Coomacovalle

Coomacovalle is a membership organization of over 450 Community Mothers. Together they have around infants under their care in the age bracket from 0-5 years. Coomacovalle manages a number of different publicly funded Early Childhood Development programs in some of the most vulnerable communities in Cali, Colombia, as well rural zones. We are looking to collaborate with a wide variety of partners to promote the unique business model, support the Community Mothers and protect the Children. Our history starts more than 25 years ago when our founder, Gloria Pena, decided to partner up with other community mothers in her neighborhood in order to buy quality food at better prices for the children under their care. In 2005 she was able to incorporate the Community Mother Cooperative of Valle del Cauca. Today it is the only existing Cooperative in Colombia, attending to the needs of over young infants (0-5 years) on a daily basis. Every step of the way has been a struggle against the odds under demanding circumstances. Coomacovalle’s ECD programs are publicly funded. Additional funding has been received in the past from local as well as international NGO’s (ie. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation). As a local NGO we are constantly on the look out for new requests for proposals. Something we prefer to do with one (or more) of our partners. We are reaching out to new international partners on a regular basis, as we have experienced difficulty in finding the right talent, motivation and drive in the local market. An international perspective which is offered to our cause by our partners allows us to better position our social enterprise model in Colombia. International commitment and support is crucial in mobilizing our local partners. Together we can focus on a shared dot at the horizon. Being part of this Consortium, helps us in promoting our purpose, building on our qualities, and supporting our principles.