Huairou Commission 77d ago

What does a cooperative truly look like when it's rooted in community? HC member Angela Córdoba, a grassroots women's leader from Fundación de las Mujeres Cooperativistas de Panamá (FUNDEPROMUCOOP), visits the San Vicente Cooperative to hear directly from its members — women who have built something remarkable over decades. From supermarkets and restaurants to bakeries and community services, San Vicente has grown into a multi-sector cooperative that purchases directly from its own members at fair prices and serves its community affordably. But what makes this cooperative truly powerful is what it does beyond the market: supporting vulnerable youth, elderly residents, and others in the community with basic necessities and care. This is the cooperative model at its fullest — not just economic, but deeply social. Owned and led by the community, for the community. 🌱 Watch to hear their story in their own words.