“By heart” no more: Alfonso’s dairy business takes off

For a long time, 19-year-old Alfonso kept his small dairy business , France Lácteos, in his head. Every cost, every price, every litre of milk was tracked “by heart,” as he puts it, with no ledger and no plan. It was simply a good idea and a lot of nerve.

Before his engineering classes each day, Alfonso was up early turning milk into nutritious, artisanal yogurt products with fewer additives. For the most part, the routine worked. But he could feel the weight building.

“I had an idea, but I didn’t have a clear structure or vision for where I wanted to go,” he recalls.

Expecting little, gaining everything

Trial and error played a big part in Alfonso’s business when he was just starting out. Like many young people his age, he was still learning where his strengths and weaknesses lay, and where he wanted his future to go. Alfonso had the right attitude and winning spirit but lacked the resources to understand and manage costs, finances and growth.

Then he joined Youth Ready . The program, run by World Vision in his Ecuadorian community, helps young people build their skills and start businesses. In the beginning, he didn’t have great expectations. “I thought it would be just another youth workshop,” he says. But the experience proved to be very different.

Alfonso suddenly had a space to share his ideas and take in new ones. It connected him with other young people facing similar challenges. In time, he developed a sense of leadership, learned how to communicate with his peers and became skilled in business management.

His confidence flourished. “I began to organize my ideas better … and make decisions with greater clarity.”

Skills that scaled the business

After completing Youth Ready training, Alfonso pitched his idea to a selection committee for seed capital—the startup money every new business needs. He came out a winner, chosen for a well-designed plan with strong potential for success. It was a turning point for France Lácteos.

The funds allowed Alfonso to invest in essential supplies: a refrigerator, double burner industrial stove, two 40-litre milk tanks and a 300-litre freezer. These helped him produce more and produce better to respond to growing demand. He tripled his output, from approximately 40 litres to 120 litres of yogurt every five hours.

But the most meaningful change wasn’t in numbers. Youth Ready gave Alfonso a place to practice leadership alongside other people, and he found his voice. As a young entrepreneur, he'd faced skepticism from adults. Rather than letting that hold him back, he used those experiences to build confidence and sharpen his communication skills.

Today, he speaks with assurance and stands firmly behind his work. “What was once a weakness became a strength,” he says. “I learned to communicate better, project confidence and believe in what I do.”

Beyond business “by heart”

France Lácteos is thriving. Alfonso promotes his products at trade fairs, connects with new customers and responds to a growing demand for healthier food options. Monthly sales doubled from about CA$420 in the first half of 2026 to nearly CA$840 in July and August, a sign of growing momentum.

For Alfonso, however, success goes beyond business performance. It’s about having the confidence to dream bigger and the tools to turn those ambitions into reality. As a young entrepreneur who once ran his business “by heart,” the journey has been transformative, helping Alfonso find direction, strengthen his confidence and build a growing enterprise with a clear path forward.

“What started spontaneously has become a project with a vision,” he says.

Hear directly from Alfonso about what this experience has meant for him and his future.

To learn more about other young people building skills and starting businesses through Youth Ready, check out more stories about the program.