This document summarizes a case study on rural development in the community of Zambrana Abajo in the Dominican Republic. It used the Community Capitals Framework to analyze how the community strengthened different types of capital. Planting Acacia mangium trees improved natural, human, cultural, social, political, financial, and built capital. This empowered community members and led to new livelihoods centered around the timber species, improving lives. The experience shows how agroforestry can drive rural development by building different kinds of resources and capital.

1. Community Change The Community Capitals Framework in
the systematization of an experience of
rural development in Zambrana Abajo,
Cotuí, Dominican Republic
Gómez Luciano, CA
Gutiérrez Montes, IA
Sibelet, N
MINISTERIO DE ECONOMÍA
PLANIFICACIÓN Y DESARROLLO
enda-dom

2. Community Change
CONTENTS
Zambrana Abajo
Objectives
Methods
Experience of Rural Development
Role of Acacia mangium
Preliminary conclusions

3. Community Change
Municipal District of Zambrana Abajo
Dominican Republic
Sánchez Ramírez

4. Community Change
Objectives
General:
To identify the factors determining livelihood strategies and
the satisfaction of fundamental human needs towards
community development in Zambrana Abajo, Cotuí,
Dominican Republic.

5. Community Change
Objectives
Specific:
To understand the success of a process of rural development
in Zambrana Abajo
To recognize the learned lessons related to the timber-
yielding.
To identify an intervention proposal to guide the
development practice.

6. Community Change
Methods
Zambrana Abajo
Bayaguana

7. Community Change
Methods
The Community Capitals Framework (CCF) was used as a
methodological and conceptual approach.
Data collection:
- semi-structured interviews (households, key informants)
- focus groups
- participant observation
- secondary information revision.

8. Community Change
Experience of rural development
Members of the Agroforestry Farmers
Association of Zambrana – Chacuey
became engaged with the natural
capital (a forest species) to face and
overcome poverty.

9. Community Change
Role of Acacia mangium
NATURAL CAPITAL:
The restoration of forest cover with Acacia mangium and other forest species
controls the soil degradation and contributes to maintaining water sources..

10. Community Change
Role of Acacia mangium
HUMAN CAPITAL:
Development of activities related to Acacia mangium, led people to have
opportunities of training (agroforestry, cabinetmaking) and leadership
development (Agroforestry and Health Promoters).

11. Community Change
Role of Acacia mangium
CULTURAL CAPITAL:
Production of Acacia mangium motivated people to change their agricultural
practices (from monoculture to agroforestry systems: diversification).
Acacia mangium has become an identity symbol in the municipal district of
Zambrana Abajo.

12. Community Change
Role of Acacia mangium
SOCIAL CAPITAL:
Rural Federation of Zambrana-Chacuey was
strengthened; the Agroforestry Farmers
Asocciation of Zambrana-Chacuey (APA) was
created.
Local organizations have had the opportunity
to create links with other national and
international organizations (through ENDA
Tiers Monde)

13. Community Change
Role of Acacia mangium
POLITICAL CAPITAL:
Timber-yielding species (Acacia mangium) allowed the families of Zambrana
Abajo to face the restrictive policies of forest sector in Dominican Republic.
The dynamization of local economy and higher levels of organization motivated
the creation of a municipal district.

14. Community Change
Role of Acacia mangium
FINANCIAL CAPITAL:
Forest Micro-Enterprise of Zambrana-Chacuey was transformed into the
Cooperative of Agroforestry Production of Zambrana-Chacuey.
Trees open access to credit.

15. Community Change
Role of Acacia mangium
BUILT CAPITAL:
A community sawmill was installed.
Acacia mangium timber is used to improve housing quality.

16. Community Change
Preliminary conclusions
1. By strengthening human capital through training (Health and Agroforestry
Promoters) and the incidence of APA on the forest policies, people was
empowered to continue their community development process.
2. The use of Acacia mangium have determined new livelihoods (timber
yielding, cabinetmaking, timber transport and sawing) linked to this forest
species, improving the satisfaction of human needs (subsistence,
protection, understanding, participation, creation, identity, freedom).
3. The level of understanding about the potential and possibilities that
agroforestry systems represented in the livelihood strategies of participants
had an influence on the decision - making process toward innovation with
this type of systems.

17. Community Change
Thank you!