Malaga province's smaller municipalities are combating depopulation, digital ignorance and the lack of opportunities through 17 projects that the Malaga provincial authority and Fundación ' ... la Caixa' are collaborating on. They are particularly focusing on towns with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants.
This is the 12th year of this collaboration that can help an elderly man in Ronda connect to his health centre through a digital tool or a young female entrepreneur in the Axarquía launch her agroecological project without having to leave her village.
These selected projects focus on four major challenges: putting roots in the local area, technology for social innovation, emerging rural economies and social inclusion. All of these relate to creating opportunities in rural areas, developing technological solutions with a social purpose, promoting new economic activities and improving opportunities.
This year's objectives and challenges will be achieved thanks to the social organisations in the province that will carry out the 17 selected projects. These are: Asociación DYAR ('Discover and Learn'); Asociación de Nuevos Residentes y Extranjeros de Malaga (association of new residents and foreigners of Malaga); Asociación de Mujeres de Yunquera (association of Yunquera women); Asociación para el Desarrollo del Turismo Rural y su Cultura 'El Pasero' (rural tourism association); Fundación Marcelino Champagnat; Asociación Juvenil Atrompikones; Asociación de Profesionales de Juventud de Málaga; Videojuegos Sin Fronteras; Asociación Cultural Tabularium; Fundación Alternativas por la Sostenibilidad Real (ALSORE); ALIKINDOI; Asociación Nueva Alternativa de Intervención y Mediación (NAIM); Asociación Arrabal-AID; Asociación Tomate Huevo Toro, Frutas y Verduras del Guadalhorce; Asociación Movimiento 55+; Fundación EDAU (Educación Autismo); Asociación Taller de la Amistad; Asociación Unidad de Protección, Rescate y Defensa Animal.
"This call for proposals (...) demonstrates how social innovation and technology can be harnessed to serve people and address such significant challenges as inclusion, the creation of opportunities and demographic change. At the 'la Caixa' foundation, we are committed to supporting initiatives that help to strengthen ties to the local area, revitalise rural communities and promote more balanced and sustainable development. Thanks to the work of social organisations, we are moving towards communities that are more resilient, more cohesive and better equipped to face the challenges of the future," Fundación 'la Caixa' deputy director-general for social affairs Marc Simón said.
Deputy head of residents at Malaga's provincial authority Antonia Ledesma highlighted the province's potential to carry out this digital transformation: "Malaga has a network of organisations capable of generating innovative solutions and this call for proposals enables us to support them, connect them with knowledge and technology and turn those ideas into projects capable of transforming the area."
From agriculture to digital solutions
Among the 17 selected initiatives, proposals focusing on social entrepreneurship and green and circular economy stand out. Training in new technologies applied to sustainable agriculture, the efficient management of natural resources through data and digital solutions and the promotion of local trade networks driven by decentralised digital platforms are some of the key themes underpinning this call for proposals.
Innovation acts as a magnet to keep young talent in the area, transforming perceptions of the rural world: from a place of limitations to a living laboratory of innovation and sustainability.
The social aspect prioritises groups in particularly vulnerable situations. Low-income families, people with disabilities, women seeking employment and young people at risk of social exclusion benefit directly from these programmes and grants. Each of the 17 projects includes a personalised support programme, ensuring that the impact is not merely superficial but brings about lasting change in the lives of the participants.
The success of this programme will not be measured solely by the overall figures for funded projects or by the budget, but by the difference it makes to the lives of Malaga province's residents: the person learning to carry out administrative tasks with ease; the farmer optimising their production thanks to smart tools; the young person finding a career path without having to pack their bags; and the elderly person who feels supported thanks to technology-enabled care networks.