In this summary sheet, the teams from the Social Pastoral - Caritas Colombia and the Apostolic Vacariat of Puerto Leguízamo-Solano (municipality of Solano, Colombian Amazon) recount their experience of supporting five self-managed community savings and credit groups (GAAC), established since 2021.

However, this document identifies several areas of expertise developed by Social Pastoral care to support the creation, operation, and autonomy of these groups:

• knowing how to carry out a territorial diagnosis

• knowing how to form a cohesive group around shared criteria

• knowing how to transmit and adapt the savings and credit method to local realities

• knowing how to support democratic values within the group

• knowing how to adapt one's approach to progressively strengthen the autonomy of groups

• knowing how to develop women's self-esteem

Download the document (French only)