I. — Name, address and location of the project
Corporación la Refugio – Calle 24 No 27 a – 56 CACMA
TELEFONO: 2441084 – 3174791278
Bogotá – Colombia.
TELEFONO: 2441084 – 3174791278
Bogotá – Colombia.
II. — Person authorised to apply for a grant and his/her role in the project.
Nury Elizabeth Bonilla Ruiz (Francisca)
Legal Representative - Co-founder - Director
Legal Representative - Co-founder - Director
III. — PROJECT OR ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION
The Refugio Corporation has been developing alliances with district-level entities in order to continue its training work with young jewellery-makers as a proposal for a life project.
This activity is carried out in a youth centre in the los Mártires locality in Bogotá and is financed through two different activities.
The first of these activities is jewellery-making courses carried out in the CACMA.
The CACMA, a centre belonging to the Sub-Office for Youth (Subdirección Para La Juventud) of the District’s Social Action Ministry (Ministerio de Acción Social), has the necessary physical space with the equipment and tools needed for teaching, as well as different services: security, cafeteria and many other activities and facilities for young people, including dance, music, computing, a gymnasium etc.
Jewellery-making is the only occasional activity taking place at the CACMA which allows young people to develop a commercial activity.
The trainers’ salaries, teaching and technical material, and administration costs (transport, paperwork, accounting etc.) is financed through the sale of jewellery from the “YouthSmiths” (Jóvenes Orfebres) project.
Jóvenes Orfebres is growing and widening its field of action. It is not registered, but has established markets: sales in shops and a sales outlet in the Usaquén flea market. It is really becoming a business which finances social projects.
To widen its impact, it needs a permanent sales outlet which would allow daily sales, the promotion of products from other social projects and new collections for immediate sale plus catalogues of new pieces with a link to the web page. The revenue from this activity would be destined to cover training costs and widen training proposals for young people.
Jóvenes Orfebres has many opportunities to penetrate the jewellery market, given that it has a good physical infrastructure and tools and equipment for production and training.
At the moment on Saturdays and Sundays around $100 (US) worth of jewellery is sold to foreigners and people with middle to high incomes, those who like and buy this style of jewellery (silver with natural materials).
Our more than 500 different jewellery designs and an exclusive and very creative designer, as well as youngsters trained in her programmes and who develop their own designs, allow us to truly compete in the market. The technical training offered to the young people allows them to be direct beneficiaries of these sales.
The Refugio Corporation has been developing its activities for 14 years, and for the past 4 years it has relied on the sale of jewellery, private classes and the support of the national Susila Dharma organisations of different countries: France, Great Britain, United States etc. We believe that it is very important that the two projects be supported in a definite manner.
We have survived despite our debts and have continued working despite our difficulties. We have decided to continue working for the young people, forming an enterprise which could function on a private level. However this entreprise is, more than anything, a productive project whose utility should be exclusively that of financing the training of as many young people that need it.
Such important SDIA directors as Lawrence Leetz and Virginia Thomas have visited our project and know what we are proposing. Last year (2008) we also received a personal visit from Solen Lees Gratiet, member of SD France. We believe these visits show faith in our work and our resistance towards ending the programme.
We would like support for Jóvenes Orfebres and to train the 30 young people per year (15 per semester) which we are obliged to do within our agreement with the CACMA. Training should include a human training component involving basic social and business skills. Up till now we have not been able to do this, as we have only been able to pay teachers for the technical part.
This support would be necessary while our own resources, provided by Jóvenes Orfebres, are stabilised.
This activity is carried out in a youth centre in the los Mártires locality in Bogotá and is financed through two different activities.
The first of these activities is jewellery-making courses carried out in the CACMA.
The CACMA, a centre belonging to the Sub-Office for Youth (Subdirección Para La Juventud) of the District’s Social Action Ministry (Ministerio de Acción Social), has the necessary physical space with the equipment and tools needed for teaching, as well as different services: security, cafeteria and many other activities and facilities for young people, including dance, music, computing, a gymnasium etc.
Jewellery-making is the only occasional activity taking place at the CACMA which allows young people to develop a commercial activity.
The trainers’ salaries, teaching and technical material, and administration costs (transport, paperwork, accounting etc.) is financed through the sale of jewellery from the “YouthSmiths” (Jóvenes Orfebres) project.
Jóvenes Orfebres is growing and widening its field of action. It is not registered, but has established markets: sales in shops and a sales outlet in the Usaquén flea market. It is really becoming a business which finances social projects.
To widen its impact, it needs a permanent sales outlet which would allow daily sales, the promotion of products from other social projects and new collections for immediate sale plus catalogues of new pieces with a link to the web page. The revenue from this activity would be destined to cover training costs and widen training proposals for young people.
Jóvenes Orfebres has many opportunities to penetrate the jewellery market, given that it has a good physical infrastructure and tools and equipment for production and training.
At the moment on Saturdays and Sundays around $100 (US) worth of jewellery is sold to foreigners and people with middle to high incomes, those who like and buy this style of jewellery (silver with natural materials).
Our more than 500 different jewellery designs and an exclusive and very creative designer, as well as youngsters trained in her programmes and who develop their own designs, allow us to truly compete in the market. The technical training offered to the young people allows them to be direct beneficiaries of these sales.
The Refugio Corporation has been developing its activities for 14 years, and for the past 4 years it has relied on the sale of jewellery, private classes and the support of the national Susila Dharma organisations of different countries: France, Great Britain, United States etc. We believe that it is very important that the two projects be supported in a definite manner.
We have survived despite our debts and have continued working despite our difficulties. We have decided to continue working for the young people, forming an enterprise which could function on a private level. However this entreprise is, more than anything, a productive project whose utility should be exclusively that of financing the training of as many young people that need it.
Such important SDIA directors as Lawrence Leetz and Virginia Thomas have visited our project and know what we are proposing. Last year (2008) we also received a personal visit from Solen Lees Gratiet, member of SD France. We believe these visits show faith in our work and our resistance towards ending the programme.
We would like support for Jóvenes Orfebres and to train the 30 young people per year (15 per semester) which we are obliged to do within our agreement with the CACMA. Training should include a human training component involving basic social and business skills. Up till now we have not been able to do this, as we have only been able to pay teachers for the technical part.
This support would be necessary while our own resources, provided by Jóvenes Orfebres, are stabilised.
IV. — SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
- Fulfil our agreement with the CACMA to train 30 young CACMA programme participants in the Mártires locality or other localities in jewellery and design at a basic level; and/or train them in video-making.
- Strengthen the productive programme Jóvenes Orfebres by supporting the creation of a sales outlet with jewellery and other products from productive projects.
- Participate as a social and productive project in a minimum of two festivals/fairs in the second semester: the Nogal Festival, Love and Friendship Day, Corferias, etc.
- Train the beneficiaries of the technical programme in social, business and human development skills in order to improve and widen the field of action of the development of their life project.
V. — HOW WILL YOU KNOW WHEN THESE OBJECTIVES HAVE BEEN REACHED? WHAT ARE THE INDICATORS OF SUCCESS?
- A team of young people trained in basic and specialised jewellery-making with an initial production of 10 pieces each in silver and alternative materials.
- A well-established sales outlet for Jóvenes Orfebres with original and innovative products etc. which could give work to a minimum of 5 young people on the training programmes, help us obtain orders, export the product and above all, finance the social projects, especially the payment of teachers and materials.
- Participation in events like local, national and international festivals and fairs which would allow us to promote our products and social projects.
- 20 people trained in social, business and human development skills in order to contribute to their own growth and that of the programme.
VI. — WHAT RISKS DO YOU THINK COULD AFFECT THE SUCCESS OF THIS ACTIVITY?
We have reached important agreements with decentralised entities which allow us to carry on working and showing the importance of our programmes. These agreements also support the work of the enterprise which is being developed for the continuous financing of these tasks. If we can count on occasional but programmed support from external organisations, and if Jóvenes Orfebres continues to grow as an enterprise, we will surely be able to continue to offer a dignified option in life to young people.
VII. — ECONOMIC PROPOSAL
The project needs between 3,500 and 4,000 dollars (US).
HOW WILL THE PROJECT CONTINUE ONCE THIS GRANT COMES TO AN END?
The aims and objectives and the existing physical and human resources allow the programme to exist and continue benefiting many young people. Teamwork, the support of SD Nationals and a constant renewing of its activities will mean not only that the work will become permanent but that its field of action will widen on every level.
WILL THIS GRANT BE RECEIVED BY A LEGAL ENTITY? WHICH ONE? IF LAND NEEDS TO BE DEVELOPED, DOES THIS LAND BELONG TO A LEGAL ENTITY?
PLEASE COMPLETE BANKING DETAILS (NAME OF THE ACCOUNT, NAME OF THE BANK, ADDRESS, ACCOUNT NUMBER, TRANSACTION CODE WHERE NECESSARY, CURRENCY).
NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS OF THE PERSON RESPONSABLE FOR COMMUNICATION WITH AND REPORTS TO THE DONOR ORGANISATION:
HOW WILL THE PROJECT CONTINUE ONCE THIS GRANT COMES TO AN END?
The aims and objectives and the existing physical and human resources allow the programme to exist and continue benefiting many young people. Teamwork, the support of SD Nationals and a constant renewing of its activities will mean not only that the work will become permanent but that its field of action will widen on every level.
WILL THIS GRANT BE RECEIVED BY A LEGAL ENTITY? WHICH ONE? IF LAND NEEDS TO BE DEVELOPED, DOES THIS LAND BELONG TO A LEGAL ENTITY?
Corporación El Refugio, Personería jurídica No 01080 /ICBF (legal non-profit status)
PLEASE COMPLETE BANKING DETAILS (NAME OF THE ACCOUNT, NAME OF THE BANK, ADDRESS, ACCOUNT NUMBER, TRANSACTION CODE WHERE NECESSARY, CURRENCY).
The Foundation’s current account cannot receive international transfers, so money should be sent via Western Union.
NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS OF THE PERSON RESPONSABLE FOR COMMUNICATION WITH AND REPORTS TO THE DONOR ORGANISATION:
Nury Elisabeth Bonilla Ruiz;
Email: nuryeb@hotmail.com – Funrefugio@colombia.com
Calle 24 No 27 a – 56 - CACMA
TELEFONO : 2891172 - 310 7650457 Bogota – Colombia.
Email: nuryeb@hotmail.com – Funrefugio@colombia.com
Calle 24 No 27 a – 56 - CACMA
TELEFONO : 2891172 - 310 7650457 Bogota – Colombia.
We confirm that the information given in this document is correct.
Post: Legal Representative
Download El Refugio's request as a Word File