For many years, FAI supported rural groups on the agricultural production as well as to organizational processes and those of self-management with important achievements such as the formation of the Farmer Union a former organization, as well as a women's organization called SSS Susan Sawyer who was grouping 600 members.

Without overlooking important alternatives for the field, FAI decides to orientate its strategy towards the work with women. The auto diagnosis reveals the urgent need to find alternatives of employment in the rural area for which proposes the creation of the micro enterprises project, FAI proposes the creation of micro enterprises as an alternative inside the model of Participatory Human Development, which seeks to promote the capacity of the individual to solve problems and to achieve a sustainability level, not only with the creation of financial resources, but with local, human and community resources.

The Communal Banks are born of the participation of women, who’s the main recipient of credit, taking individual saving or as group. Mainly, the credit is directed to invest in productive micro enterprise activities. This allows the diversification of the activities of the family to obtain revenue for other sources and not to depend only on the uncertainty of the agricultural production, predominant activity in the region.

Goals of the Communal Banks Program.

Support individuals initiative of low resources, especially women, for the accomplishment of productive activities in order to improve their family income. To educate on the importance of family savings of the groups in search of their self sufficiency.

Advising and training provided on basic business aspects in order to establish solid foundation and the ideal development of the productive tackled activity. To promote the integral development of the associated across their participation in community development programs and personal growth.

PROJECT OPERATION

The strategy underlines: The establishment of a system of small credits, which increase in relation to a series of savings for the accomplishment of productive activities. Along with advising and training in basic aspects of accounting, administration, self-esteem, human relations, etc. On the other hand, the installing of family gardens to improve their daily nourishment and to take advantage of the local resources, as a form of saving.