The Laudes Infantis Foundation, a POETA DigiSpark Local Partner in Colombia, celebrated the graduation of 70 people in Bogotá. With support from Microsoft Philanthropies and The Trust for the Americas, these individuals received training in technology and entrepreneurship to enhance their skills and gain access to better employment opportunities.
Additionally, the “Business Exhibition” was held, where 4 female entrepreneurs and representatives of the “Puntos Verdes” Organization showcased their products and services, as well as explained how their knowledge will help them increase their sales to improve their quality of life.
As part of the celebration, Luz Marina Correa, Coordinator of POETA DigiSpark, commented that “for The Trust for the Americas, it is an honor to know that this project is possible thanks to the people who participate in the training and make the most of the activities and resources.” She also emphasized that the most rewarding part is reconnecting, after several years, with people who have completed the training and seeing how it has made a difference in their lives—whether by helping them find a job, start or continue their studies, or launch a business; which, Luz Marina says, motivates us to continue our work.
The session was held at the Laudes Infantis center in the Arrayanes neighborhood, located in the locality of Usme in the south of the city; an area characterized by a high concentration of vulnerable populations. During this visit, attendees had the opportunity to learn about the Center and present their various proposals.
Catalina Rengifo, Project Manager for the Americas at Microsoft, highlighted the skills and efforts each person made to obtain their certification: “I mainly want to congratulate each of the people graduating today; those who gave that extra effort, those who worked hard, those who saw the opportunity in the knowledge they were acquiring, those who found the importance of working and strengthening digital skills… I congratulate all of you, you are the inspiration of many people, each of you inspires me.”.
During the visit, the “Puntos Verdes” Organization, which specializes in supporting entrepreneurs in their initiatives related to environmental sustainability, presented the electronic device recycling program, which will benefit various social and environmental causes, the community in the Arrayanes and Bella Flor neighborhoods, and also, of course, Laudes Infantis, who hope to become a Green Point and a collection center for these electronic wastes, in order to contribute to their proper recycling.
At the event, the success story of Martha Blanco, founder of Olympia magazine, which covers topics of interest to women, was presented. Martha explained how she managed to consolidate the sale of her magazine locally and how she has managed to generate income thanks to advertising placements.
Yessica Pinzón, who was Martha's mentor during this process, explained how they focused on building skills in marketing, accounting, template creation, content production, and advertising guidelines, which were essential for running a successful business model.
At the end of the event, Beatriz Rojas, a young beneficiary of POETA DigiSpark who uses the program's training courses to plan the creation of her own business—a stationery store (miscellany)—explained how Laudes Infantis gave her the opportunity to acquire more knowledge about the ”digital world and entrepreneurship, to grow our business,” as well as the Excel, Word, and PowerPoint courses, which she will put into practice in her business.
Finally, Almudena Rivas highlighted the importance of skills generation as a tool to escape poverty, and expressed her joy at resuming in-person events and certifications. She thanked everyone for the opportunity to meet and celebrate with those who have committed not only to the organization, but also to the DigiSpark project. She emphasized that people will continue taking training courses and advancing through the processes to be offered in the second half of the year.
This event featured the participation of: Catalina Rengifo of Microsoft Philanthropy, who joined virtually; Luz Marina Correa, Project Manager at The Trust for the Americas; Almudena Rivas, Director of Social and Productive Development at Fundación Laudes Infantis; Juan David Fernández, from Fundación Puntos Verdes; María Camila Guerra, Project Officer at The Trust for the Americas; and Yessica Pinzón, a trainer at Laudes Infantis
For more information:
Visit: https://www.trustfortheamericas.org/programs/POETA/poeta-digispark
Facebook: The Trust for the Americas Twitter: @Trust4Americas
About The Trust for the Americas:
The Trust for the Americas is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS). Established in 1997 to promote public-private partnerships, The Trust has implemented projects in 24 countries and has worked with more than 1,000 organizations in the region. Our initiatives seek to promote educational and economic opportunities, as well as government accountability and transparency. Our unique partnership with the OAS gives us access to decision-makers throughout the region. This vital partnership serves as the foundation through which we build strong networks across all member states and the private sector. As our region develops, The Trust continues to help overcome challenges through strategic partnerships that foster cooperation for sustainable results.