In the Carupano region of Venezuela, we are funding the training of 60 young people between the ages of 14 and 19 in vulnerable situations/who leave school to join the cocoa profession.
What is the training program?
This training, led by Fondacion San José, is structured around 3 main topics:
- Training on cocoa planting (grafting, disease control, etc.) and agroecology
- Tutoring on reading, writing, and mathematics
- Personal development courses to enable these young people to plan for their future
It will also enable trainees, if they wish to continue along this path, to become players in the cocoa sector in this region of Venezuela.
The first step was building the classroom (La Churuata) where training is provided as well as purchasing the equipment necessary for learning the trades, such as secateurs and machetes, a chainsaw, computers, and safety shoes.
What are the intended outcomes?
Our objectives through this project are to:
- Promote employment in the region by training young people in the cocoa professions
- Contribute to the sustainable improvement of communities’ living conditions
- Make cocoa professions more attractive to younger generations
Key project stages
- August – November 2022: trainee selection and construction of La Churuata (classroom)
- January 2023: training begins
- October 2023: training end
