As March is celebrated as Women’s History Month, we keep telling the stories from non-profit organizations that lead through impact.
Give To Colombia is a non-profit that seeks to help the most vulnerable populations in Colombia by working in four major pillars: health and nutrition, environment, education and economic development. Even though it doesn’t limit itself to certain populations depending ages, gender, earnings, geographic location, etc., it has developed special programs designed to empower the female population.
To empower is to give strength, and G2C decided long ago that knowledge is strength. This is how PanArte, a bakery shop led by trained women from the vulnerable community of Manzanillo del Mar in Cartagena, Colombia, was conceived in 2012. The idea behind it was to create a micro-enterprise led with the help of women, who after hours of training courses, would be able to bake the goods and take home a significant income, providing independence and financial stability in their homes.
Furthermore, the women learned through their jobs about the everyday activities of keeping an enterprise going, such as the marketing that would get the brand known, the commercial relationships necessary to increase sales, and the logistics to transport the goods to various locations.
Today, PanArte workers have succeeded in establishing long-lasting relationships with businesses around the area providing them with stable sales, which helps Panarte in the off-season. Their menu has grown to include various treats, and their first shop is successfully treating the community with sweetness baked by empowered women.