eng.asociacion cooperativa de produccion agropecuaria y servicos mulitples las bromas

8/2/2019 Eng.asociacion Cooperativa de Produccion Agropecuaria y Servicos Mulitples Las Bromas

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The experience of Las Bromas: Cooperative Association

of Agricultural and Livestock Production and Multiple Services

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1. Where does the experience take place?This experience takes place in the village of Las Bromas, Lomas de Alarcn Canton,Atiquizaya Municipality, Ahuachapn Department, 3 kilometers away from the center ofthe Municipality, 13 kilometers away from the municipal town and 92.5 Kilometersaway from the capital, San Salvador.

This is a rural community; the main economic activity is focused on basic grains and toa lesser extent on vegetables, using irrigation. The basic productive resource is theland extension, each family has 4 manzanas (1 manzana is approximately 0.7 ha), asresult of the land distribution after the Salvadorian Land Reform. Currently, funding isobtained through a revolving fund managed by the cooperative. The main water sourceis San Antonio de Atiquizaya River, an irrigation cannel is derived from the river andsupplies water, and some families have artesian wells.

The stakeholders of this experience are 42 personas -24 women and 28 men- that arethe current members of the cooperative, which is led by an Administrative Councilcomposed by 4 women and 1 man, and a Surveillance Board composed by 3 women.

The experience started in late 2004, when a group of people-7 women and 5 men-were interested in reactivating the cooperative that had been inactive for 10 years,after the distribution of land by the Salvadorian Institute of AgriculturalTransformation (Instituto Salvadoreo de Transformacin Agraria) (ISTA).

The following are some of the institutions related with this experience: the Ministry ofAgriculture and Livestock through the Department of Agricultural Associations thatprovided the legal status; the Federation of Cooperatives of the SalvadorianAgricultural Reform (Federacin de cooperativas de la Reforma Agraria Salvadorea)(FECORASAL) that supported during the reactivation process; and the programMAG/PREMODER that boosted the reactivation process through organizationalstrengthening, investments, productive and entrepreneurial technical assistance; other

institutions have also contributed, such as, CENTA, FAO, Red Cross, National CivilPolice, Episcopal Church of El Salvador, the womens movement Mlida Anaya Montesand MAG/ AGRONEGOCIOS.

2. What do we learn from this experience?We will learn about the strengthening process with strong presence of women,identifying effective actions to strengthen leadership, enablers, as well as identifyingobstacles and lessons learned.

We will analyze impacts of the organizations strengthening process with the

participation of women in the different aspects of the organization.

We will identify changes related to the reduction of gender gaps in the organizationand the impact of these processes on members, their families and communities.

We will get to know strategies implemented to strengthen the participation ofyoungsters and their impact in terms of gender relations and, finally, we will identifygood practices implemented by PREMODER and their results, specially themethodology Closing Gaps, its steps and components.


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Learning Route:

Tools to mainstream gender equity and womens empowerment

in IFADs projects: the experience of Central America

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3. What are the key moments of this experience?Since its creation, the organization has gone through a series of critical situations, as ithas changed address, name, activity, members, and has also gone through inactivityperiods until it became Las Bromas de R.L.,; women have played an essential role in

the reactivation, although it was agaisnt the traditional role of women that consideredthem as submissive and dependent, without participation in decision-making andlacking leadership in their families and organizations.

The Cooperative emerges as result of the transfer of other cooperative from thereformed sector located in Ahuachapn Municipality, and was established as thecurrent Las Bromas Cooperative in February 1988, with 32 members and 2 womenthat joined because their husbands died; at that time, women didnt join directly as thelaws didnt allow it, and they didnt desire to join the cooperative. The main activitiesof the cooperative were focused on livestock, as well as okra and marigold crops,entirely managed by men; women acted as assistants in meetings without greaterparticipation at any level.

Cooperatives inactivity period (1990- 2003), the cooperatives land was parceledgenerating inactivity as members didnt find reason for collective work; there was alsosome collective land of 1.5 manzanas (1 manzana = 0.7 ha), where the office waslocated, this areas was completely abandoned, without fences and protection.

Initiation of the reactivation (2004) A group of women, among them several wivesof non-active members, got together to manage a water project for the communitywith the advice of an evangelical pastor; they started selling typical food in order toobtain funds to manage the project, during these efforts they visited FECORASAL thatlinked them with the Joint Association for Integral Development Ahuachapn enMarcha. This association is an instance of integrated consultation of municipal mayorsof the department, as well as men and women leaders from the area. This association

supported the group of women in order to update the legal status of the cooperativeand contacted them with MAG/PREMODER.

Pre-investment studies (2004-2005). Pre-investment studies were performed withMAG/PREMODER, starting with an Organizational Diagnosis with gender approach and,simultaneously, the demand of the womens group of reactivation of the irrigationsystem was addressed; and the project Repair of the irrigation canal was developed,through a reconstruction component. In 2005, the Organizational Strengthening Planwas prepared and the Business Plan was formulated with a participative approach, toinvest in the vegetable and fruits production project with irrigation, following theprograms methodology.

Organizational Strengthening. A training and technical consultancy program started

in the areas of business management, associativity, gender and production; technicalstaff was contracted with PREMODERs funds, one person for each area, as apreparatory stage to defend the project in an assessment committee. Later, in 2006,we received the funds transfer for investment and technical assistance to implementthe project.

Production and commercialization (2007-2011). The cooperative developed thevegetables production and commercialization project using the collective land, wherethe offices, clinic and storage facility were located. The project has irrigation channels,


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a pump, and some members have dripping irrigation systems, fumigation equipment,crates and tools, given as part of the productive project, members have an area ofapproximately 1312 mts2, producing cucumber, elote, French green beans, loroco,papaya, citrus; these products were individually commercialized in the community.

The organization also manages a credit revolving fund that provides agricultural

supplies for an average amount of $600.00 per member, the organization also has amicro agro store that supplies basic products to the community and the area, thisbusiness is managed by a local manager, daughter of one of the members.

4. What are the results and achievements?Womens participation in the cooperative has increased; this has positively affectedwomen, their families, the cooperative and the community.

Progress in womens participation, empowerment and gender equity

At personal level

A few years ago, cooperatives women had good ideas, but they were not able toexpress themselves. They depended on their husbands for most decisions, includingthe ones related to sexuality. Now, we have learned how to make decisions, mainlydecisions related with our bodies, and also about social relations. We value ourpersonal capacities, for example, producing vegetables, attending to trainings,expressing points of view, negotiating proposals in the family.

We women can do things on our own, and we can defendourselves in all aspects

Deisy Morena GarcaMember

At familiar level

Women give an economic contribution to the household; this empowers them to makedecisions mainly related to incomes distribution. The husbands and the familiesrecognize their capacities, value their points of view. All these have improved lifeconditions, for example, improvements in the diet, cloths, greater access to healthservice, improvements in household infrastructure and great access of children toeducation. And also, relations in the family have improved through communication,support to housework and shared decision making.

In the past, we women worked supporting our husbands, nowwe work at the crops, we help each other, but we generate our

own incomes, this gives us right to express our points of viewand to take part in everything in the household, with our

incomes our family improves, for example, my daughter studiesBusiness Administration at the university, as result of this

project

Marlene AguilarMember of the Administrative Council.


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Learning Route:



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Technological aspects related to production have improved thanks to the trainings andtechnical assistance received by men and women, specifically on crops management,production diversification, elaboration and use of organic products, as well asmanagement of the dripping irrigation system.

Another important element is not relying solely in vegetables production, as incomegenerating activities have extended to other productive activities, such as livestock orrural microenterprises, nixtamal mills, among others.

At organizational level

During the last 4 years, womens participation has improved as they have 57% of themembership (24), the Administrative Council is integrated by 5 persons, 80% arewomen (4), the Surveillance Board is integrated by 3 women, this facilitate decisionmaking. There is also a multiplying effect outside the cooperative, as several applicantshave started to cultivate vegetables in small parcel, following the work that themembers are doing, and the members offer technical assistance and recommendationson pests and disease control both for members and no members.

Female leadership is evident, most of themembers respect the directors, but there arestill some persons that are against ourproposal, mainly directors from previousadministrations that oppose to womensproposals, but most of members supportwomen.

The cooperative has a voluntary localmanager, daughter of a member; sheadministrates the economic activities of the

cooperative. In the past, there was aneconomic incentive for this position from thefunds transferred by PREMODER.

The organization manages a three-year integral work plan and also participative annualplans; the plans include productive, entrepreneurial and social activities, the latterinclude diverse projects, such as the reactivation of the cooperatives clinic, the healthprogram has been developed together with the Anglican Episcopal Church offeringservices for the entire community in general medicine, dentistry, psychology,respiratory therapy, child and prenatal care. In this project, 3 members act asvoluntary health promoters, they develop preventive work, breast cancer detection,among others. They also have contact with other cooperatives in the area, such as ElJcaro, Joya del Venado and Asociacin Campesina de Lomas de Alarcn, sharing

experience through the program CENTA FAO and PREMODER to foster the participationof women in these organizations, and, in the entrepreneurial aspect, planning alliancesto storage vegetables, as there is a plan to deliver vegetables to the supermarketchain Wall Mart.

We women are proud of the work in the

cooperative, men recognize our work. At the

beginningthey didnt trustus; they said that therehad never been a cooperative led by women that

was not possible. Now they are satisfied and

engaged with our ideas

Blanca del Carmen Perdomo

President of the Administrative Council


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At local level

The organization is recognized at the level of the Ahuachapn Municipality andDepartment, as their leaders take part in different consultation spaces at municipal anddepartmental level, such as, the Womens Association Atiquizaya, the womensmovement Melida Anaya Montes, the Federation of Cooperatives of the Agricultural

Reform (Federacin de Cooperativas de la Reforma Agraria Salvadorea)(FECORASAL)and the alliances of cooperatives in the area.

SUCCESS FACTORS AND CONSTRAINS

The following are some of the factors that have contributed to favorable results: thepresence in the area of institutions that support rural development with genderapproach; financing for technical assistance and productive projects from saidinstitutions; availability of productive resources, such as land, water and especially thedesire to succeed.

Before PREMODER supported us, no one supported us; now, wehave installed capacity and human resources and other material

resources, now we are valued

Santos Elizabeth InterianoMember

In order to achieve the abovementioned, women have worked and broken traditionalschemes related with their own person, family, organization and community; theyhave overcome obstacles, such as: criticism from neighboring houses, jealousy andmachismo of spouses, lack of support to womens work from other members, jealousyand underestimation of other women, low educative levels, scarce economic resourcesand land tenure; at the beginning, both members as well as persons from thecommunity, didnt respect the cooperatives facilities, we had to go through legal

process to solve these issues.

5. What are the tools and good practices implemented by PREMODER thathave contributed to these achievements?

In the organization, members recognize that achieved changes are the result ofPREMODERs support through the facilitation of technicians with gender awareness,offering services with gender approach in the following areas: entrepreneurial,production, accounting, associativity. The key person has been the expert in genderthat led the technical team in the field, in order to integrate the gender approach in theentire work. The following are the basic strategies used to include gender topics in theorganizations work:

The norms established in the Program since the beginning of the intervention, pointingthe need of including women in all the processes: development of the diagnosis,elaboration of the organizational strengthening plan and business plan with genderapproach. The needs and interests of different areas were determined through thesetools. The group priorities were food security and income generation, as women had aprecarious situation and women didnt have spaces for their direct intervention.Through the different processes womens intervention in productive projects has beenlegitimized, and the organizational strengthening plan started to include topics relatedwith gender, such as self-esteem, leadership, equity in decisions-making, conflict


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management, masculinity, cooperative, associativity, funds management, amongothers, that strengthened womens entrepreneurial attitude.

Before the approval of the project, a strengthening process began based in the planthat was prepared.

The strengthening process in the abovementioned areas, continued after the fundstransfer; through weekly visits to develop capacities, technical support in the plots,exchange visits, specific consultancies, technical support, fostering the participation ofwomen, identifying convenient days and times for participants.

The following is the methodology used to disseminate the gender approach to theproductive, administrative, organizational and entrepreneurial areas:

Development of a training program on gender topics, with emphasis on decision-making, leadership, self-esteem and allthe other topics already mentioned;through 4 hours sessions, once a week,using diverse support materials, amongthem illustrated booklets, boards, etc.

Constant promotion of women inclusionon executive levels, emphasizing therelevance of their representativeness inthe organizations decision-making.

Gender trainings were included into the cooperatives work plan with the support of anexpert in gender.

These sessions contributed to create awareness, mainly among men that gave roomfor womens participation; all these have strengthened female leadership and women

have learned to talk in public.

Other strategy is the replica to other women outside the association, for them to startproducing vegetables; several cooperatives applicants are already working withvegetables.

Based on the results of this tool, some actions were programed in different areas, suchas literacy for members and their families, with the technical and financial support ofPREMODER and the Ministry of Education that contracted someone to develop theliteracy program, this person was a member, from 2007 to 2010, 36 persons benefitedfrom this service.

The abovementioned health

program continued, as well asophthalmology, gender trainingand awareness, leadership, self-esteem and empowerment, withthe support of the womensmovement Melida Anaya Montesthat invites us to trainings.

During the period 2007-2009, I was president, but I had a constrainin writing, it was hard to perform this activity as I only studied up to

2nd grade; now, with the alphabetization I have the equivalent to 6thgrade, I feel able.

Marlene AguilarTreasurer of the Administrative Council.

Closing Gaps Methodology was developed through 2workshops with groups interviews to men, women anddirectors to reflect on current involvement of men and

women. Actions were defined in order to overcome difficultiesidentified, taking note of them in a board to be reviewed

every 6 months, in order to assess progress on the topic.


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Other aspect was the participation of memberssons and daughters, as well as of otherpeople in the community, through consultancies in organizational aspects and projectmanagement; training and equipment was provided for a bakery administrated by theyoungsters.

6. What are the lessons learned?In the organization there are different points of view on this regard; women considerthat the main lessons of this economic, organizational and social empowermentprocess are the following:

Gender awareness processes for men and women are essential, in order topromote womens participation in productive, entrepreneurial and socialactivities; and also, for men to identify and facilitate those activities,recognizing the valuable contribution of women in the household, organizationand community.

Female leadership is essential in productive organizations, to facilitate decision-making, access and administration of productive resources, and facilitatedevelopment opportunities for the families, with special emphasizes on women

and youngsters. Integral organizational strengthening with the support of multidisciplinary

teams composed of men and women with gender awareness- is important tobooster womens economic and social activities through methodologies thatallow women improving their performance in different activities of thecooperative, strengthening their self-esteem and gaining the respect of othersmembers.

The used methodology has allowed meaningful changes in the lives of womenand their families, as there is greater integration in the families; housework andproductive work are shared, gender gaps have meaningfully decreased, asthere is acceptance and support towards female management.

As we women, take executive positions in different structures, ascommunal boards, schools, cooperatives, among others, we are

going to change the cultural system in our country

Blanca del Carmen PerdomoPresident

The tools have allowed having new perception of the reality thatincludes the organization, production, commercialization, socialrelations, and social needs, all with gender approach.

Marlene AguilarTreasurer

Now, women make familiar and organizational decisions, and wemen have learned that women have capacity and value, otherwisethe cooperative has not been saved.

Rodolfo Arturo PerdomoMember

Women are good administrators in the cooperative, very responsible,since they started to be in charge of the administration, there are more

incomes for the cooperative and more benefits for their families.

David Castro

Member

eng.asociacion cooperativa de produccion agropecuaria y servicos mulitples las bromas

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