15 years of cooperation in El Salvador
Between July 4 and 13, part of the TAU technical team had the opportunity to visit El Salvador, on a trip to supervise and learn about the projects supported in recent years in cooperation with the local organization CORDES. This organization works in 5 regions of the country and from TAU we cooperate as a priority in Region IV led by Alex Aguilar together with his efficient and committed technical team involved with the rural communities of Aguilares, San Pablo Tacachico and El Paisnal.
We were accompanied on the trip by Naroa Hurtado and Andoni Rodriguez, Gipuzkoan students from the University of Deusto who are going to carry out their internships at CORDES during the months of July and August, supporting the project to promote sustainable and responsible tourism in that region.
The agenda has been intense but fruitful and interesting. We have shared with women and men who participate in various projects executed or in the execution phase. Agricultural, water and sanitation projects, empowerment of women, support for the elderly, promotion of sustainable tourism… financed by the Basque Cooperation Agency, the Governments of Navarra and Cantabria, the Provincial Councils of Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia and the Bilbao City Council.
We have shared with the women of the ACOMADEGUA cooperative, women from the communities of Buen Pastor, Las Garcitas, San Antonio and Tacachico-La hacienda who work with pigs, basic grains and are beneficiaries of latrines, young people from Husisilipa, El Verdío, Rutilio Grande , Las Delicias and Santiago Torres, the Board of the Women’s Association of Aguilares ADCEMA, older adults from the Suchitoto Day Center. We have also held institutional meetings with the mayors of Aguilares and San Pablo Tacachico. Logically, the program of activities and meetings of the trip has been much broader and more important, as well as the information received on the current complex context of the country that allows us to put ourselves in the shoes of both the families and the daily work carried out by CORDES.
In all these meetings, people are grateful for the materials and equipment received, but above all they repeat what the strengthening of their capacities and empowerment processes have meant for them. The training allows them to become aware of their rights and obligations, equip themselves with tools for political influence, appropriate technical knowledge for productive work, get out of the daily routine, share with other women and men, strengthening their community and productive organizations.
This year we celebrate 15 years of cooperation with this Development NGO, which we were lucky enough to celebrate on the ground together with the entire CORDES technical team. We can only thank you for your welcome and closeness. This type of trip allows us to shorten geographical and mental distances to continue working together with greater strength for the development of the most impoverished rural communities. So be it!
From this link you can view what has been done in a project to strengthen the organizational, participatory and economic capacities of rural youth in the municipalities of Aguilares, El Paisnal and San Pablo Tacachico.
