CIE STUDENTS SHOW THEY CAN HELP CONQUER POVERTY BY GOING INTO BUSINESS WITH THE POOR
Businesses established by middle school and high school students to help liberate economically disadvantaged families from poverty were showcased during the seventh Centre for International Education (CIE) Business Studies Trade Fair held recently (December 3 and 4, 2009) at the Activity Center of the Ayala Center Cebu.Cutting the ceremonial ribbon was Eric Ng Mendoza, President of the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), and President and CEO of Mendco Development Corporation, a foremost manufacturer and exporter of furniture in Cebu.
The trade-exhibit featured products of 11 companies established or currently being developed by students from fifth grade to fourth year high school under CIE’s Gift of Gold programme. Businesses of the school’s college students were also featured in the two-day activity.
Gift of Gold businesses are set up by a class or section in tandem with an economically-challenged family. With the primary objective of helping the family rise from poverty and become self-sufficient, the children help develop the business until the partner family can already run the business on its own.
This enables the students to learn, at a very young age, the various facets of running a business such as applying for the necessary permits from various agencies, bookkeeping, budgeting, manufacturing, human resources, management, logistics, marketing and sales. At the same time, they earn academic credits for regular subjects such as business studies, value formation, and TWE.
But most importantly, they learn about the needs of the economically challenged sector and find ways within their capacity to enable them to rise from poverty. The young entrepreneurs raise capital the hard and honest way because dole-outs are strictly prohibited under this programme. It is corporate social responsibility carried out at present by future business leaders.
Alongside the students, the partner families also learn the right procedures, attitudes and values of doing business.
The partner family usually provides the industrial equity, with at least one member possessing the skill that provides the spark to launch and keep the business going. Current Gift of Gold partner families have members who possess skills in fields such as flower arrangement, carpentry, sewing, designing, photography, food preparation, product distribution, toy and furniture manufacturing.
The businesses who participated in the trade fair include Royal Bloom (flower shoppe), Jade’s Gift Shoppe (stuffed toys and gift items), Framed (picture frames), Quik Piks (photo services), Sparkleize (t-shirts and t-shirt printing), Fine Ideas (bags), Privilege Marketing (drinking water), Doof (food), Cwupcakes (pastries), Barbikayo (general merchandise), and Pouch-A-Holic (pouches and bags).
The students will report the performance of their respective businesses and the lessons that they learned from the experience before a panel of businessmen and social development experts before the end of every school year.
posted by Centre for International Education @ 12:38 AM
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