Strengthening Microfinance Institutions to Better Serve Farmers and Rural Communities in Colombia

By Robert Giblin, F2F Volunteers in March 2023

About the Assignment: Robert Giblin supported Comerciacoop as a Strategic Planning Expert. Mr. Giblin assessed their current strategic development plan and provided recommendations on ways to improve and implement it across the organization. Mr. Giblin is a consultant, writer, and speaker on agricultural and food issues as well as best practices in public relations and market research. 

I recently returned from a two-week assignment in Chiquinquirá, Colombia, working with the leadership team of Comerciacoop, a financial services cooperative similar to credit unions in the U.S.  Comerciacoop is affiliated with Asomicrofinanzas, a leading organization in the financial sector in Colombia, which works to improve how microfinance institutions serve rural communities.  Among other services, Comerciacoop makes microloans to small farmers, artisans and other small businesses in Colombia’s Boyacá Department. 

This was my fourth Farmer-to-Farmer assignment, and second in Colombia.  Each has been a growing and learning experience.  For this assignment, we worked with the Comerciacoop leadership team on developing a communications plan to aid in their expansion in growth.  My role was to work with the team on strategic communications planning, contributing to a broader set of rural enterprise development strategies by strengthening microfinance institutions focused on serving farmers and rural communities. 

I always have mixed emotions just before taking on one of these projects.  On one hand, I’m excited about going to a new place, experiencing different cultures and ways of life, seeing new things, working with a new team and, of course, enjoying the foods unique to each area.  On the other, I always have some fears – not about the country – but worries that what we’re doing actually will make a difference and be usable.  I worry that the concepts and ideas I’ll be teaching can be interpreted accurately, and that they’ll make sense.  In other words, my biggest concern is that the effort will be valuable to them. Fortunately, as is almost always the case, things worked out fine.  The Comerciacoop team was an incredible group.  We had a lot of great participation, both in the planning efforts and some exercises we did to help understand the concepts and complement our interactions throughout the trip.   A lot of that was improved through the efforts of the Farmer-to-Farmer team and the field officer (Mauricio Mendoza Quesada), who was very adept at helping to interpret the concepts I was teaching.  He also helped me to better understand the challenges and opportunities facing the Comerciacoop team and organization.  We made a few adjustments along the way, but it was rewarding to hear that the team was already using the concepts and tools, even before we were done with the assignment. 

Along with the work, there were several other highlights.  The Comerciacoop team kind of “adopted” me.  They allowed me to participate in office celebrations for International Women’s Day, and men’s day, along with other activities.  The first week, we took a day trip to the colorful city of Ráquira, known for its artisans, who produce traditional northern Andean pottery, hand-woven goods and many other works.  Comerciacoop has a branch office there, and provides business loans and microloans to many of the nearby farmers and artisans. Seeing the farms along the way, and the fabulous work of the artisans, helped me to gain a greater understanding of the positive impacts of microfinancing in that area.  

Over the weekend, one of the Comerciacoop leaders also allowed me to join his family for a day of sightseeing in Boyacá , and to visit the Vargas Swamp Lancers Memorial.  It was a fabulous day, and very touching to be so warmly welcomed. 

It was an absolute pleasure working with the Comerciacoop and Partners of the Americas Farmer-to-Farmer teams both in the U.S. and Colombia, while also getting to learn more about Colombia, its people, and areas around Chiquinquirá and Boyacá.  I think we were able to add value to the organization and provide tools to assist their efforts.  It was a tremendous learning and growing experience, and a lot of fun.  Many thanks to Farmer-to-Farmer, Comerciacoop, and everyone along the way for another experience that I’ll remember for the rest of my life, and will share with friends and colleagues, who I hope to inspire as future volunteers.