Training in jewellery making for young people from the district of Los Martires and permanent retail outlet for the productive YouthSmiths Project
Fundación el Refugio is a project that counters the pressures in marginalized areas of Colombia which lead to social problems such as drug-addiction, alcoholism, prostitution, the sale of psycho-active substances, and violence, using social training for young people and by offering silversmithing and jewelry-making workshops. El Refugio is requesting support to run a second-level training course to bring the participants' craft to a higher, more professional standard and to promote the JovenesOrfebres micro-enterprise whose aim is to finance El Refugio's activities and give jobs to the young people involved.
Calle 24 No 27ª – 31 Cultural and Youth Centre, of Los Martires District, Bogota.
2. Person authorized to make this request and their role in the Project.
NURY BONILLA RUIZ
Founder and Training and Productive Projects Director.
Subud Member.
3. If this is the first time you are applying for a grant for the SD network, please provide a brief history of the project.
Management Board of Directors:
The Corporation is currently making a new registry before Bogota’s Chamber of Commerce, and only three of its members work in the Foundation.
Álvaro Herrán Monedero – Legal Representative. President
Philosopher and educator of young people in various institutions in Bogota, has an excellent understanding of the work of an educator and teacher of young people. He has experience of working with young people in Rehabiliation Programmes. He is currently developing an Ethics Project in the “Minuto de Dios” Corporation
Subud member since November 2009
Social projects manager: CV attached.
Subud Member since 1999, she has been in charge of managing both the training process and the creation of “Youthsmiths”
Verónica Perdomo
A young woman who has been a member of the Foundation since she was fourteen. She learnt jewellery making and design directly through the programmes offered by the Foundation and through covenants like Colombian Craftmanship, SENA etc.
She currently teaches jewellery making to the young people and designs and makes the jewellery which the young people of “Youthsmiths” sell and promote.
She has excellent results in design and production as well as an excellent teaching method.
She is currently working on projects around the violation of young people’s human rights funded by The United Nations.
Person authorized to make this request, and your role in the project.
NURY BONILLA RUIZ (“Francisca”) Subud Member, General Coordinator and comercial manager
If this is the first time you are applying for a grant for the SD network, please provide a brief history of project. (When project began, areas of activities, management, legal status, names and qualifications of core staff, management and board, annual budget, previous substantial grants obtained, level of involvement of Subud members, etc.)
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.) are 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 enterprise 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. In 2008 we also received a personal visit from Solen Lees Gratiet, previously member of SD France, now member of the SDIA office. We believe these visits show faith in our work and our resistance towards ending the programme.
We would like support for JóvenesOrfebres 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 JóvenesOrfebres, are stabilised.
In 2009 the project “Establishment of sales outlets” was developed through the training in silver jewellery making of young people from the Los Mártires district. Included in the results of this project are currently to be counted 18 young people trained in basic jewellery making and who have graduated in Social and Business Skills.
Moreover it has a sales outlet for the jewellery collections which these young people developed this year.
3. What are the project objective(s)?
To give continuity to this new project involves the training of this group of young people in the second level of jewellery making, in which important techniques are taught such as the setting of semi-precious stones, and advanced techniques including enameling and chiseling, among others.
As regards the sales outlet, it operates at weekends and at markets on special dates, the idea is to convert it into a mobile sales outlet, with branches which produce sales and results every day , generating a minimum of two direct jobs within the warehouse and expanding the products to be traded and to sell the idea of the mobile sales outlets where there will be display cases and products placed in strategic places with advertising from the Foundation and the Business, where the two organizations can sell and promote themselves, generating revenue for the financing of the workshop and the Foundation, not to mention recognizing the products’ true value and achieving its most important objective, the self-financing of the project and the Foundation.
4. What is the strategy for achieving these objectives? (25-100 words)
It is important to re-enroll very quickly the young graduates in the workshops. At the moment we are investing in an agreement with Bogota’s Chamber of Commerce and the institute for a common economy where the Foundation’s programme will be strengthened and the JovenesOrfebres project of mobile sales outlets will work with specialist consultants.
Planning and team work will be the tools which will allow us to achieve all of our objectives.
5. Description of the project activity (25-100 words)
a. Young people who have been trained in previous years and in previous projects will be reaccepted with the intention of training them in advanced jewellery making techniques, in order to make them specialists and to improve their level of training in jewellery making. In this way we will reinforce the production and marketing team which the young people shape, because for social skills training they will be working in the sales outlet applying what they have learnt in the training process. We want to consolidate jobs in sales and marketing as well as in production.
b. On the other hand, the sales outlet will be diversified, setting up small sales outlets with display cases located in different warehouses in the city, as franchises or modules which will be administrated by a member of the Executive Board and a group of two young people in each one. If possible we will locate a sales outlet in another city.
c. In the social skills and technical training, fair trade, business administration, marketing, strengthening of competitiveness and personal development will be reincorporated.
We will work in agreement with the Chamber of Commerce’s Advisors and the work done in seminars and business plans will be replicated with the young people.
6. Who will benefit from this (these) activity(ies) and how? (What is the situation of these beneficiaries now and how will this change their lives?) (25-100 words)
The situation of the target population:
As this is about project continuity and contract sustainibility, the young people are sensitized to the possibilities of economic and professional changes which jewellery making can bring to their lives.
The young people with whom we work are young people of fe resources with problems in their lives and families but they are sharp young people who have a lot of talent. The problems of the lack of education, resources and opportunities to obtain higher level studies sensitize them towards the search for opportunities in technical development, and for this reason it is important to support jewellery making and its related trades.
7. Have the beneficiaries asked for or been consulted about the need for these services? How are they participating to make this activity a success? (25-100 words)
They are at the very core of the activities.
Their evaluations and opinions have pushed us to want to develop this project with higher levels of training, more time dedicated to them, and sales outlets which they will help to manage.
Their participation is vital for the success of this work.
A call for applicants will be sent by mail and telephone.
Information will be updated in specialized formats.
A Plan of Action and timescales will be submitted.
Commitments to attend and work in the businesses will be signed.
In groups the young people will support the search for sales outlets and will promise to spend a specific amount of hours in the setting up of sales outlets.
Others will develop productive paid work in order to provide sufficient revenue for these businesses.
8. What is the timeframe for completing project activities? (25-100 words)
This second Project has a duration of twelve months.
Six months for advanced technical training and the chasing up of sales outlets.
Twelve months for the setting up of mobile sales outlets and the continuation of the current sales outlet and participation in National and International Fairs.
9. How will you know when you have reached your objectives? What are your indicators of success? How and when will you gather information about your indicators? When and how will you evaluate your success? (25-100 words)
For the most part the project has a follow up system which consists of a periodic meeting between the beneficiaries and the people who up to now have been leading the Project in order to evaluate the activities which have been carried out. These short meetings are held at least twice a month.
In this way the performance of the programme, the possibile difficulties which may be arising, the projections, the tasks which need to be done and those which need to be changed can be measured.
Not to mention implementing, if possible, suggestions for improvement made by the young people or created from within the project.
In the final activities, exhibitions, market sales and successful results will give other indicators as to whether or not to make changes in the following processes:
When the training finishes, the students are evaluated.
Who is going to develop their life project in the area of professional craftsmanship?
Follow up activities as contrasted with the indicators monitored during the months.
Technical Training
Call to application of 20 young people minimum
Presence of 10 young people from previous yearss projects and 10 from the current project.
Academic evaluations, self evaluations and collections developed through technical training.
Attendance registers, photographs and if possible a video.
SUCCESS INDICATORS.
20 Young people graduating in Advanced Jewellery Making with diplomas and certificates.
20 collections of quality and original silver jewellery.
5 sales outlets with trade agreements with businesses.
4 young people in paid work
1 workshop functioning perfectly.
11. What risks do you see that could endanger the success of this activity?
A delay in the start of the second stage, because young people looking for results could take up other alternatives.
A delay in the implementation of the business plan with the mobile projects.
Because economic remuneration and sustainability of the agreements are dependent on the training.
12.
13. Existing non-financial resources:
Who will carry out this activity? Do they work in a volunteer or paid capacity? Please list the core team, their names and professional background. Is there a bookkeeper / accountant in place?
What other non-financial support do you now have (space, materials, equipment, volunteers, etc.)? Do you have these for the duration of the activity?
What kind of support do you have from the local community?
a.Who will lead this activity?
The United Nation’s Project Team
Veronica,Alvaro y Nury
Do they work in a voluntary or paid capacity?
Both.
JovenesOrfebres finances their salaries with the sale of jewellery, as long as there is still no external support.
Please list the core team, their names and professional backgrounds.
Is there an accountant / book keeper at the location?
b. What other non-financial support do you have at the moment? (space,materials, equipment, volunteers etc)
We have a physical infrastructure consisting of 15 jewellery making tables, equipment and tools, work permits and training methodology.
Los Mártires Youth Centre. CAMCA
14. Do you have these for the duration of the activity?
Yes
What kind of support do you have from the local community?
We are well supported and accepted. The training workshops are very well attended and the Regional Organizations who work with our Young people travel to us to manage other activities which benefit the young people and where the Foundation could have an opening.
15. What financial resources do you have already?
Currently we are negotiating resources with other agencies and trying to participate in a tender, but it depends on the specific results from the second term.
16. From which organizations and people?(Include SD organizations)and for what? How much financial support are you asking for in this request from the Susila Dharma Organizations?
Please include the budget in your application.
17. Will the Project continue when funding is stopped?
What is your plan to raise money to support the project’s future activities?
This Project is seeking to become self sufficient so its intention is to achieve the viability of the sales outlets, and of the qualified and trained young people to become diligent managers.
The foundation’s participation in national and international collaborations are an important opportunity for the continuity of the Project, not to mention counting on the support of the SGB
18. Does the local community ( beneficiaries, management or business people) contribute to the initiative with money or in another way?
There is an agreement with the youth centre for the project’s operations and a sales outlet in a market which is supported by local entities and an agreement with the Chamber of Commerce.
19. What funding have you received in the past and for what kind of activities?
2004 – SD GREAT BRITAIN
2005 – SD FRANCE
2006 – SD FRANCE
2007 – SD FRANCE
2008 – SD GREAT BRITAIN
20 - Are you already cooperating with an SD national organization? Which one? How much funding have you received in the past and for what kinds of activities? Who is/was your contact person in that SD organization?
Solen Lees Gratiet, ex-member of SD France, now SDIA office member, helps us with the m.
21.
- Will this grant be received by a legal entity? Which one? If land is to be developed, is it owned by this legal entity?
Yes, it is an organization registered before the Chamber of Commerce in which the YouthSmiths and Refuge Foundation are merged together.
- Do you have government approval to receive donations from abroad? Give foreign currency registration number if applicable.
Yes we have authorization to receive donations and they should be made in the name of our legal representative Nury Bonilla.
Please give banking details (account name, name of bank, address, account number, swift code if applicable, currency)
We currently have a bank account which does not accept international money transfers, because the account has not been in use for a year, but transfers can be sent to the Banco de Colombia
Name and email or address of person responsible for communicating with and reporting to the granting organization:
NURY BONILLA RUIZ- ÁLVARO HERRAN
nuryeb@hotmail.com – pitiashm@hotmail.com
We affirm that the information contained in this application form is correct to the best of our knowledge.
Signed:
Position: Board of Directors
Date: Abril 12, 2010
BUDGET
| ITEM | DESCRIPTION | AMOUNT | UNIT VALUE | TOTAL VALUE |
| PROFESSIONALS -WORKSHOP TEACHERS AND COORDINATION | Development of 2nd level jewellery and sales outlets establishment project | 3 X 6 MONTHS | $158 | $2,842 |
| Jewellery-making and social training materials | Photocopies, notebooks, pencils, pens and material for making jewellery | 20 YOUNG PEOPLE X 6 MONTHS | $158 | $3,158 |
| Running costs, enrollment, call for apl¿plicants, meetings and induction | Gestion para montaje puntos de venta | TELEPHONE, INTERNET, TRANSPORT | $53 | |
| Graduacion event and final jewellery workshop display. | Organization of a display of work carried out in a training workshop in June | EXHIBITION | $53 | |
| Design and realization of displays, stand decoration, cards, catalogues and advertising | $1,579 | |||
| Total | $7,684 |
