Elementos del cooperativismo que incentivan el desarrollo comunitario en San Antonio – Sígsig

Abstract

In the community of San Antonio, in the Cuchil parish, canton Sígsig, is located the headquarters of the (CACEH) “Caja de Ahorro y Crédito Ecos del Huallil”. It is a family organization composed of 68 associates, which I belong too, it was born in the year of 2007 over two main pillars: solidarity and cooperation. The purpose of this study was to determine the elements that this organization is contributing to the community development of San Antonio, and to identify the changes (of any kind) that have generated in the community since it was created. The participants of this research were nine members of the CACEH and three current leaders of the community San Antonio, to whom were applied semi-structured interviews. After the application of the interviews, with the intervention of the participants, we built a time line in order to identify those historical moments that had an impact on what is currently constituted, but also to know and compile how they are being projected (on the individual, family and community level). The first result reveals that the CACEH has consolidated elements (solidarity, union and values that involve sharing, caring for others and transcending from the individual to the collective) that have been historically present in the community of San Antonio, as well it is evident important qualitative changes (ideology, thought, values) in the associates of the CACEH, and also in the members of the San Antonio community, even though they are not members of the organization. It is possible to affirm that the organizational processes depend on the particularities of each context, but that they are built, weaved and strengthened in a kind of constant interaction between certain organized groups and their immediate system (community).