Walkout

Church and Plaza San Francisco, site of major credit cooperative in Quito,
H Graem © 1966

 

This church was the location of a cooperative I worked with in Quito. As I recall, it was a well run operation. Not much to add to my words of 1966 regarding our Volunteer work with the credit cooperatives and the politics of the national organization which resulted in the "Walkout" which is the title of this post. I do wonder if the Federation still exists and if it still oversees Ecuador's cooperatives at the national level.

According to RFILC, in 2020 the savings and credit cooperatives in Ecuador are second only to the banks in the financial sector. Cooperatives handle 10% of the national financial transactions. There are more than 430 cooperatives that serve about 1,800,000 clients, 60% of which are micro-enterprises (and 45% rural micro-enterprises). The majority of the cooperatives are predominantly urban. Information respecting the status of credit cooperatives in Ecuador in 2005 may be found here.

At the end of 1966, these persons in the above photograph were at work at the National Federation of Cooperatives Headquarters in Quito. Not present were Ecuadorian extentionists and Peace Corps Volunteers busy elsewhere in the country. The only Americans present were Dan Moriarty (CUNA) and one Peace Corps Volunteer, Hugh Graham.

 

National Federation of Cooperatives
Quito Headquarters

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo above was taken at the market discussed in the letter, H Graem © 1966

 

Otavalo market in 21st Century,
H Graem © 2007

Map showing location of Otavalo
and Ibarra in relation to Quito.

 

Mount Cayambe partially visible and crested with clouds on a return trip to Quito.
H Graem © 2007