ParCo was founded in 2018 as a location-based organization with a mission to put communities first in driving just, effective and lasting solutions to environmental and social challenges. The name comes from the first letters of the words Parceiros Comunitarios which means “community partners” to reflect this “bottom-up” approach.

Ilidio Cole and Juliet Lyon, both long time residents of Vilanculos, met at a community meeting about plastic bottles washing up on the beaches in May of 2018. Ilidio had started a beach cleanup team and brought it to Juliet’s attention after she hosted a public meeting about “the plastic problem.” They started Beach Clean together and attracted support from twenty local tourism businesses and Xico Gaivota. In October of 2018, Juliet and Ilidio were alerted to the problem of seahorse poaching in Mangalisse village. They brought together public and private collaboration to address it using the same “community-led” approach - launching Indigo Seahorse Adventures. That same year, they founded ParCo along with eight other local friends.

Today, ParCo has launched around 12 viable projects in Vilankulo, with significant support from tourism establishments, contributing to education, sustainable fisheries and biodiversity, circular economy and social protection. Now, with a staff of nine full time employees (including two security guards), ParCo operates out of the recycling center launched in 2020 in the center of town.