Youth Baking and Entrepreneurship Class

Year: 2014
Country: El Salvador
Project Status: Funded
Impact Sector: Economic Opportunity
Project Investment: $478.00

Project Launch:

The Complejo Educativo Caserío Rancho Quemado (CECRAQ) is a school that serves the community of Rancho Quemado, as well as much of the surrounding area, including communities in nearby Honduras. CECRAQ is one of the only secondary education programs serving the area since many of the surrounding communities do not have local schools or are only able to provide classes through sixth grade. The school plays an important role in youth development by offering music classes, IT classes, and organized sports, as well as extracurricular activities such as the school band, drama club, and volunteer groups.

 

This project will prepare students to create and manage a small baking and bread-making business to provide opportunities for self-employment and a stable income. Students will participate in entrepreneurship and business trainings, where they will learn basic business principals including accounting, cost analysis, marketing strategies, and business planning and administration. The students will also receive technical training from a local women’s group on how to make various breads and baked goods.

 

Project Update

Students have engaged in various workshops, learning about business skills, finance, marketing, administration, quality control, and teamwork. Additionally, they have completed a one-week baking workshop, focusing on five popular Salvadorian treats. With the help of local NGOs, the students developed a business plan and officially opened the bakery at the end of 2015. The community is very supportive of the group and local entrepreneurs have offered to sell the baked goods in their own stores. Five students have been elected to form a board of directors, making them responsible for overseeing and managing the business operations, and providing them a meaningful leadership opportunity.

 

Testimonials

"This project is an important learning experience for the students and a benefit to the school and the community. We are very proud." - Leonel, Project Leader

 

"I like the business classes and look forward to studying business in college." - Veronica, 18, Project Participant 

 

"I learned to never devalue my own time. My work is important because I wouldn't have a product without it." - Milton, 17, Project Participant 

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