Monica Espinoza and Catalina Aguayo

To read in Spanish click here

Supporter / Facilitator / Youth worker

Occupational therapists facilitators

Description of your role 

Learn about experiences and new tools to support, together with other professionals, the strengthening and consolidation of the Hortinclusiva cooperative entrepreneurship that began in 2018 and as an inspiration in the promotion of entrepreneurship by young people with physical disabilities that began in 2021.

Previous experience in enterprise development

One year previous to STARTUP project.

Entrepreneur 

1. People with a health condition in the physical and cognitive area from a pre-associative group, the Hortitherapy Club of the Fondacio Hortitherapy Occupational Center, participate in the Horticultural Cooperative venture.

2. In the Entrepreneurship Promotion Program, young people with physical disabilities and their families participate who have completed the workshop on organic cultivation of medicinal plants and their processing.

Field of Business

1. The Hortinclusiva cooperative focuses its production on the processing and packaging of medicinal plants and others. Committed to caring for the environment, they do not use chemical products and use biodegradable products for packaging.

2. The Entrepreneurship Promotion Program carries out productive training in organic crops, processing and packaging of medicinal plants.

Support Needs

1. The support needs detected for the Hortinclusiva cooperative were empowerment, autonomy, knowledge of the role of each person on the board, information on actions related to sales, with the contractual situation, functional labor skills.

2. The support needs detected in the Entrepreneurship Promotion Program are the lack of management of reading, writing and basic mathematical operations, empowerment and autonomy, communication skills.

Case Study:

La idea surge del personal de CORPEB, los jóvenes y sus familiares.  

1. The pre-associative group Club de Hortiterapia of the Hortiterapeutical Occupational Center was presented with the possibility of participating in the creation of a cooperative. 5 people committed themselves

The idea arises based on a state fund for labor inclusion with the creation of cooperatives.

2. The Entrepreneurship Promotion Program arises from the high adhesion to the workshop of organic cultivation of medicinal plants by young people derived from CORPEB spina bifida corporation

 The idea comes from the CORPEB staff, the youth and their families.

The Horticultural Cooperative is in a consolidation stage.

The Entrepreneurship Program is just beginning.

The HORTINCLUSIVA Cooperative presented a decrease in production by not attending the workplace due to the pandemic and weakness in functional work skills together with a decrease in raw material by not having the orchard harvest for processing.

The Entrepreneurship Promotion Program as a result of the pandemic could not count on the vehicle to regularly transport the participants residing in Santiago for productive training in the greenhouse and the lack of management in reading, writing and basic operations of math.

The values ​​module such as a positive attitude and communication skills helped to strengthen the group more, to respect each other and to value more the good of the other.

The business development module, skills and abilities such as openness to change, ability to detect opportunities.

What are your plans for the future ? 

The plans for the Horticultural Cooperative are to increase working hours, increase production, sales and the remuneration of the partners. Increase the number of partners.

The plans for the Entrepreneurship Program are to involve family members more and support Corpeb staff in applying for competitive funds

Country

Chile.