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COMUS
La Asociación Coordinadora de Comunidades Unidas de Usulután
Fast Facts
Located in the southeastern department of Usulutan
Serves approx. 4000 farmer families in 6 municipalies; 80 families are involved in the organic coffee program
Founded in 1990
COMUS was established in the midst of the brutal Salvadoran civil war in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was founded to provide and/or improve baic services for segments of the population that were repeatedly ignored by the government in power. Linked with the People's Revolutionary Army -- one of the 5 organizations of the Farabundo Marti Front for National Liberation (FMLN) -- COMUS collaborated with 60 communities located in the department of Usulutan to offer health, educational, organizational, infrastructural, and productional services.
In 1989, the communities of Usulutan hosted a series of meetings to try and figure out a way to reappropriate the land of the farmers that had been confiscated during the war. They came up with the Program of Land Transfers which was part of the Peace Accords -- a product of the meetings that year. In addition to regaining their lands, the Peace Accords promised social benefits for the communities. By 1990, COMUS, with the support of local communities and international help, defined 4 areas of their work: health, organization, production, and education.
The organization faced many obstacles in the initial stages of their formation -- economic policies implemented by the government intentionally strangled the efforts of any group deemed "revolutionary," making it difficult for COMUS to do its work. Nonetheless, they found support and aid from international organizations and were able to continue their developmental projects such as literacy programs and health initiatives. By 1994, COMUS gained legal 
status as a non-governmental, non-profit social organization.
In addition to health clinics, food security, water systems, and many other community projects, COMUS has also started a coffee producing project. 100% of the coffee their communities grow is organic and grown between 800 and 1,500 metres above sea level.
In 2009, Cooperative Coffees visited COMUS. The cooperative is one of the participating groups in El Salvador of the CRS CAFE Livelihoods project and will be contributing to Coop Coffees' 2009 Salavadoran supply.
Check out more photos of COMUS.
