Women savings coop turns into social housing provider
A group of women started a loan- and savings cooperative in El Salvador (ACAMS) and 15 years later they are the motor of development in the rural town of Tejutepeque. The earthquakes 2001 saw them distribute emergency aid while at the same time they had to repair their damaged houses. With technical advice from the EcoSur network they began producing micro concrete roofing tiles and soon helped other women's groups in the country to do the same. The next step was to provide housing for their poor cooperative members, and this has turned into a strong movement expanding into the neighbouring municipalities.
By Kurt Rhyner
The change from teaching rural women to save in order to be able to borrow in difficult times, towards directing masons and carpenters did not come easy to Imelda and her colleagues. The tiles business went up and down, marketing was not easy because builders are rather suspicious about women producing novel concrete goods. Building houses became an even more complex task. They started with advice and supervision from their Nicaraguan network partner sofonic, who also introduced a new technology for the walls : ferrocement panels produced in the local workshop.
A solid partnership with DESWOS from Germany was building up and in 2015 ACAMS is looking forward to start their fourth housing project. Some 500 houses have been built or repaired in the last 8 years, almost half of them with the revolving fund created by the credit payments of the beneficiaries. While the foreign backed initial projects build full houses with the poor segments of the society, the revolving funds are mainly used for repairs and rehabilitation of deficient structures. Often it is the roof that needs repair, which in turn creates market for the tile production.
Meanwhile ACAMS has achieved a good level of competence, a creative master mason has integrated into the team and the finishing level of the buildings has become excellent. In the neighbouring town of Jutiapa, a new neighbourhood with 43 houses was built, all with ferrocement panels and micro concrete roofs. Once the masons were instructed, the project advanced fast in spite of the steep terrain and the difficult access. A social centre with children playground was added, it now houses a shop, a cyber-cafe is being installed and the meeting room with terrace is used frequently for meetings and family gatherings.
In their own town, they have renewed an old initiative for a golden age home. A semi finished building belonging to the local parish is being turned into a home for 14 old people who have nowhere to live, a local committee under the guidance of Imelda has organized popular and local institutional support for long-term sustainability of the program.
While they prepare for the next project which will concentrate on teaching masons in a dual education course of three years, several houses in the town of Tejutepeque are being rehabilitated under the direction of “Pacha”, the competent master mason.
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