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Ecuador: Associations as the key of community development
09-02-2021
Training around associationism and organizational strengthening is essential for the development and progress of communities. The maxim that "unity is strength" acquires even more value in the case of development cooperation programs.
For this reason, training activities for the associations participating in the project 'Increase in the production capacity of guinea pigs with a value chain approach of 250 women farmers have recently begun ∕ is indigenous from Quisapincha, Tungurahua', co-financed by AECID.
The project is being implemented by Humana and its local partner in Ecuador, the Fundación Humana Pueblo a Pueblo. From the beginning it has been an exciting action and a wonderful opportunity to improve the living conditions of the communities involved and the local economy as a whole. It consists of organizing and optimizing the production of guinea pigs, a rodent appreciated in the Andean areas for its meat. The project, started in 2019, concludes this year 2021.
Promotion of cooperative work and its importance as an engine of the local economy
The objective of the training actions is to promote associative work, based on relationships of solidarity, cooperation, reciprocity and equity. The key is to promote cooperative work and its importance as an engine of the local economy. It is intended, at the same time, that they become tools to strengthen the communities themselves and that the actions that are implemented are sustainable.
For this reason, the aspects that are dealt with in these training processes are proactive leadership, associations, strengthening the organization and teamwork, gender and conflict resolution. The technical team of the Centro de Formación Ciudadana (CFCT) of the Provincial Government of Tungurahua is in charge of giving these workshops in coordination with the technical team of Humana Pueblo a Pueblo Ecuador Foundation.
Construction of a center for guinea pig management in which the community itself participates
The project includes the construction of a center for the breeding of guinea pigs and their preparation for their sale in the market. The administrative procedures for the construction of this center have lasted for about five months. During this period, the people involved in the project have generated 5,000 dollars thanks to the commercialization of vegetables and the first guinea pigs. They have decided to reinvest this amount in the project, thus becoming co-owners of the land on which the building will be built, with AECID funds, as it planned.
It is therefore an excellent practical example of how teamwork has managed to generate inputs and resources to reinvest in the project itself, allowing in this case to support the construction of the guinea pig management center. These well-managed facilities will be active for several years. This, together with the training and skills acquired by the participants, will favor the sustainability of the action, ensuring long-term results, for the benefit of the communities involved.
The association formed as part of the action has also worked with other associations in the area to create a corporation and, with it, achieve more and better results.
