This category recognizes the work of community leaders and ADESCOS that transform their communities with different projects and initiatives.

Obtaining these awards will allow local leaders to receive an economic incentive and the support of both the Foundation and its network of allies for the development of the project with which they competed. As in previous years, participating in the award represents a transforming experience for these communities, which gain experience and skills to compete for other types of funds.

To date, around $515,000 has been invested in the Community Development category for 61 winners of funds awarded to initiatives of high social impact, to develop areas such as drinking water, sanitation, productive development, community spaces, among others.

The Community Development category has so far benefited almost 46,000 people throughout the country.

Community Development is one of the three categories awarded within the Ayudando a Quienes Ayudan program. The other two are NGO and Social Entrepreneurship.

Each year, FGK launches an open call to fund and leverage the impact of social projects according to these three strategic areas of impact.

"The work with the communities that participate in the Community Development category is one of the most satisfying for us as Fundación Gloria Kriete. These communities come together and join forces to achieve real transformations. Our part is to help that seed and that effort to bear greater fruit, giving them tools and economic support to implement the projects they propose, and many times we achieve more than expected", says Roberto Kriete, president of the Fundación Gloria Kriete. .

This year a total of 234 local leaders showed interest in participating in the award, and 78 applications were received. The community development category awards ADESCOS and legally constituted Community Associations, composed of enthusiastic, organized and committed leaders who seek to improve the living conditions of their community.

The list of finalists for the NGO category was recently published, and in the next few days the finalists for the social entrepreneurship category will be announced.

"We want to multiply the impact that is achieved with the commitment of those who directly receive the benefit of all our programs. We want to inspire others to join our efforts. Participating in Ayudando a Quienes Ayudan changes the perspective of community leaders and opens doors for them to receive other funds, national or international, to achieve more outreach", said Juana Jule, executive director of the Fundación Gloria Kriete.

The evaluation procedure for Ayudando a Quienes Ayudan is governed by the "Manual del proceso de otorgamiento de fondos", and in turn is duly audited by the law firm Elías y Asociados, who are guaranteeing the process of selection and delivery of funds to the winners, to give greater transparency and credibility to the whole process.

"We know that this is just the starting point. These communities, as in previous years, are being enriched in the process from the very application to the award, with the experience of knowing and working with other ADESCOS, of learning about other projects and the mechanisms to apply for funds and execute them in a way that opens up new opportunities for them", commented Keny Márquez, director of the Ayudando a Quienes Ayudan Program.

The ADESCOS finalists are:

1. Asociación de Desarrollo Comunal Vamos Al Triunfo, (ADESCOVAT) of the department of Morazán: their project presented will allow the construction of a communal house that will allow events for the healthy recreation of its inhabitants, in case of emergencies it can be a place of shelter.

2. Asociación de Desarrollo Comunal Barrio La Cruz of the department of La Unión: its project aims to benefit 650 people with the construction of concrete in the main street section of the Alvarado sector, improving vehicular and pedestrian access.

3. Asociación de Desarrollo Comunal Nuevo Amanecer of the department of Morazán, its project aims to benefit 95 people with the construction of 20 composting latrines for families who do not have or had, but already fulfilled its useful life.

4. Asociación de Desarrollo Comunal El Cortez, (ADESCOEC) of the department of Ahuachapán, its project aims to benefit 68 people with the construction of 50 meters of perimeter fence for the Child Welfare Center and community house to provide protection to children participating in the program.

5. ADESCO Vista Hermosa of the department of Usulután, its project aims to benefit 2,000 people with the construction of a community house for meetings and activities within the community.

6. Asociación Comunal Administradora del Sistema de Abastecimiento de Agua potable alcantarillado y Saneamiento Ambiental (ACASAM) of the department of Sonsonate, its project aims to benefit 10,500 with the implementation of equipment to generate sodium hypochlorite in the Santa Lucia water source.

7. Asociación Comunal para el Desarrollo de la Isla Montecristo of the department of San Vicente, its project aims to benefit 150 people, through the repair of the main internal connectivity road between the valley and the main cultivation areas.

8. Asociación de Desarrollo Comunal Progreso Gente en Acción of the department of Morazán, its project aims to benefit 120 people through the construction of blind pit latrines to improve hygiene and health conditions.

9. Asociación de Desarrollo Comunal Nuevo Amanecer de La Frontera (ADESCONAF) of the department of Morazán, its project aims to benefit 90 people through the construction of a perimeter fence at the Child Welfare Center of Caserío La Joya.

10. Asociación de Desarrollo Comunal Francisco Morazán ADESCOFRAM of the department of Morazán, its project aims to benefit 365 people through the drilling of a well and construction of a perimeter fence for the supply of drinking water.

11. Asociación de Desarrollo Comunal Nuevos Horizontes of the department of Ahuachapán, its project aims to benefit 90 people through the construction of 480 M of environmentally friendly dry cobblestone.

12. Asociación de Desarrollo Comunal Piedras Pachas of the department of Sonsonate, its project aims to benefit 3,715 people through the expansion and improvement of infrastructure of Casa de Salud for Cantón Piedras Pachas.

13. Asociación Desarrollo Comunal Nueva Esperanza of the department of Usulután, its project aims to benefit 1,000 people through the improvement of a health house and sanitary services, to allocate a space with the necessary conditions in which medical consultations are performed.

14. ADESCO EL PROGRESO (ADESCOEPSA) of the department of Usulután, its project aims to benefit 125 people through the introduction of 34 drinking water services to low-income families.

15. Asociación de Desarrollo Comunal Nuevo Amanecer (ADESCOENA) of the department of Morazán, its project aims to benefit 847 people, through the paving and forging of a stretch of road from Guanacaste to the Torola River to facilitate access to productive land.

Each one of these ADESCOS has a different story to tell and this is what Ayudando a Quienes Ayudan seeks to unify efforts to continue helping more sectors in a more efficient way, thus achieving an articulated work, where the sum of the efforts of each party allows reaching the entire national territory and achieve those Deep, and permanent changes that can help change and/or improve the lives of many salvadorans.

In this 2022 edition, the program has been developed under the slogan “¡Escribiendo historias!” in tune with the spirit of the program: each project, each initiative, each organization, leadership or entrepreneur who decides to do something for the country and leave a mark, is part of those stories, in which there are contributions to society and lives are changed.