Women Saving in Solidarity

One of the many things Coffee Kids has learned over the years is the importance of solidarity. The success of long-term projects depends on the support, reassurance and dedication found in community.

The importance of solidarity is especially apparent within Groups of Women Saving in Solidarity (Grupos de mujeres en ahorro solidario) (GMAS). Established in 1992 in the communities of Cosautlán and Xico, in the state of Veracruz, GMAS was a product of the work of the cooperative AUGE.

The results from the savings groups were so remarkable that another partner, CECOCAFEN in Nicaragua, decided to create women’s savings groups in their communities as well. In 1999 Coffee Kids sponsored an exchange between the two cooperatives so that they could share expertise and see firsthand what it means to be in this together. There are now more than 150 savings groups in Mexico and Nicaragua and more than 4,000 women participating in groups in Mexico, Nicaragua and Guatemala.

Women’s experiences in the savings groups are as varied as the women themselves. Some are widows; others are single mothers, and some are waiting for their spouses to return from the United States. Some are merely saving, or saving money for the first time in their lives. Some are starting small businesses and others are growing larger enterprises. Their husbands’ reactions run the gamut as well. Some of the women attend meetings in spite of their partners’ objections, while others invite their husbands to join them. Some of the men even offer to volunteer for the group, recognizing its importance and even defending it from critics.

Most community members would not dispute the importance of GMAS—the benefits have been numerous. Coffee Kids has seen how GMAS has helped strengthen communities and women over the years. Not only have the GMAS groups strengthened local economies, they have given women the opportunity to learn new skills, such as administration, leadership and planning. The microcredit programs, which are an important part of GMAS, give women the economic security they need to plan, become more self-sufficient, and also less vulnerable to unforeseeable events such as illness, natural disasters or death. Many innovative projects have organically grown from the GMAS meetings. Within the microcredit scheme, projects in the areas of health, economic diversification and food security have become successful ways to meet the communities’ needs.

The road to sustainability may not be an easy one. And we are, after all, in this together. GMAS is a shining example of what it means to build community, support one another and make real change a reality.