselves

·      development works only when people own the solutions to their problems

· do not replace the state ; partner with public institutions and advocate for improved service delivery

· promote partnerships between communities and private and public institutions

· geographic approach : recognize local potential and work with what is already available

· integrated approach : make the family the unit ofintervention.

· assess the impact of programs and adjust continuously

· share and reproduce lessons for replication elsewhere

·      recognize that development needs follow-up

· adapt knowledge and technical training to match different abilities; build the capacity to be independent

In fact, the foundation had an opportunity in its anniversary year to take the “Ladera approach” and try it in an entirely new setting, beyond Cali. In 2010, it looked around Valle del Cauca for possible areas of expansion; the city of Buenaventura emerged as a likely candidate. Migrants from Buenaventura were well known in Cali, especially in Aguablanca. Executive Director Pizarro decided to explore the idea of opening up a site in Buenaventura. He says:

We started to think, to the extent that we continue doing work here [in Cali], why not start looking upstream… What can we do in Buenventura? That is how we started, that was the big question. The answer we had was: none, we don’t know… That is precisely the starting point of the model, from the recognition that we don’t know.

Buenaventura was the largest municipality in Valle del Cauca. It lay on the Pacific coast and included a large rural area, plus an urban center with over 90 percent of the population. At over 350,000 residents, Buenaventura had long been a national center for trade. It was the second largest seaport in Colombia and the most important opening to the Pacific. In addition to its economic importance as a port, Buenaventura was home to bio-diverse flora and fauna; it also boasted a rich cultural heritage of indigenous and Afro-descended communities.

But the bulk of the population lived in poverty. According to an official report, Buenaventura in 2003 received as development funding only six percent of the taxes it sent to the central government. ^[12] More than 80 percent of the population lived below the poverty line, and more than half of those suffered extreme poverty. Unemployment rates, at 61 percent for those aged 25-54, were among the highest in the country. Housing was also deficient, with many living in palafittes (houses built on stilts over water), which increased the difficulty of providing water and basic sanitation. Buenaventura’s Human Development Index was 0.69, compared to the national average of 0.84 and the state of Valle del Cauca at 0.86.

History . This situation was not new. The city was founded during Spanish rule in 1540. For centuries, local communities descended from indigenous groups inhabited the coastal region. In addition, the Spanish had imported African slaves to work in local goldmines. Many later escaped or bought their freedom. However, apart from a few small towns and villages, the vast territory was largely isolated from the national economy.

In the 1910s, however, and after the opening of the Panama Canal, Buenaventura assumed a new role. As a port, it attracted a steady influx of migrants from rural areas. Fishing and other river and sea-related activities constituted the main source of sustenance. Native communities survived thanks to communitarian and collective practices. For example, the neighborhood of Bajamar (“low tide”) was built by migrants who could not afford land. Instead, they built houses over the water and slowly filled the seabed to form entire neighborhoods. Wrote one commission:

Everything was done through the efforts of the community, as this was a swamp. The first houses were built nearly 5 meters high, because the tide was high. Access was via wooden bridges. Filling the swamp was a collective job; it was done with garbage brought from the market. Then, the politicians promised to bring more trash in dump trucks, in exchange for votes. It was a tragedy because of the flies, rats and bad smells. To mitigate it all we would spray especifico [creoline-based disinfectant]. ^[13]

Racial and geographic marginalization were the norm. Only after 1991 did a new national constitution recognize these communities as ethnic minorities. A 1993 law gave collective land deeds to communities living in the territory. But in 1996, the same year the first titles were delivered, violence intensified .

A complex combination of military, strategic, and economic interests put the whole district of Buenaventura in the crossfire, creating massive displacement. In 2000-2001 alone, 46 massacres ^[14] reportedly took place as paramilitary forces targeted civilians, alleging collaboration with the guerrillas. After 2002, paramilitary forces threatened the low tide communities and committed acts of violence and human rights violations. The guerrilla group FARC fought back using similar tactics. By 2010, Buenaventura was home to the largest number of displaced persons in the state after Cali. ^[15]

Despite its decades of experience, expanding to Buenaventura would present FC with major challenges. In late 2010, the FC board of directors approved the project.