It's graduation time for these women who have received training in entrepreneurship, basic computers and food handling. They will use the skills they learned to better provide for their families.
Daily life was once a struggle for women in the Colombian community of San Jose. They had no economic power and no job choices. It was tough to make ends meet, and most had to work as maids. Today, child sponsorship is helping change all that.
In partnership with Chamber of Commerce and other government agencies, World Vision is providing economic support in a variety of ways:
- Vocational courses in sewing, clothing design, computer usage, and food handling
- Training in entrepreneurship and small business management
- Support to enter the job market
- Establishing community banks to provide small loans, and allow members to pool resources
- Support to establish or expand small businesses such as retail and manufacturing of candy, clothing, handbags, shoes, and handicrafts
- Training community leaders to oversee development initiatives
Because of these initiatives, women are better able to support their children. Families are more productive and economically stable, which means they can meet their children’s needs in health, education, and other areas. People are also starting to save, which gives give them greater stability and helps them plan for the future.
