Community Stores

We currently work with 5 community stores, four are located on the Oaxacan Coast and one in the Southern Sierra mountains. The Community Stores which EDUCA promotes offer local retail stores providing staples and a variety of products suited to the local needs. The cost of transporting goods in these areas is extremely high. Community Stores help people to purchase what they need without having to travel to distant markets. These organizations all form a part of RECGUESA - Network of Community Economics Organizations “GUESA”. Each is structured according to it’s local situation and need. In addition to their retail service, the stores also provide guidance for responsible and ecologically sound consumption.

Community Store - Xiniyuva , Ixtayutla
The community store of Xiniyuva is located in the Mixteco region of the Oaxacan coast. Without this store people would have to walk about 60 minutes to the next nearby small store traversing a 750ft canyon. Each year they rotate their organizing committee. Decisions are made in a joint manner which maintains the atmosphere of the community based organization. EDUCA has provided training in accounting and organizational dynamics. The Community Store fully paid off a loan made by EDUCA to start their operations.

Community Store - “Buena Vista”, Las Canoas, Santa Maria Sola
This is a recent Project that is in process startup. It has defined roles of an executive committee and a sales attendant to help it develop. They are now working on a sustainable work schedule.

Community Store - “El Ocote “, Tataltepec de Valdés
El Ocote, a community project, offers a wide variety of products, from staples to agricultural tools. A long and rich experience now serves them well. Each year the store directive committee changes and they maintain a sales manager who oversees accounting, inventory and general managerial duties. The full community participate together with the directive committee and the sales manager for general oversight. They are now looking at undertaking a new community project.

Community Store “Kiaa Loo Ikua” Rancho Nuevo, San Juan Lachao
This community store serves a Chatino population in 28 houses on an isolated mountainside. All community residents together direct the store’s activities. Rancho Nuevo counts on a vibrant core of leaders who have built off the base experience of the store to create a bee-keeping / honey making cooperative. The are undertaking new works to produce avocados and cattle.

Community Store “Nuestra Visión”, San Francisco Cozoaltepec
Members of a local community bank supported by EDUCA formed the community store, “Our Vision”. They are defining and consolidating the organization and operation. They have named an executive committee and a sales manager. They are developing specific ways to provide better service. The Community Bank provided seed money to start up “Our Vision”. This store arises as fruit of a well established process of rural community development.

Methodology

We use the approach and the techniques of Popular Education. This method helps us to assist our communities to assume more active roles in their organizations, their communities and in their local governments. We employ the following popular education tools: word creation, dynamics/games, drawings, workshops, skits, collage, and group journaling.

Success of the community stores

Challenges of the community stores