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T his year , Páramo is celebrating 25 years of ethical partnership with the social enterprise
Miquelina , which empowers exploited women and girls affected by Colombia ’ s civil conflict to take their future into their own hands . With support from the welfare organisation Caritas Germany and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development , Miquelina ’ s fair trade production standards have been verified by the WFTO , of which it is now a fully-fledged member . All Páramo products produced at Miquelina from January 2017 will carry the WFTO First-Buyer label .
With Páramo ’ s encouragement , Miquelina registered as a charitable organisation in 1997 and achieved the ISO 9001 quality certification in 2002 . Today , the factory is responsible for well over 80 % of Páramo ’ s production . All factory profits are reinvested in equipment and in social projects . A housing cooperative in a district of Bogotá gives the women the opportunity to buy property at a fair price . The nuns have built a community centre , a virtual library , a kindergarten and a canteen for local schoolchildren . A recently launched satellite project in Pereira City , 200km west of Bogotá , is extending Miquelina ’ s valuable work in a new location .