POETA DigiSpark

Bellanid (30) lives with her partner and two children in Usme, a district in the south of Bogota. As a teenager, Bellanid’s mother introduced her to clothe-making, which later became her profession. Bellanid used to work for large companies, juggling between her job and caregiving responsibilities. To become more autonomous, Bellanid opened a workshop in her house, in which she and other women tailored clothing for large companies. Nonetheless, managing her own entrepreneurship came along with some challenges, one of which was the lack of machinery that would allow her and her employees to work more efficiently. 

Since Fundación Laudes Infantis has an important presence in Bellanid’s community, she knew beforehand that the POETA-Laudes Center offered sewing machines. Bellanid arrived at the POETA-Laudes Center looking to access this equipment, but she also encountered a team available to provide her with training, counseling, and support to boost her entrepreneurship. Bellanid was directed to the Basic Excel and Entrepreneurial Skills for Business courses, while also receiving counseling to increase her confidence and strengthen her leadership. As a result of this comprehensive support, Bellanid took her workshop to the next level. Besides increasing her clothing production by connecting with more companies, Bellanid consolidated her business’ brand -“Confeccionando Sueños”- and officially launched its first collection at the POETA-Laudes Center. Additionally, all the other women that are part of Bellanid’s workshop also received training in digital and entrepreneurial skills. Today, Bellanid provides other women with employment opportunities and hopes to continue growing her business initiative with the support of the POETA - Laudes Center team.  

You can watch Bellanid’s story here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmJapsQuV-I&t=22s 

Clara Rosa (29), a mother of two, migrated to Brazil in 2018 from Caracas. After a challenging 15-day journey by foot with her two kids to the Roraima border, Clara found refuge with ACNUR in Brazil. After struggling in shelters in Boa Vista and Manaus, Clara finally settled in Salvador. With unwavering determination, Clara overcame a language barrier and started a culinary entrepreneurship, selling fast-food during the COVID pandemic, which allowed her to secure a regular income. Clara discovered the Casa dos Sete-POETA Center through social media, where the DNA Entrepreneurs course caught her attention. Through the course, Clara strengthened her financial, digital, and business skills while receiving personalized mentoring sessions. She advanced her skills by also completing the Microsoft Digital Skills modules. Having completed the DNA Entrepreneurs course, Clara applied this newfound knowledge to enhance her financial management by separating her expenditures from those of her business. Clara's marketing and sales skills also blossomed, significantly growing her customer base and increasing her revenue. Most notably, she was also able to formalize her fast-food business by registering as an Individual Micro-Entrepreneurship (MEI). These improvements allowed Clara to steadily increase her revenue, which in turn led her to start planning the opening of a physical location for her business.  

Today, Clara inspires others by sharing her story at events and while volunteering. Besides growing her small business, Clara dreams of setting up an NGO to help migrant women find an opportunity for growth and stability through entrepreneurship, just like she did. Clara highlights that the Casa dos Sete-POETA Center played a pivotal role in her journey, strengthening her business and empowering her to inspire others.  

Julia (51), from Venezuela, lives in Santiago, Chile with her family. Julia is a Production Agronomist Engineer with experience as a Data Analyst in the aviculture industry. After becoming a mother in 2007, she decided to fully dedicate herself to her family. As her kids grew, Julia sought opportunities to continue learning. In 2021, Julia found out about the courses offered at CDI Chile, a POETA DigiSpark local partner. That year, she decided to enroll in the Customer Services, Digital Marketing, and Introduction to Computer Science courses. The facilitators of the POETA-CDI Chile Center also offered workshops focused on preparing students for job interviews. It was through these workshops that Julia’s desire to go back to work as a Data Analyst grew. 

In 2022, Julia participated in the Data Analysis and PowerBI Bootcamp offered by CDI Chile. Initially, she felt challenged by the contents, but as the bootcamp advanced, Julia’s confidence started to grow. After more than 260 hours of training, Julia’s dedication, combined with the support and follow-up of the team at the POETA-CDI Chile Center, resulted in a paid internship as a Data Analyst for Corporación Dolores Sopeña -a Chilean NGO. At 51, Julia was able to learn how to use PowerBI and after fifteen years outside of the job market, she re-entered the job market as a Data Analyst. In Julia’s words “Participating in POETA DigiSpark became the key to gaining confidence and exploring new forms to re-enter the job market, and for this I am deeply thankful.”