Activity to celebrate PWD day
On December 3, a walk was held to commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (PWD), and likewise to celebrate the completion of the Inclusive Accessible Tourism course by the 10 young people who achieved this goal. Accompanied by teachers Lila Moncada and Ada González, they all visited the Mukumbarí Cable Car, the Chorros de Milla Zoological Park, and also attended the Las Tapias movie theater where they enjoyed the screening of the film: A Strange World. That day they were able to share and foster bonds of friendship and solidarity among young people.
Gastronomía360 Maturín presented 27 business plans
On December 5, 27 participants in the Gastronomía360 Maturín program presented their business plans in the VIP room of the Hotel Luciano Junior. The conference was held in two days and the jury was made up of: Martha Grand, president of the CAVENIT Sectional Monagas (@cavenit_monagas); Nicolas Cicco, member of the board of CAVENIT Monagas Sectional; Marco De Franceschi, president of Sportello Giovani; Yelitza Acosta (@yelicocinera), chef and director of the IPG cooking school (@ipg_maturin); Jorge Hernández (@monagasgourmet), gastronomic journalist; Vanessa Galarraga as coordinator of Trabajo y Persona, and the assistance as special guests of Father Gerónimo Sifontes, coordinator of Cáritas Monagas, and Ernestina Herrera (@hernestinaoficial), a journalist from the Monagas Newspaper. During the events, the business plans were evaluated by the juries, who tasted a variety of products made by the entrepreneurs. The future graduates left the activity with ideas to improve their ventures, while the judges were impressed by the skill and confidence demonstrated by the participants when they introduced themselves.
Exhibition of products to Fedeindustria Bermúdez
On December 6, the entrepreneurs of the Venezuela Tierra de Cacao and Entrepreneurship and Nutrition projects, Lucy Luna (Chocolate Luna de Paria), María Gabriela Gil (@celiciosofood_ve), Virginia Rodríguez (Chocolate Mi Ricura), and Mariangel Gómez (@aleggri1), presented their ventures and products to the delegates of Fedeindustria Bermúdez, with the intention of offering them in city stores associated with Fedeindustria. The invitation was made by José Leonardo Terminor, delegate of this federation. The Central Bodega supermarket offered a space in its facilities for the exhibition and sale of products, a promotion titled “Entrepreneurs Showcase”.
Presentation of 29 Gastronomía360 Caracas business plans
On December 6 at the Espacio Suizo Foundation, the presentations of business plans were carried out by 29 participants of the Gastronomía360 Caracas project, an important requirement of the training. These presentations are intended for the participants to receive feedback from experts in the areas of gastronomy and entrepreneurship to improve their projects and thus guide them to achieve the success of their initiatives. Included among the jurors were: José Juan Giménez (@gastro.manager), a graduate in Political Science from the University of Los Andes and the University of Carabobo, and manager of Moreno Caracas; Carlota Blanco-Uribe, sustainability manager for the Archdiocese of Caracas; Rafael Ávila, economist, businessman and professor at the Monteávila University (UMA); and Alesia Santacroce, lawyer, businesswoman (@cebofritas) and professor at the UMA. Also present as jurors were: Inés Hernández-Ron, HR adviser and manager at Tequeños las Tías; Feiza Velázquez, manager of the Espacio Suizo Foundation; Father Rodrick Minja, who is the parish priest of the San Joaquín and Santa Ana Parish and director of the Carapita soup kitchen; and William Márquez, in charge of the logistics of the Carapita dining room. The entrepreneurs had the opportunity to explain how they structured the idea of their business and the management of technological tools that they did not know before. Each participant needed 15 points to pass this activity and no one was below that mark.
Kitchen volunteer for medical day
From December 6 to 9, Trabajo y Persona joined the medical-surgical operation in El Tocuyo coordinated every year by Dr. José Manuel Colmenares, also known as “Chema”, in which 24 Gastronomic Entrepreneurs actively joined to lead the area kitchen. Volunteers from the NGO Pan y Vino were also present, as well as kitchen staff from the Egidio Montesinos Hospital. It was a great space for the exchange of knowledge where the graduates shared lessons learned through the different TyP programs to strengthen the skills of the other cooks. More than 900 people benefited and 1,500 dishes were served with food prepared for doctors, security members, volunteers, patients, and their families.
Delivery of Inclusive Accessible Tourism certificates
On December 8, the students of the National Tourism Training Program (PNF), with the presence of teachers, authorities of the institution and relatives of the young people, delivered the certificates of approval of the Inclusive Accessible Tourism course, carried out by ten young people with special educational needs at the Kléber Ramirez Territorial Polytechnic University of Mérida (UPTM) in the city of Ejido in Mérida. Professor Lila Moncada from TyP, and Professor Gineth Rivono from the UPTM Tourism area, delivered the certificates to the young people, who expressed their gratitude for the opportunity and inclusion in the training process at said institution. The students also organized a Christmas party to accompany the celebration.
Presentation of 29 business plans in Guarenas
On December 9, the presentation of business plans was made by 29 participants of Gastronomía360 Guarenas in the spaces of the Jesús María Marrero School. As a fundamental requirement for the certification of the course, they had to demonstrate before the jury all the knowledge acquired during the training applied to their own entrepreneurial initiatives. The activity took place in two shifts, morning and afternoon, divided into groups of five participants. The morning shift included the participation as juries of José Alí Machado and Desireé Aldana de Machado, directors of Cáritas Guarenas; and Graciela Barreto, director of the Jesús María Marerro School. In the afternoon they were present: Karla Montenegro, manager of Forum Guarenas; Jacqueline Terán, administrator of the Curia of Guarenas; Julio César Polanco, manager of Tu Vivero 3J; in addition to Desireé Aldana de Machado and Graciela Barreto. The event was developed in a very professional way, and both the participants and the jury were very pleased.
Christmas bazaar to benefit Hogar San Antonio of El Tocuyo
On December 9, three graduates of Trabajo y Persona delighted the people of Tocuyo and provided flavor at the Christmas Bazaar for the benefit of Hogar San Antonio, which houses 50 seniors from the town. The Gastronomic Entrepreneurs Meranyer Martínez, Angélica Colmenares, and Rebeca González described the activity as an opportunity for visibility, growth, and above all, courage, since participating in fairs generates fear about how much merchandise will be sold. Among the products they sold were: mini ham bread, sweet rolls, cookies, dulce de leche, candied papaya, and cakes, among others. The three entrepreneurs managed to sell more than 80% of the merchandise they presented at the bazaar, classifying the activity as a great success.
Meeting with Alejandro Marius and graduates of Gastronomía360 El Tocuyo
On December 10, the founder of Trabajo y Persona, Alejandro Marius, visited El Tocuyo with the aim of motivating and strengthening the network of Gastronomic Entrepreneurs located in this Larense town. This meeting, held at the facilities of the Colegio Nuestra Señora de la Concordia, brought together 25 graduates of the program and the local coordinator, José Gregorio León. The graduates shared their testimonies and explained how the training received at TyP has had a positive impact on their lives. The entrepreneurs stood out by incorporating terms and concepts learned in the classes and workshops into the dialogue, as well as expressing their wishes and assuming challenges to strengthen the entrepreneurial community in El Tocuyo since they have seen significant potential, talent, and desire to create new spaces.
Workshop “Empower yourself to undertake”
On December 16, a special workshop was held for 16 graduates entitled “Empowering oneself to undertake”, dictated by psychologists María Jesús Yépez and Evelyn Madroñero. In this activity, the participants of the El Tocuyo Entrepreneurship and Nutrition program shared their testimonies and experiences, in which they identified that one of the main barriers to continuing with their projects was fear, fear of failure, or not feeling sufficiently prepared to launch their products to the market. With this great conversation, the entrepreneurs learned about sorority, and through practical exercises, they reflected and took notes to minimize their fears and manage their emotions.
The second edition of the Santiago Market
On December 17 and 18, the second edition of the Santiago Market was held, organized by the priest Edduard Molina in alliance with TyP. More than 20 local entrepreneurs participated in the event, including gastronomy graduates and chocolatiers from Mérida. It took place in the covered field of the El Rosario School, along with the exhibition of products of various kinds such as gastronomy, textiles, and shoe stores, among others. At the same time, cultural music and dance groups performed to liven up the day. Some testimonials from entrepreneurs were also presented, in which the following graduates participated: Carmen Pinto, Mayra Castellanos, Mariana Valdez, and María Paola Galarraga.
Raffle of presents to Gastronomía360 participants by two TyP allies
In December there was a draw for 24 trays of tequeños by Tequeños Las Tías with Bufalinda cheese bars, which were won by 24 participants of the Gastronomía360 program from Caracas and Guarenas. The raffle was held virtually on Wednesday the 21st on the Sortea2.com page, and the final list was passed on to the project’s Telegram group. Bufalinda donated the cheeses for the making of tequeños in the class that Tequeños las Tías taught at the end of November and beginning of December for TyP. With the surplus, these two allies agreed to make it possible for a group of participants to take home some delicious presents in the said raffle.
Christmas parrandón in the Cathedral of Barquisimeto
On December 18, Gastronomic Entrepreneurs and Chocolate Entrepreneurs of Barquisimeto were invited to participate in the Christmas party that the Metropolitan Cathedral of Barquisimeto carries out annually, managing to show and offer their products to the parishioners and laypeople of the parish. Likewise, the first steps of an alliance with the Cathedral of Barquisimeto began.
Cocoa and chocolate workshop for entrepreneurs from Carúpano
In December, 15 entrepreneurs from the Venezuela Tierra de Cacao and Emprendimiento y Nutrición de Carúpano projects participated in the workshop “Cacao and Chocolate, from sweets to superfoods”, facilitated by chef Jesús Méndez. In this activity, they learned about the composition of chocolate, cocoa, and chocolate as part of cooking, sweet chocolate and substitutes, bean to bar, tempering techniques, making chocolates, how to prepare chocolate sauces for frying, and chocolate and cocoa to accompany proteins. Two micro-workshops were held; theoretical classes were given in one of the rooms of Casa Otaola, and the practical class was held at the UFP Venezuela Tierra de Cacao in Carúpano.
CAVENIT Golf Championship 2022
The graduate of the II cohort of the Venezuela Tierra de Cacao (VTDC) project, Diana Arocha, participated in the II CAVENIT 2022 Golf Tournament held on December 8 at Lagunita Country Club. In it, she unveiled her products in an intimate tasting. The purpose of said participation to promote binational Italy-Venezuela activities, and the presentation of goods and services offered by TyP allies, generated adequate networking, and, above all, offered attendees the opportunity to share in a different and entertaining environment, in order to reinforce the commercial connections between the associates and collaborators of CAVENIT.
Sleeve and nozzle handling workshop
On December 1, four Gastronomic Entrepreneurs participated in a sleeve and mouthpiece handling workshop with graduate Maira González (@cakesmairagonzalez), in which they learned to make the famous buttercream and, with it, they practiced different cake decorating techniques like rosette and petal cake. The activity was carried out at the Casa Hogar Dr. Gualdrón Institute in Barquisimeto, Lara state.
Yaicer Vargas at the 1st Barquisimeto Expo-Technological Congress
The graduate of the II cohort of the Satellite Antenna Installers project, Yaicer Vargas (@camaleon.tech), competed and won an entry to the 1st Barquisimeto Expo-Technological Congress. It was the first meeting of technicians, entrepreneurs, and technology lovers that took place in Venezuela, in which renowned national and international professionals and more than 15 companies participated. Different topics were addressed from entrepreneurship, new techniques, software, etc. They also delivered the certificate of attendance, backed by the MPPE.
Karen Rojas was in a graphic design course
The graduate of the I cohort of the VTDC project, Karen Rojas (@karas_chocolatier), was awarded a scholarship for a complete graphic design course by PROdiseño, thanks to the alliance between the UN food booster, Trabajo y Persona, and @pd_reload. Karen learned about basic design, product packaging, and tools for enhancing images from the cell phone, among others. For three months, this graduate was constantly trained in this knowledge, in addition to creating new packaging for her products and for another colleague in the trade.
Yesenia Díaz continues to train
The Beauty Entrepreneur graduated from the VIII cohort, Yesenia Díaz, completed her certification as a Body Esthetician at the @tiffacademia academy directed by her colleague, Tiffani Moncada, demonstrating how entrepreneurs support and accompany each other in their professional growth. This certification had a total of 220 academic hours. Additionally, despite challenges and the economy, Yesenia has not given up on her business goals, which is why she prepared a space in her house to serve her hairdressing clients and another space for a spa.
Mayra Castellanos’ practical workshop
The graduate of the I cohort of the Diploma in Chocolate Entrepreneurship, Mayra Castellanos, organized a workshop from the cocoa bean to the tablet for children from six to ten years of age. In this activity, the children were introduced to the different stages involved in the process of transforming cocoa into a chocolate bar, also known as bean to bar. The children were very curious to learn about the subject and had the opportunity to learn about Venezuelan cocoa pods.
Carmen Pinto at the Market of the Hotel La Pedregosa
The graduate of the II cohort of the Diploma in Chocolate Entrepreneurship, Carmen Pinto, participated in the Market of the Hotel La Pedregosa in Mérida, which was attended by entrepreneurs from the area and from other states, as well as special guests. For her it was a good opportunity to create alliances, promote her products and take advantage of agreements to place orders for her products. Carmen’s participation in this event was an opportunity offered by Liliana Massini, organizer of the market and owner of the Hotel La Pedregosa.
Anali Marquina and her course for children
The Gastronomic Entrepreneur graduated from the I cohort, Anali Marquina, taught a cookie course for children in which they received step-by-step guidance to make the recipe, which they prepared themselves with the supervision and help of Anali.
María Laura inaugurated her new kitchen
The Gastronomic Entrepreneur who graduated from the I cohort, María Laura Molina, has managed to remodel her restaurant and build her own kitchen. Previously, she cooked in facilities provided by a relative, but after a great effort, her venture opened her own kitchen.
Isdailys Campos graduated from TSU
The Gastronomic Entrepreneur graduated from the I cohort, Isdailys Campos, graduated as a Higher University Technician in Gastronomy with the distinction of Cum Laude at the illustrious Universidad de Los Andes. Isdailys continues to grow and prepare for her future.
Verona Osorio and her new achievement
The Gastronomic Entrepreneur graduated from the I cohort, Verona Osorio (@dulce.verona), graduated as a Public Accountant at the Universidad de Los Andes, a new goal accomplished for this graduate who continues adding achievements for her professional growth and that will be useful to her venture.
Raquel Dávila completed two diplomas
The graduate of the I cohort of the Gastronomic Entrepreneurs program, Raquel Dávila (@hagamosmagiaenlacocina), completed two online diplomas and received her certifications. One was in Ethics and leadership in 8 steps, endorsed by the John C. Maxwell Foundation, Guatemala Próspera, and the San Pablo University of Guatemala; and the other in Transformation Leader, endorsed by the aforementioned foundation and the Pan-American University.
Another goal achieved for Jonnai Gómez
The graduate of the Venezuela Tierra de Cacao project, Jonnai Gómez, who believes that investing in knowledge is never a waste of time, managed to complete her studies obtaining the title of Integral Master Chef at Mi Sazón Gastronomic School (@misazon).
Jenny Toledo participated in a fair
Jenny Toledo, a graduate of the Gastronomic Entrepreneurs program, participated with her venture Dulce Victoria (@dulcevictoria268) in a fair organized by Tubrica, where she offered delicious products such as baked bread, milk bread, cookies, cupcakes, yogurt, and flans.
Rocío Betancurt fulfilled a dream
The Gastronomic Entrepreneur Rocío Betancourt assumed the management of the El Encanto restaurant, an iconic place in the wide range of Sanare’s touristic area, thus achieving one of her dreams as a chef, a product of her discipline and training.
The new place of Maryeisy Sierra
The Gastronomic Entrepreneur Maryeisy Sierra (@yeisyphscakes) inaugurated a new store located on one of the main avenues of La Carucieña urbanization, a step that represents great growth for her venture in the search to improve and offer greater comfort to its customers.
Gastronomic Entrepreneurs and their Christmas preparations
The graduates of the I and II cohort of Entrepreneurship and Nutrition – Gastronomía360, Astrid Mesa, Marithé Martínez and Fermary Silva, were hired by Cáritas Carúpano to prepare the Christmas dishes that this ecclesiastical organization offered to participants of the Child Nutrition program which is in partnership with Ford Motor de Venezuela and Trabajo y Persona.
Rosa Rangel and her gift to TyP
The entrepreneurs of Trabajo y Persona love to spoil the team and on this occasion it was the graduate of the III cohort of the Venezuela Tierra de Cacao project, Rosa Rangel (@somos_dulceros), who brought as a gift a rich and fresh black cake made by her in honor of the December holidays and the great year of activities.
Graduates were in the “Showcase of Entrepreneurs”
The Gastronomic Entrepreneur, Maria Gabriela Gil, and the graduate of the Venezuela Tierra de Cacao project, Virginia Rodríguez, were present at the “Showcase for Entrepreneurs” that the Central Bodega business organized this Christmas, thus giving entrepreneurs from the city of Carúpano an opportunity to offer and exhibit their products as was the case with these graduates.
Diana Arocha and her details to the TyP team
The graduate of the II cohort of the Venezuela Tierra de Cacao project, Diana Arocha (@panbarroco), also decided to pamper the Trabajo y Persona team, giving away some delicious Christmas buns and mini ham loaves, all made by her in gratitude for the support provided during the year of growth as an entrepreneur.