I have been endlessly frustrated by seeing this term rendered as the false cognate productive projects. That rendition just won't mean much to English only speakers. Or it might make the listener instead think of things like cleaning out your garage, or organizing your cupboards - not starting a small business.
I also like 'income generating projects', which I sometimes see, but I stumbled on this better rendition in the article:
I would note that many of these entrepreneurial ventures by former FARC combatants are not small scale at all, but rather large scale coops - making everything from honey to bags to, my favorite, 'la roja' beer (see photo).