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High in the sub-tropical mountains of San Fransico  de Pachijal, the Pachijal Cooperative and the Fundacion de Esquel are taking the bull by the horns in an effort to fight poverty. PROCESO, a program of
Esquel that joins in partnership with fledgling businesses in low
income communities, has given the Pachijal Cooperative a jump-start
in the cattle industry by helping them purchase over two hundred
bulls. Sam and I joined a group from Esquel visiting the ranches of
Pachijal leaders Juan Ludena and Castulo Alvarez to administer
medicine to the livestock and check on the progress of the
cooperative.
Life on the farms of Pachijal is hard, and so is getting there. We
made the journey through the mud-soaked jungle mountains by foot, by
horse and even by tarabita. The tarabita is a tiny basket, strung
between two rickety pulleys, that carried us one by one across the
rushing waters of the Rio de San Pablo. Although the group from
Esquel was wet and tired when they finally reached the farm, they were
surprisingly eager to work.
One of PROCESO's main contribution
to its partners is in providing technical assistance and training. The
bulls, purchased three weeks earlier, had to be given vaccinations to
protect them from parasites and viruses. Some of the bulls already had
tiny worms, called Nuches, lodged beneath the skin on their backs.
"Without vaccinations of Ivomec (anti-parasite medicine) and
 Aftobov (anti-virus medicine), these cattle could not survive in this
climate," said Angel Torres, an agricultural consultant from Proexant
(another non-profit organization) helping Esquel provide medical and
technical assistance to the ranchers.
Although they preferred otherwise, the bulls were funneled into a
narrow path on the side of the corral and each given the injections.
Afterwards, members of the cooperative gathered on the porch of Senor
Alvarez to talk with Rafael Pacheco, the head of Proceso, about the
conditions of the partnership between Esquel and the Pachijal
Cooperative. In one year, when the bulls are fully grown and sold for
 profit, the ranchers will not only pay back Esquel, but will also be
able to independently purchase another herd. This process will be
repeated for three to four years until the Pachijal Cooperative obtains a large enough herd to guarantee the sustainability and profitability of the project. At this point, the cooperative will be
self-sufficient and Esquel will cease to be a member of the
partnership. Rafael stressed that the success of the project relied
on the ranchers sharing responsibilities.
"Each of you must understand that these cattle are the
responsibility of everyone," he said, "No one person has the biggest
or most valuable bull. If a bull dies under the care of one, it is
the responsibility of all."
Senor Alvarez, although dirty and exhausted from administering
medicine to thirty-nine reluctant patients, seemed thankful that the
Fundacion Esquel had given him and his neighbors a chance to make a
better living.
" We want to work," he said as he pointed to his proud companions,
"and Esquel has given us the necessary resources to work."
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