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Cooperative Member Portrait – Melvin Diaz

“My name is Melvin. I’m 37 years old, from the community of Cantón Los Pinos, El Salvador. I am married and have three beautiful children. The first person in my family to join a cooperative was my father. Unfortunately, I barely remember him, as I was four years old when he passed away. However, he left his legacy in the cooperative to my mother, who worked hard to carry it forward.” Melvin and his family live overlooking lake Coatepeque in El Salvador, a beautiful area that inspired him to follow in his parents’ footsteps as cooperative members.

However, it took some time for Melvin to decide to join the cooperative. “Honestly, it wasn’t easy to follow in my father’s footsteps. When you’re young and without a stable job, you face many challenges and often move from one job to another. I ended up delivering gas and working in a maquila, but the salary was barely enough. I was spending more than I earned and exhausting myself every day.”

After those difficult times, Melvin made the life- changing decision to join the cooperative that his mother was part of, honoring his late father’s legacy. “Fortunately, everything changed when my mother gave me her cooperative membership. I knew this would bring positive changes to my life, and I didn’t hesitate to embrace the opportunity. From that moment on, my life began to improve.

Thanks to the cooperative, I learned many things, especially about agriculture. I’m now able to provide for my children’s education, participate in my community, and explore new business opportunities.”

Melvin also reflects “Here in the cooperative I learned the importance of diversification. Being organized and always open to new opportunities is key. A few years ago, the cooperative opened a restaurant and hotel by Lake Coatepeque, one of my favorite places. Thanks to this, we have started to dream big and have provided jobs for the families of our members and others in the community”.

Being a cooperative member has not only allowed Melvin to stay in his community but also to create economic opportunities for himself and others. “There’s still much to learn and many challenges ahead. Now, our goal is to make an even greater impact on this community of 240 families and complete the development of a tourist center that will create more jobs. This way, many young people won’t have to migrate from job to job. We’ll provide them with dignified work right here at home.”