Project Location: Paraguay
Project Code: HDP PCV102
Many women lack employment skills and people with disabilities face added barriers to meaningful work. As part of its sponsorship activities, the CMAVIL sponsor site staff prioritize providing skills and entrepreneurship training for mothers.
Our CMAVIL sponsor site is in the Villeta district of Paraguay, in both urban and rural communities. Chalice has partnered with the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, a Salesian congregation, to run our sponsorship program here since 2012. CMAVIL stands for Centro Maria Auxiliadora – Villeta.
The Villeta community struggles with high drop-out rates which diminish employment and other opportunities. Many women lack employment skills and people with disabilities face added barriers to meaningful work. As part of its sponsorship activities, the CMAVIL sponsor site staff prioritize providing skills and entrepreneurship training for mothers. They work to strengthen parents, especially mothers, to become community leaders.
They launched their three-year "Endeavoring together” Program in 2018. This program gives vulnerable women training in in-demand skills that they can use to either find employment or start their own small businesses.
The first cohort of 391 mothers, fathers, and young people completed the program in 2022. The site staff laud their perseverance through the pandemic’s challenges. Participants expressed that their training has not only improved their families’ economic situations, but also boosted their self-esteem and independence.
This new iteration of the three-year program will offer six broad categories of training covering gastronomy, cosmetology, tailoring, office skills, construction trades, and leadership. The specialties include hairdressing, customer service, English language, plumbing, and bricklaying. Each course will have an average of 25-30 participants.
The participants also receive training in small business entrepreneurship and finances, to empower them to start their own businesses and manage their budgets.
A total of 500 learners will take part. Of those, 300 participants are sponsored or guardians of sponsored children. As they use their new skills to improve their family’s home economy, the site staff estimates at least 1000 people will benefit from this program.
The CMAVIL staff also added a goal of every participant starting their own vegetable garden, which would bolster their household nutrition and could become an income-generating activity.
The total budget for this 36-month program is $82,381.95 CAD. This includes training materials and equipment, instructors’ salaries and site-level administrative expenses such as printer ink and mobile minutes.
Your support will give 500 vulnerable community members the opportunity to achieve self-reliance and employment through skills training and entrepreneurship.
Budget in Canadian Funds: $82,381.95 CAD
Please note that any donations that exceed the request will be used to fund other community projects that may arise.
