Presentation of the dish of the Alimenta360 course in Mérida
On December 8 and 10, the participants of the II cohort of the Alimenta360 short course in the state of Mérida presented a delicious snack for the children who were beneficiaries of the program, taking into account the knowledge acquired throughout the month of November. The dishes were evaluated by a jury made up of nutritionists, sisters from Colegio San José de la Sierra, and personnel from Trabajo y Persona. The 14 participants were divided into two groups and organized the preparation of food by season.
Colorimetry course for Chocolate Entrepreneurs
On December 9 and 10, the Chocolate Entrepreneurs from different cohorts: Janeth Rivera, Jenniffer Mendible, Liseth Mendoza, María Angélica Guzmán, María Angélica Hoheb, Maribel Urbina, Marielys Laurens, Mirna Eduardo and Raiza Álvarez, participated in the Colorimetry course for bonbon organized by the Venezuelan-Italian Chamber of Commerce (CAVENIT) within the framework of the Venezuela Tierra de Cacao project. The graduates received different techniques for the application of color to chocolates by the teacher Alexander Espinoza in the facilities of the Franceschi laboratory.
Last virtual graduation of the Venezuela Tierra de Cacao project
On December 10, the last virtual degree act of the Venezuela Tierra de Cacao project of the IV and V cohort of Virtual Chocolate Entrepreneurs, and the II cohort of the Entrepreneur Complement to Artisan Chocolates took place. The event was broadcast via Zoom and included the participation of Sofía Tofano, director of the Venezuelan-Italian Chamber of Commerce; José Antonio Martínez, general manager of the French-Venezuelan Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture; Alejandro Marius, president of Trabajo y Persona, as well as members of the organization and project coordinators. The graduates were from the towns of Lara, Carabobo, Sucre, Mérida, Aragua and Caracas.
Day of training workshops with chef Sergio Arango
On December 10, 11, and 13, a day of training workshops was organized with chef Sergio Arango at the Euro-Caribe Internacional Hotel in the city of Carúpano, Sucre state. The training consisted of three workshops: first, dehydration, then pickles, and finally, standardization. The 54 participants, graduates of Entrepreneurship and Nutrition – Gastronomy360 and the Venezuela Tierra de Cacao project, were able to acquire knowledge about the techniques presented by the chef, in addition to exchanging ideas and experiences among colleagues.
Closure of the Venezuela Tierra de Cacao project
On December 13, the closing of the Venezuela Tierra de Cacao project took place at the Bigott Foundation after several years of hard work. There were the presence and the words of Geert Anckaert, head of cooperation of the Delegation of the European Union in Venezuela; Placido Vigo, charge d’affaires of Italy in Venezuela; Romain Nadal, French ambassador to Venezuela; Cristoforo Furst, general secretary of CAVENIT; Ángel Viso, president of the CCIAVF, and Alejandro Marius, president of Trabajo y Persona. During the event, a video summary of the entire development of the project was presented along with several testimonies of graduates from all the localities. In addition, there was a presentation and symbolic baptism of the project’s graduates directory.
Presentation of the final dish of Gastronomic Entrepreneurs
On December 14, the final dishes of the III cohort of the Entrepreneurship and Nutrition program were presented at the CECAL Luisa Cáceres de Arismendi facilities in Valencia, Carabobo state. The nine participants presented their three-course menus to the qualifying jury. The jury was made up of Nelson Valecillos, professor of the trade; Desiré López, representative of Cáritas Valencia, and Endrina Cerró, regional coordinator of Trabajo y Persona. The quality of each dish was noteworthy, from its preparation to the oral presentation of the participants, who demonstrated knowledge and handling of the techniques and the origin of each recipe.
Five-course fraternal dinner
On December 15, a dinner was organized by the 25 graduates of the Entrepreneurship and Nutrition – Gastronomy360 program and the Venezuela Tierra de Cacao project. Together with allies, chef Sergio Arango, and coordinators Lineth Rosario and María del Rosario León, the purpose was to generate a meeting in order to share the progress of both programs in the town of Sucre. The dinner was divided into five courses: appetizer, hot starter, cold starter, main course, and dessert. Diners were able to taste a range of dishes and flavors such as the trio of cocktails, blackened pork with Santa Bárbara molasses, coconut rice, cocoa ice cream on a floor of nougat, etc.
Graduates participated in the Santiago Market
On December 17, 18, and 19, the Santiago Market took place. This activity was organized by the Santiago Apóstol parish of La Punta and its parish priest, Father Edduar Molina, together with Trabajo y Persona. In this activity, 10 entrepreneurs and graduates of both gastronomy and chocolate participated: Elizabeth Rojas (@delicias_times); Gabriela Sánchez and Yasmira Pineda (@empinedasfood); Liliana Rodríguez (@creacioneslilror); Margaret Ibarra (@mamazula_creaciones); Rosayni Oarra (@la_mies_3); Yexcenia Acevedo (@byyexceniaacevedo); Christie Zerpa (@postresambar_); Venere Salazar (@loraine.vzla) and Aphrodite Pinto (@dolcemelitta).
Christmas bakery by Yulimar Sánchez
Yulimar Sánchez, a Gastronomic Entrepreneur and graduate of the IV cohort of the Entrepreneurship and Nutrition program – Gastronomy360, made traditional and Christmas baking. Since October, she has strengthened her entrepreneurial work in the art of the traditional Tocuyan bakery, making oven bread, catalinas, acemas, French bread, peasant bread, and at Christmas time, ham bread.
Mayra Castellanos and her event focused on cocoa
The graduate of the first Diploma in Chocolate Entrepreneurship with the University of the Andes, Mayra Castellanos, organized the Cocoa Festival event with a team of allied professionals, where the protagonist was this item of Venezuelan origin. This activity included a tasting of Bean to Bar chocolates, intervened bars, chocolates, desserts, in addition to conferences about cocoa which were held with various specialists. Mayra took advantage of the occasion to launch her OVECacao brand with the presentation of different intervened bars, and to carry out activities related to cocoa and chocolate for children within the framework of this event.
EDC course graduates made products for a special dinner
Graduates of the I cohort of the face-to-face EDC course, and the I and V cohort of the virtual EDC course within the framework of the Venezuela Tierra de Cacao (VTDC) project, put into practice the classes of the trade while preparing desserts for the fraternal dinner of allies during chef Sergio Arango’s visit. In the project’s Productive Training Unit (UFP) located in Carúpano, the graduates made two products for dessert: a chocolate salami intervened with peanuts, dried fruit, and candied oranges. In addition, they made bonbons with cocoa mucilage ganache, intervened with nibs macerated in brandy and cocoa punch liqueur. All these products were made in the company of Roberlys Rojas, responsible for the operational part of the UFP, and María del Rosario León, coordinator of the VTDC project in Sucre.
Livia Dávila planned liquor and chocolate tasting
The graduate of the II cohort of the Diploma in Chocolate Entrepreneurship with the University of the Andes, Livia Dávila, organized an activity called Afternoon between chocolate and artisanal liquors in her entrepreneurial store Chocolates del Valle in Mérida. Together with a team of collaborators, she created a tasting group with specialists in coffee and spirits, whose purpose was to impact the participants through the tasting of the products offered.
Yurlaimi Cortez collaborated in the anniversary celebration
Yurlaimi Cortez, the Gastronomic Entrepreneur and graduate of the I cohort of the Entrepreneurship and Nutrition – Gastronomy360 program, was part of the team in charge of preparing the commemorative cake within the framework of the celebration of the 476 years of El Tocuyo, the mother city of Venezuela. The cake was later shared with the Tocuyano people. Every day Yurlaimi demonstrates her professional growth in gastronomy and her constant search for the common good.
Meranyer Martínez participated in the Lara fair
Meranyer Martínez, the Gastronomic Entrepreneur and graduate of the I cohort of the Entrepreneurship and Nutrition – Gastronomy360 program, presented a wide variety of delicatessens and desserts through her Magnificat venture at the first Morán 2021 trade fairs in Lara state. Some of the products presented were the chocolate trio cakes, Venezuelan golfeados, strawberries with cream made under a combination of a shortcrust pastry base, with pastry cream, chantilly cream, and selected strawberries.
Yenitza López and Elsy Tristancho announced their entrepreneurship on TV
The graduates of the IV cohort of the Chocolate Entrepreneurs virtual course, Yenitza López and Elsy Tristancho, were interviewed by Eva Karina, host of the Impacto Positivo program broadcast by the regional television station Promar. In this segment, they were able to publicize their entrepreneurship and their social networks.
Joselyn Rodríguez and her hallacas
The graduate of the II cohort of the Alimenta360 program, Joselyn Rodríguez, sold hallacas to order, expanding her clientele and following the tradition she began four years ago after the success of sales in her work.
Margarita Pacheco cooked 24 Christmas dishes
The graduate of the I cohort of the Alimenta360 program, Margarita Pacheco, offered her gastronomic services and prepared Christmas dishes (hallacas, ham bread, and chicken salad) for 24 people in a school where she used to work. After the expansion of her undertaking Dulce y Color by joining and working in a sweet and gift decoration shop where she offers her products such as cookies, jams, and golfeados, with good receptivity from the customers.
Chocolate entrepreneurs attended a fine confectionery workshop
The graduates of the IV cohort of the Chocolate Entrepreneurs virtual course, Yenitza López, Elsy Tristancho, and Edna López, participated together in the Fine Chocolate workshop facilitated by the master chocolatier Julio Ledesma, with whom they learned about bonbons, chocolates, types of bonbons and chocolates, and tempered chocolate.
Mary Alvarado continued to brighten the lives of the children in her community in December
The graduate of the I Virtual Cohort of Artisan Chocolate Shop in Barquisimeto, Mary Alvarado, held a party on December 17 with the children who attend directed tasks, drawing and baking at the Mi Chocolatico Literario Community Library to close the activities of the year 2021 of this social and educational entrepreneurship. She also collected toys and clothes for a charity activity called “The piñata of the child Jesus” which benefited more than 100 children belonging to the Indio Manaure community and the Camilo Cienfuegos sector.
Nora Mogollón was present at the Christmas bazaar
The graduate of the 1st cohort of the Diploma in Chocolate Entrepreneurship, Nora Mogollón, participated in the Christmas Bazaar and Merida Country Club skating fair as an entrepreneur in the sales expo that took place during this event organized by the club’s board of directors. The D ́Norelé brand had a presence with bars and chocolates created by Nora.
