Spaniards Turn to Barter, Alternative Banks to Alleviate Economic Pain

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Spanish institutions are in no shape to help struggling Spaniards, so they're turning to alternative banks and ways of exchanging goods to get by.

With Spain's crisis deepening, its citizens are not waiting for its institutions and leaders to deliver a recovery. They are instead turning to cooperative economic models: bartering, professional exchanges, ethical banking, and crowdfunding efforts to hold powerful institutions accountable.

Nurya Lafuente found her niche here. Back in 2008, armed with a degree in social education and anthropology, she could find no work, so she created an online company called Yo Voy (which translates to "I go").

Hundreds of …