A cooperative caring for local communities: Simone and Jonas' story

Cresol Tenente Portela

Founded in 1995, Cresol is an association of savings and credit cooperatives. It has 630,000 members in 17 states in Brazil. Aligned with Oikocredit’s social mission and values, Cresol and its affiliated cooperatives offer its members financial solutions to develop their businesses and benefit the communities in which they live.

When Cresol first started, it focused exclusively on supporting people in rural areas of Brazil. But as people started commuting more between rural and urban areas, the demand for financial inclusion in cities became too high to ignore. As a result, the association decided to serve in both rural and urban areas, mainly supporting small and medium enterprises.

Oikocredit’s team in Brazil has been focusing on partnering with cooperatives that have strong ties to local communities. As a result, Oikocredit works directly with Cresol Tenente Portela, one of the main cooperatives under the Cresol umbrella. Cresol Tenente Portela alone has more than 11,000 members and recently received a US$ 3 million loan approval from Oikocredit. This loan will enable the credit cooperative to meet the growing demands of small and medium-sized businesses and farming families who need more working capital to improve their livelihoods.

A taste of farm life: Simone & Jonas’ story

Simone Wolfardt Salla (age 37) and her husband, Jonas Salla, work a 29 hectare farm outside of Tenente Portela, which is in the state of Rio Grande do Sol.

The couple started their business producing things like soy, corn, wheat and hay, but Simone and Jonas had dreams beyond crop production. They wanted others to be able to benefit from the peace and beauty their farm had to offer.   

In 2020 the couple decided to combine their passion for hospitality with the wholesome food they were producing and started a brunch service. Yet however determined and hardworking the couple might be, they couldn’t do it alone. They needed financial support. Fortunately they had already been members of Cresol Tenente Portela since 2007.

“Without Cresol we wouldn't have half of what we have today,” said Simone.

With the financial backing of the cooperative, Simone and Jonas started welcoming visitors and giving them a taste of the farm life. The coupled also had the flexibility to get creative and expanded their business further by growing and selling flowers for their guests.

These endeavours brought in tourists from the cities  who wanted to enjoy a few hours away from the noise and chaos and be in the countryside.