A social enterprise is bult in a penitentiary center
The act to launch the "Pan de Libertad Transformando Vidas (Bread of Liberty Changing Lives) was held at the Centro de Orientación Femenino de Obrajes (COFO) (female prison) in La Paz. The profits from this enterprise will materialize in benefits for all the imprisoned population.
With the opening of training programs in bread making and knitting, CAF, Development Bank of Latin America, and SEVIDA, lead the construction of a social enterprise within COFO, generating a balance between productivity and wellbeing, with the vision of strengthening capacities, human rights, and the dignity of the imprisoned population. This is an unheard of experience in Latin America, which projects as a model in the improvement of the penitentiary system in our countries.
Ana Mercedes Botero, CAF's Director of the Social Innovation Initiative, pointed out, "This is a novel model that goes beyond the traditional maquila, where inmates own their own company, allowing them to generate incomes and a surplus that is invested is the sustainability of the psycho-emotional, reproductive, and sexual health programs for all the inmates at COFI), approximately 250 women and 50 minors". The difficulties of the penitentiary centers in Latin America are very complex, and reoccurrence rates as well as costs for the system and society are very high. In this respect, Emilio Uquillas, CAF's Director Representative in Bolvia, considers that "it is essential to rethink and try out new ideas. For this reason, CAF, as a development bank, decided to build this social enterprise model aimed at contributing with the social and labor reinsertion of those who are deprived of liberty".
The act, held in the facilities of the prison center, which included the presence of authorities of the Dirección del Régimen Penitenciario de Bolivia (Direction of the Penitentiary Regime of Bolivia), and representatives from the Banco Mercantil Santa Cruz, Embassy of Germany, Asociación Semilla de Vida (SEVIDA) (Seed of Life Association) and CAF, formally opened COFO's store for the sale of bread, pastries, and salteñas (Bolvian typcial food), while the marketing outside of prison will be done by a group of students, volunteers, and family of the inmates who will go around on bicycles offering the products to the community.
Shortly, through training workshops in baking and bread making offered by the Asociación Medio Ambiente y Desarrollo en Acción - ENDA (Environment and Development in Action Association), it is expected that production will expand to meet the demands of neighboring penitentiary centers. At the same time, the hand-knitting workshops, in charge of the Fundación Nuevo Norte, will launch a new catalogue sales system where the network of families of the inmates will be in charge of the distribution and sale of products.
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