Challenge

The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted Brazil's economy in 2020, bringing inflation, employment decline, and unprecedented depression in tourism. According to the Getulio Vargas Foundation, Brazil's tourism sector lost R$116.7 billion between 2020 and late 2021. A severe drought in 2021 further hindered agricultural recovery. China Three Gorges International Limited (CTGI) operates 14 controlled hydropower plants in Brazil, whose surrounding communities depend heavily on agriculture and tourism. With tourism-dependent families losing their income, there was an urgent need to support micro-enterprises and tourism to promote community resilience and sustainable transformation.

Solution

CTG Brazil, an entity of CTGI operating in Brazil, launched two major programs. First, the Sustainable Tourism Innovation Challenge: In partnership with Ashoka Brasil, the company solicited sustainable tourism proposals nationwide, evaluating them against four pillars— economic, social, cultural, and environmental. From 197 submissions, three winning projects were selected: "Climate Guardians," "Bahia Community Tourism," and "Path of Freedom." Each received R$100,000 in funding and entrepreneurship training. Bemtevi, a local consulting company, provided the teams with business planning, project management, and metrics tracking support. The program also produced a 144-page qualitative research report on Brazil's tourism industry, providing valuable data for future policy and investment decisions.

Second, the Entrepreneurship and Income Generation Pilot: In collaboration with Instituto Meio, CTG Brazil selected three producer groups from 25 applicants based on five criteria including local relevance, execution capacity, and commercial potential. The selected groups — Associação dos Produtores Quilombolas de Invernada, Associação Sabor da Serra, and Associação de Mulheres Cruzeirinho — received investment acceleration and incubation support. In the Jurumirim hydropower region, 274 micro-entrepreneurs completed a two-month online training program, and three entrepreneurs each received R$4,000 in seed funding to launch or expand their ventures.

Impact & Value

Drawing on China's targeted poverty alleviation experience, CTGI applied the "teaching to fish" philosophy abroad — alleviating poverty while building capacity. In its first phase, the Entrepreneurship and Income Generation Pilot directly benefited 70 families and indirectly reached hundreds more. Individual artisan Cristiane Vanderlei saw her income increase by 74.1%, demonstrating the transformative potential of targeted support for micro-entrepreneurs.

The program deliberately prioritized women in poverty, providing employment guidance and support to the Cruzeirinho Women's Association — a group of 30 women — helping them improve agricultural production and sales efficiency. This gender-responsive approach ensures that benefits reach the most vulnerable members of the community.

The Sustainable Tourism Innovation Challenge passed review by Brazil's Electric Energy Regulatory Agency, achieving breakthroughs in management, impact, innovation, and systemic reach. In December 2021, it received the International Innovation Award from the Asian Association of Organizations.

As CTG Brazil's first self-funded social initiative focused on income generation and entrepreneurship, the program established multiple KPIs to track outcomes and is planned for replication around other hydropower plant regions. The initiative strengthens the social foundation of Belt and Road cooperation, demonstrating how Chinese enterprises overseas can create shared value for host communities while fostering mutual trust and long-term partnerships.