Mutual Aid Cooperative Housing Program

FUNDASAL develops the projects: Strengthening and Consolidation of the Cooperative Movement of Housing by Mutual Aid; Regional School of Cooperative Training and the Implementation of Organoponic Gardens in Reduced Spaces with Families Associated with Housing Cooperatives.

Strengthening and Consolidation of the Cooperative Movement of Housing through Mutual Assistance

They seek to establish an alternative of self-management organization and improve the living conditions of the popular sectors of El Salvador through counseling and training to strengthen them socially and politically and to formalize their legal status and improve their administrative and management capacity.

• There are a total of 20 cooperatives to which FUNDASAL provides technical advice and training in seven municipalities and an equal number of departments, of which 13 are located in the Historic Center of San Salvador.
• They are made up of 567 cooperative families, of which 405 (71%) are female heads of households and 29% are male. Six pre-cooperative groups are in the process of formation.
• The capacities developed are applied in compliance with the rules of coexistence for cooperatives that already inhabit their housing projects and in the state that maintains their works, as well as in the administration of their economic projects in the case of cooperatives January 13, in the municipality of La Libertad and Héroes de Piedras Rojas, in the municipality of Ciudad Victoria, which continue to self-manage their supply stores.
• On the other hand, the impact from FESCOVAM and the cooperatives of the historic center has prompted the preparation of conditions by the VMVDU to initiate housing projects soon in two cooperatives of the CHSS to which already they were assigned lands.
• The Cooperative Association of Housing for Mutual Assistance El Triunfo (ACOVI-AMET) and the Cuna Cooperative Association of La Paz (ACOVICUPA), La Palma municipality, Chalatenango, have started the construction of the communal hall - the first socio-constructive process of reinforced, ecological adobe. With support from FUNDASAL, they have obtained permits for the construction of their homes.
• In this sense, the Genesis cooperative, located in the department of San Vicente, purchased the land for the construction of their homes; in addition, the investment proposal was approved.
• Work has been carried out with children and young people, through painting workshops in the housing complex of the Cooperative Association of Housing for Mutual Assistance of the San Esteban neighborhood (ACOVI-VAMSE), where 32 girls and boys participated as well as 13 young people coming from the CHSS cooperatives. With the acquired skills they developed murals in this residential complex. The murals workshop was replicated in the January 13 cooperative with 8 participants.
• As for the transfer of knowledge, exchanges and dissemination of the model, during 2016, 6 internships were attended: MULTIPRO and Juan XXIII of Nicaragua; CENCOVICOD; CIDAP of Peru; United Hands of Spain; CACVAM of Bolivia and FUCVAM of Uruguay.
• There have also been important exchanges and spaces for the transfer of knowledge on the cooperative model with the Central American University José Simeón Cañas (UCA), the University of El Salvador (UES) and the VMVDU.

Regional School of Cooperative Training

The Project of the Regional School of Cooperative Training (ERFC) promoted by COCEAVIS, of which FUNDASAL is a part of, for 2016 provided the tools for the sustainability of the model, forming cadres that continue to strengthen the social movement for a habitat -date.

Implementation of Organoponic orchards in small spaces with families associated with housing cooperatives.

This regional practice has improved the coexistence among the associated families; there is more awareness about the importance of food sovereignty, changing their eating habits and as an alternative for improving their families income.