Editorial

At the beginning of this year, the Andrés Bello Catholic University conducted the PsicoData 2023 survey and one of the most alarming data was that for 81% of the population, most people cannot be trusted. At that time, this news caused much debate and opened many questions about the reasons for that perception by people. This is a serious issue because the word trust comes from the Latin confidāre, which is basically to have faith, to believe in the other.

But then, what’s the point of restoring it after so long? The truth is that in recent months we have implemented projects where, precisely, trust has been an important element. A relationship has begun with new allies, in communities where we had not been, and with people we had not met or worked with. In the beginning, there was some skepticism, but as activities developed, mutual trust was generated, especially in those parts of the communities that were beginning to see a possibility of improving their living conditions. Giving opportunities for people to learn a job and to be able to perform it is the beginning of a process where they can have faith again and believe in one another: build trust.

In that sense, working for each other, without bribing or power games, makes us see that it is possible to gain the trust of people who have previously been forgotten. The real challenge is to keep the projects consistent so that they are not spasmodic initiatives. We know it very well, it is not simple, because there are many factors involved to make them a reality and to be able to give them continuity. However, we have already shown that it is not impossible. That’s why we keep trying, even without the minimum economic resources. The evidence comes to light in these newsletters with the testimonies and achievements of our graduates, whom we make our best effort to support.

Overcoming that 81% distrust is a crucial task for our country. Those who have economic, political, and social power indeed have great influence, but we cannot leave something so important for our lives in the hands of others. We all have a responsibility to build mutual trust. Because without it there are no long-lasting family relationships. This is also true in schools, in the community, in culture, within and between organizations, and ultimately between society and state.

Trusting each other is one of the most beautiful gifts of togetherness. Therefore, we cannot give up our share of responsibility to build bonds that generate trust, because from there we begin to believe in the other, to have faith, and, consequently, the hope of being able to build a better country, together.

Alejandro Marius
FAO Barbershop course – T&P in Amazonas

From October 2 to 5, a barbershop course was held for the inhabitants of the indigenous population of Puente Parhueña in Amazonas. During this training, instruction was provided to beneficiaries of the CERF project, an activity carried out by FAO and Trabajo y Persona. Participants learned about the basic notions regarding the use of scissors, comb, and shaver. The practice began with haircuts for men and women. Among the volunteers were women from the sewing and alterations course and girls from the community. More than 30 inhabitants of the indigenous population arrived wanting a haircut, which allowed the students to practice and improve their dexterity. They even received a visit from the Cacique de Puente Parhueña, who also got a haircut.

Indigenous communities learn new ways of cooking with alternative flours

From October 9 to 12, the course of alternative flours took place in Limón de Parhueña in the state of Amazonas. Beneficiaries of the CERF project and other listeners had the opportunity to learn about the basic knowledge of the use of these flours in different preparations using indigenous products. The course was divided into different topics each day of the training. It began with the production of cookies with alternative flours in which they worked the frola dough with yucca flour, sablé dough with pijiguao flour, and dough based on mañoco. To accompany the cookies, túpiro jam, and copoazú pastry cream were made, both Amazonian fruits. The second class covered pastry which included preparing cassava cake, pijiguao fritters, banana pound cake, and manaca (açaí) meringue. The next day, was baking practice in which they made cinnamon rolls with banana flour and sweet buns with pijiguao flour. Finally, the course concluded with a bread-baking class where they prepared hamburger buns with banana, wheat, and manaca flour, as well as hot dog buns with pijiguao and wheat flour. The indigenous communities, by tradition, know how to make these alternative flours, but they themselves recognized that they needed to know what other products could be prepared with them.

Success in the course of basic clothing alterations at Amazons

In October, the beneficiaries of the CERF project, carried out by FAO and Trabajo y Persona, attended a course to learn how to make basic alterations in children’s and adult clothing. Participants received basic notions regarding the use of measuring tape, how to measure and draw patterns, and their adaptation by size number. In these classes, beneficiaries from Puente Parhueña and Limón de Parhueña were able to trace patterns to manufacture women’s intimate clothing and other pieces such as flannels, stockings, and pouches. They also reused scraps of clothes they had at home and cut them into new pieces to repurpose them as handbags, hair scrunchies, brasiers and pincushions of different figures. Some participants started from scratch and managed to make and sew women’s and even baby clothes. This was the most popular course and therefore required two groups.

Miritza Noguera completed her training at Color School

The Beauty Entrepreneur who graduated from the VII cohort, Miritza Noguera (@miri.hairstyle), has been training in the first edition of the American Perfect Color School program since July to become certified as the brand’s color specialist. For the closing of the training, she made a final project in which she styled a full performance model with color design, makeup, and outfit. In that evaluation, she scored 19 out of 20 points, the highest score in her cohort. On October 30, she received her diploma and was selected by her classmates and teachers to be the graduation speaker.

Eneida Useche was part of the “Let’s Talk about Disability” chat forum

The graduate of the II online cohort of Cuidadores360, Eneida Useche, participated as a speaker in the “Let’s Talk about Disability” chat forum, organized by the Hatillano Forum Foundation and moderated by director Gorka Carnevali. Eneida had the opportunity to contribute her knowledge on this subject.

Gastronomic Entrepreneurs cooked in “Sambil Sabe a Cacao” live stream 

The Gastronomic Entrepreneurs in alliance with the NGO CESAL Valencia, Raiza Espinoza (@napostres), accompanied by Erika Paracare (@bejaranacakes), and María Alejandra González (@showcolate28), accompanied by Maryuri Villegas (@predilecta_ricoysaludable), were invited to cook during the “Sambil Sabe a Cacao” live stream event by Carabobo Gastronómico and chef Carlos Guzmán in Valencia. During the occasion, the graduates demonstrated their culinary skills through recipes that exalted the cocoa of the region. On the first day, Raiza, sponsored by Kiero Chocolate, made crackled cookies for the audience present. Raiza had the help of her colleague Erika, who assisted her throughout the gastronomic moment so that, as a master class, Raiza could explain her recipe step by step. During the second day of the event, Ma. Alejandra, together with the support of Chocolates Bellera, made her passion brownie, which consists of a chocolate cup containing a brownie and pastry cream infused with passion fruit and strawberry citric flavors. Ma. Alejandra was assisted by her colleague Maryuri, who expedited some of the processes involved in this complex recipe. The second edition of “Sambil Sabe a Cacao” was a great opportunity for the graduates to increase visibility and showcase the teamwork between them.

Meeting in Paris: Geraldine Zerpa at the Chocolate Salon

The graduate of the I cohort of the Diploma in Chocolate Entrepreneurship, Geraldine Zerpa (@entrecafeycacao), participated as a spectator in the XXVIII edition of the Chocolate Salon in Paris, France. This event is known as the famous meeting point for chocolate lovers.

Graduates attended a catering workshop with Chef Civo

A group of graduates of the Diplomado Gastronomía360 of Caracas and Guarenas were invited to participate in a meeting with chef Claudia Civolani, direct assistant to chef Víctor Moreno. In this workshop, the professional cook shared various tips for successful catering, in addition to other related topics that chefs should know, such as personal presentation, and attention to the public, among others. It was an activity of great interaction with the graduates thanks to different dynamics.

María Auxiliadora Rosas and her learning path

The Gastronomic Entrepreneur in partnership with the NGO CESAL Valencia, María Auxiliadora Rosas (@integra.ve), continues to train and acquire tools for her gastronomic entrepreneurship. Through virtuality, she has managed to carry out workshops on New York-styled cookies, tartlets, and pies, as well as gluten-free breads; she also learned secrets to preparing guilt-free desserts, and how to maximize sales through artificial intelligence, among others. This has allowed her to expand her knowledge, observe the scope that digital platforms can have in education, and be inspired to carry out new projects, such as being able to train others in the future. With what she has learned, her “Integra” brand now includes a variant of her traditional oatmeal cookies which is totally sugar-free, sweetened only by the natural flavor of raisins and carrots, as part of the entrepreneur’s effort to create products without preservatives.

Emma Torrealba visits France for chocolate events

The Chocolate Entrepreneur, Emma Torrealba, traveled to France to attend the Paris Chocolate Salon festival. The graduate was representing the organization Femmes du Cacao. In addition, at the invitation of the chocolate pastry chef, Veruska Ramírez, the graduate will carry out a chocolate sculpture workshop as part of an internship at the chef’s bakery in Dijon.

Graduates were invited to present their businesses on national TV

The Chocolate Entrepreneurs, Marlene Briceño (@besamenegrocacao), Emma Torrealba, and Marife Mata (@saboramana), had the opportunity to participate in the television program “Entre Noticias”, broadcast by Globovisión. As a commemoration of National Cocoa Day, the graduates were able to be present in a special program for that date where they talked about their most recent proposals.

María Paola Galarraga organized a raffle on Halloween

The graduate of the II virtual cohort of the Venezuela Tierra de Cacao project, María Paola Galarraga (@maria.paola.gv), keeps her Mariposa Azul venture active. During the month of October, she distributed her Halloween cookies with themed decorations to several customers in the town of Mérida. She even surprised her clientele by organizing a contest. 

Selenia Rojas and her three gastronomic activities

The graduate of the Diplomado Gastronomía360 of Caracas, Selenia Rojas (@zonetaccfree), gave a gluten-free recipe workshop for a group of 25 women from Guatire, Miranda state. The invitation was made by the civil association @caminandoyconstruyendosociedad. It was a volunteer activity that Selenia carried out to educate and share knowledge about the products and preparations for people with special diets. It should be noted that the graduate also participated with her products in the Great Gluten-Free Food Fair at Locatel Las Mercedes in Caracas. Likewise, Selenia held the “Alfajores gluten-free” chat forum, which was attended by 408 people.

Kiara Lorenzo was invited for the fifth time to a TV program

The graduate of the Diplomado Gastronomía360 of Caracas, Kiara Lorenzo, participated in the program “And what’s new?” broadcast live on Channel i. In the Gourmet section at 10:00 am, Kiara prepared her recipe for buns stuffed with dark chocolate ganache and glazed with chocolate. So far the graduate, who is a professional pastry chef, has participated five times in the program which has allowed her to make visible and promote her venture Kiara Delicious (@ppkiaradeliciou).

Rosayni Parra expands its product offer

The Gastronomic Entrepreneur, in alliance with the NGO CESAL, Rosayni Parra, has been mainly dedicated to the production of granola in her venture “La Mies” (@la_mies_3). Rosayni is also venturing into traditional candy store and is starting the small-scale production of sweets made with Andean milk.

Deyanira Díaz attended EuroChocolate in Italy

The graduate of the Venezuela Tierra del Cacao program, Deyanira Díaz, was invited to the annual EuroChocolate festival in Perugia, Italy, with the products of her venture @nattivocacao_chocolate. In addition to being an exhibitor, she made a presentation with María Fernanda Di Giacobbe, a Venezuelan cook, chocolater, and businesswoman. They both talked about the work they have been doing in cocoa schools. Deyanira also organized a tasting of three of her products: 70% Barlovento chocolate, Páramo flower chocolate, and Biscucuy coffee chocolate.

Kiara Lorenzo reopens her store in Caracas

The graduate of the Diplomado Gastronomía360 of Caracas, Kiara Lorenzo, reopened her food and pastry supply store in the center of Caracas. In this space, she has a staff of four people who support her with the kitchen, attention to the public and accounting. Her store is located on a busy city road, which is beneficial for sales.

Carolina Mendoza attended the Expo Market San Diego

The Gastronomic Entrepreneur in partnership with the NGO CESAL Valencia, Carolina Mendoza (@lasazondebilu), participated as an exhibitor at the Expo Market San Diego 2023 in the state of Carabobo. This event took place at the facilities of the Food Park Hut, where Carolina offered the public her famous products of the December season such as hallacas, chicken salad, and ham bread. He also had his guava Newton-style cookies on sale. This event was organized by the Permanent Commission for the Promotion of the Local Economy of the Municipal Council of San Diego.

Maylin Salazar participated with her brand in the Corotazo Glam

The Gastronomic Entrepreneur in partnership with the NGO CESAL Valencia, Maylin Salazar (@panesymas1), continues to expand her clientele through participation in the Corotazo Glam, which is a bazaar held every two weeks in the facilities of the Association of Livestock Farmers of Carabobo state. On this occasion, Maylin exhibited her products and managed to promote her brand in that market, with her breads and cookies being the representatives of par excellence of her brand.

Morita Gourmet continues to delight its customers

The graduate of the II cohort of Chocolate Entrepreneurs in Dancers, Marlen Mora, continues to grow with her venture Morita Gourmet (@morita_gourmet1), making exclusive cakes to please her clientele’s taste. In addition, the graduate is conducting bakery and biscuit courses for adults and children.