A co-op tour of Nicaragua

April 30, 2010

Director Roger Harrop and Delegate Dirk Willemsen recently returned from Nicaragua where they learned first-hand how co-operatives and credit unions are improving the lives of people in one of Central America’s poorest countries.

Roger and Dirk, along with Dirk’s wife Betty, travelled on an eye-opening, life-changing journey with a team of fellow Canadians on an 11-day development education study mission, organized by the Canadian Co-operative Association. “We are an eclectic group, reflecting the diverse and dynamic character of the co-operative movement in Canada,” commented Rayanne Brennan, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic Co-operator. Other teammates included: Marie-Claude Jette, Metis National Council; William Dawson, Okanagan Tree Fruit Co-operative; Vera Goussaert, Manitoba Co-operative Association and Assiniboine Credit Union; Myra Kormann, Calgary Co-op; Bill Lee, United Farmers of Alberta; Nicole Woelke, Confido DS and Red River Co-op; Lise Boissonneault, CCA project assistant, International Development Department; and Karen Timoshuk, CCA Development Education Co-ordinator, Prairies.

Nicaragua is a land of extremes: an impoverished paradise with placid lakes, active volcanoes and warm people, divided by class and polarized by politics. Its economic growth has been slowed by a civil war, a U.S. trade embargo and natural disasters, including the devastating hurricanes Felix and Mitch. Yet the Nicaraguans the team met are optimistic thanks to the support they receive from CCA. 

Roger and Dirk saw how generous Canadian co-operators are helping their counterparts in developing nations like Nicaragua turn poverty into prosperity by volunteering their services to the CCA and contributing to its fundraising arm, the Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada (CDF). During their visit to Nicaragua, they learned how CCA-assisted cooperatives and credit unions are helping their members do things Canadians take for granted, like sending their children to school and giving them fresh milk to drink. “This mission has given me a deep appreciation for what we have in Canada,” said Roger. “It’s been a truly educational experience.”

CECAMPO, multi-sector cooperative, helped coordinate the mission to Nicaragua. CECAMPO helps to meet the financing and training needs of six co-ops in Nicaragua, with the assistance of CCA, including a fisheries co-op in the indigenous community of Krukira, a red bean co-op in Masaya, and a coffee bean co-op on the island of Ometepe. The proceeds from these co-ops allow members to feed their families and improve the quality of their lives. “Our members are making improvements to their homes. We now have means of transportation. Our children are studying at universities. We have progress in the best possible way,” commented Bernardo Cardenal, President of CECAMPO.

The team also visited a Managua credit union that is giving micro credits to aspiring entrepreneurs, from tortilla and pastry makers to yucca and orange producers. Agriculture has been a central focus of CCA’s efforts in Central America, where the organization has been delivering services to build sustainable co-ops and develop human potential for the past 25 years.

Nicaragua is one of 22 countries around the globe where CCA is helping to promote economic sustainability and empower the disadvantaged. It does so by providing the knowledge, technical skills and financial resources needed to set up and strengthen co-ops and credit unions. 

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