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| Beneficiaries at CADA learn more about the role of Entrepreneurship in society. |
Business Awareness Course* or BAC is a basic business program of study that develops the participants’ awareness and sensitivity towards entrepreneurship or self-employment as a vocation or as an alternate means of livelihood. At the end of the course, those attending it would have arrived at greater self-knowledge and awareness about business in order to decide properly if entrepreneurship is appropriate for them or not, or perhaps not yet. Not everyone is cut-out to be an entrepreneur nor is entrepreneurship for everyone. Yet a good understanding of what it takes to be a successful one is valuable.
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| Business Awareness requires being more aware of one's SWOT-strengths, weaknesses, opportunities & threats. |
I was back last Febraury 19 at Cavite Dynamic Achievers or CADA after five years, this time giving a Business Awareness Course. I was also there last 2006 for a Christmas arts and craft workshop with students who at that time attended catechism classes given by CADA’s catechist volunteers. Last February 19, my audience were another batch of high school students. Among many things, we discussed the key entrepreneurial traits—good common sense, deep knowledge of the business or expertise, self-confidence, ability to get things done, creativity, leadership and self-reliance—which are also important for any worker or professional.
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| Young people see things in life in a uniquely fresh, happy and clear perspective which youth naturally provides. |
Glenda Angeles, Executive Director of El Cielito Foundation, Inc. initiated CADA as the foundation’s first project in 2006. Her concept was to help people develop themselves through education and entrepreneurship starting with the young people from their province in Cavite. Their approach is to impart a God-centered way of living that would enable the youth to grow in learning so as to develop themselves, come out of poverty, and being capable to lead others to improve their lot as well.
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| (L-R): CADA Social Worker Christina Llanto, Glenda Angeles-Executive Director of ECF, Mel E. Maranan, and Rose Naraja-Project Coordinator of ECF |
It all started with Glenda’s father Mr. Zosimo Angeles, President of El Cielito Hotels, who years ago had been concerned about the education of young people. “I would often see him read news about educational projects. And, the religious education of young people is very much in his heart… I would even see him cut out news clippings about catechism from local newspapers,” disclosed Glenda.
At present, the El Cielito Foundation, Inc. had built two classrooms and a soap production center in the premises of their ancestral home in Cavite. These facilities are being used by student beneficiaries of the foundation who currently are the members of CADA. Soaps made from the center are sold and the profit goes to the beneficiaries of CADA. These beneficiaries were selected from public schools and are now given opportunities weekly to receive catechism classes, values education, entrepreneurship skills development training through soap production and other activities like lectures and classes, cultural trips or exposure, and educational tours.
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| Student Beneficiaries of CADA pose with ECF Staff and Mr. Zosimo Angeles (2nd row, standing in yellow shirt) at the CADA Project Site in Poblacion, Bacoor, Cavite |
To have a CADA project in any community is very possible. It would foremost require faith, vision, and commitment to see it through. For more information about El Cielito Foundation, Inc. please visit www.elcielitofoundation.com or e-mail ecf_cada@yahoo.com.
*Business Awareness Course was one of the series of modules of the “Entrepreneurship on Migrant Earnings” or the EME project implemented by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. years ago. It was then funded by the Commission of European Communities through the International Labour Organization in collaboration with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.
